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Australia International Year of the Ox

2009 Proof Ten Dollar

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The Chinese Zodiac is an astrological system that rotates through a twelve year lunar cycle. Each of these years is associated with an animal arranged in order from the rat through to the pig. An ancient folk story states that the order was established by a race between the animals that was orchestrated by the Jade Emperor of China. It is believed that each of these animals is associated with a set of characteristics that may serve as an astrological guide to understand the events that occur in the year as well as the personalities of those born in the year. The Royal Australian Mint regularly produces coins celebrating the beginning of a new Chinese Lunar Year.

This ten dollar piece was issued in 2009 to celebrate the beginning of the Lunar Year of the Ox. It was produced by the Royal Australian Mint for export and is the first piece in this international Lunar Zodiac series. The reverse shows a stylised image of an Ox in the centre surrounded by Chinese decorations. Above this is the denomination "10 DOLLAR" and the coins composition "1/10 oz.9999Au". The obverse contains the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II with the legend "ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2009".

The Chinese Zodiac suggests that those born in the year of the ox are considered to be hard-working and persistent but tend to see things as black or white with no shades of grey. They are also very observant, intelligent, stubborn, dogmatic, patient and caring. In the compatibility department, ox people are best off with rooster, monkey, snake or rat whereas they are thought to be totally incompatible with tiger people.