The People's Bank of China Gradually Issues 2026 New Year Commemorative Coins and Banknotes

Starting Monday (December 22), the People's Bank of China will gradually issue the 2026 New Year commemorative coins and banknotes. The main design on the front of the commemorative banknote features a horse motif, while the main design on the back depicts children celebrating with drums and gongs.

According to China CCTV News, the People's Bank of China is gradually issuing New Year commemorative coins and banknotes, including one commemorative banknote, one bi-metallic copper alloy coin, one gold coin, and one silver coin, all of which are legal tender of the People's Republic of China.

The main design on the front of the commemorative banknote features a horse motif. At the top are the National Emblem of the People's Republic of China, "People's Bank of China," and a seal impression in seal script of the character "horse.” Below are the color-shifting denomination number "20" and Chinese characters "Twenty Yuan," a dynamic holographic element, a transparent window, a tactile denomination marker, and a banknote serial number.

The main design on the back of the commemorative banknote features children celebrating with drums and gongs, complemented by decorative Mongolian patterns. At the top are the denomination number "20" and the Pinyin letters "YUAN". At the bottom are floral designs and dynamic holographic elements, the year "2026", the bank governor's seal, the denomination number "20", the Pinyin for “People’s Bank of China”, and the text "People’s Bank of China Twenty Yuan" in the Mongolian, Tibetan, Uighur, and Zhuang languages.

The obverse of the bi-metallic copper alloy commemorative coin bears the inscriptions “People's Bank of China”, the “10 yuan” denomination, the Pinyin “SHIYUAN”, and the year “2026”, set on a background of grouped floral patterns. The reverse features a horse figure combining Chinese traditional paper-cutting and decorative New Year painting elements, with lantern and daylily patterns as a background. “Bing Wu” is inscribed on the left side of the coin.

On Monday, the People's Bank of China officially issued a set of 2026 New Year's gold and silver commemorative coins, including a 1g round gold coin and an 8g diamond-shaped silver coin. The obverse of both coins depicts a combination of traditional Chinese auspicious patterns, along with the country name and year.

The reverse of the 1g round gold commemorative coin features a combined design of the Chinese character “Fu” (good fortune) and a money pouch, with the denomination inscribed. The reverse of the 8g diamond-shaped silver commemorative coin features a combined design of the “Fu” character and a scene of fish lantern dancing, with the denomination inscribed.