A woman on Jan. 13 holds up two Year of the Ox coins. From 1993 to 2004, the central bank issued square zodiac sign coins, which made them rare and much sought-after. However, that year marked the high point for the zodiac sign coins, and after the central bank in 2017 initiated “round three” of commemorative coins, sales began to decline. In response to the trend, the central bank last year began reducing the coins’ edition, and this year only minted 100,000 Year of the Ox coins. “People bought zodiac sign coins for their own collection or as gifts to family and friends, and especially for those who recently had children.

Source: Taipei Times February 19, 2021 15:56 UTC