Chinese Coins: 2013 Huangshan Mountain Coins

In July of 2013 the People’s Bank of China released a set of commemorative coins featuring iconic imagery of China’s Huangshan Mountain, otherwise known as Yellow Mountain. This is fitting as perhaps no other natural wonder symbolizes the history and culture of China so well as Mt. Huangshan.

China 2013 Mt. Huangshan - Flying Stone Silver 10 Yuan

Mt. Huangshan first became a prominent part of Chinese culture during the Tang dynasty in the 8th century. Legend states that Huangshan is the place where the Yellow Emperor discovered the secret to immortality. The mountain has inspired and captivated the imaginations of artists and poets ever since. During the Ming Dynasty the Huangshan provided the inspiration for the Shanshui (Mountain and Water) school of painting. Over 20,000 works of art, literature, and poetry have been produced celebrating the mountains natural beauty.

China 2013 Mt. Huangshan - (Right) Monkey Rock Silver 10 Yuan;
(Left) Pavilion Silver 10 Yuan

Today this beauty continues to captivate. In 2007 nearly 15 million people made a pilgrimage to witness the mountains towering granite peaks, magnificent waterfalls, swirling clouds, and of course, the famous “welcoming pine”. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.

China 2013 Mt. Huangshan - Yingkesong Gold 100 Yuan

The Huangshan Mountain coins are outstanding examples of the high relief style coin that the China Mint favors. Today many world mints choose to strike low relief coins to extend die life and reduce costs. The China Mint has gone its own way and chosen to emphasize the artistic qualities of its coin designs. This is apparent in the entire Haungshan Mountain issue. The available coins are:

• 10,000 Yuan 1 kg. gold coin. Mintage: 200
• 2,000 Yuan 5 oz. gold coin. Mintage: 1,000
• 100 Yuan ¼ oz. gold coin. Mintage: 30,000
• 300 Yuan 1 kg. silver coin. Mintage: 5,000
• 10 Yuan 1 oz. silver coin. Mintage: 50,000

These coins are well worth investigating both for their extraordinary beauty and their value.

Peter Anthony is an expert on Chinese modern coins with a particular focus on Panda coins. He is an analyst for the NGC Chinese Modern Coin Price Guide as well as a consultant on Chinese modern coins.

Image lower right: China 2013 Mt. Huangshan - Waterfall Silver 10 Yuan

Peter Anthony is an expert on Chinese modern coins with a particular focus on Panda coins. He is an analyst for the NGC Chinese Modern Coin Price Guide as well as a consultant on Chinese modern coins.