Lunar Year of the Horse 2026 United Kingdom £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin

Face value: Samoa 0,25$
Weight: 40gr
Diameter: 40 mm
Mintage: 6666

Proof copper coin with partial gold plating

In East Asian Buddhism, the Twelve Heavenly Generals or Twelve Divine Generals are the protective deities, or yaksha, of Bhaisajyaguru, the buddha of healing. They are introduced in the Bhai?ajyaguruvaiduryaprabharaja Sutra.They are colletively named in simplified pinyin: Shí'èr Shén Jiang Sa??hila--Honji to this General is Akashagarbha,It is the protective deity of zodiac horse.

Denomination: 0,25 €
Alloy: Cupro-nickel Nordicgold
Weight: 15,8 g
Diameter: 34 mm
Quality Brilliant Uncirculated
Year: 2026

Surrounded by plum blossom, a symbol much used in Chinese history and art, and lanterns, the horse is depicted in a joyful, childlike manner. The inscription ‘Year of the Horse’ followed by the year 2026 appears in the centre of the coin. The ideogram of the horse appears at the bottom right of the coin. On the reverse, all the animals of the Chinese zodiac are drawn in a childlike way around the Ying and Yang symbol. A complete cycle of the Chinese zodiac begins in 2018 and lasts until 2029. Each of the twelve years in this period is represented by one of the zodiac animals. The face value is visible in the centre of the denomination and the wording ‘RF’.

Denomination: 5£
Alloy: cu/ni
Weight: 28.28 g
Diameter: 38,6 mm
Quality Brilliant Uncirculated
Year: 2024

A beautiful celebration of the most significant symbol in Chinese culture
The first Lunar coin to feature the official coinage portrait of His Majesty The King

In 2024, Chinese New Year, The Year of the Dragon starts on 10 February. A joyful time that is marked by communities all over the world, friends and family will gather to enjoy traditional food, watch firework displays and gift children money in red envelopes. Each year is characterised by one of 12 zodiac animals, and 2024 sees the dragon in the ascendancy. Wise and powerful, the dragon is China’s most important cultural symbol and has come to represent confidence, courage and adventurousness. People born under its zodiac sign are said to possess these traits

Denomination: 5£
Alloy: Cupro-nickel
Weight: 28.28 g
Diameter: 38,6 mm
Quality Brilliant Uncirculated
Year: 2025

On 29 January 2025, the Chinese New Year ushers in the Year of the Snake. A joyful time marked by communities worldwide, friends and family will gather to enjoy traditional food, watch firework displays and gift children money in red envelopes. Each year is characterised by one of 12 zodiac animals, and 2025 sees the snake in the ascendancy. Many regard the Year of the Snake as the year of strength. Clever and determined, individuals born under this sign are often known for their adaptability, intelligence and agility, can sometimes make advanced judgments that inform their goals, and frequently possess a mature outlook on life.

Metal: NordicGold
Weight: 15,80 g
Diameter: 34 mm
Mintage: 10 000

In 2022, Smiley celebrates its fifth decade of smiles and optimism.

The emblematic yellow, round face of the brand was born on 1st, January 1972 in France, when journalist Franklin Loufrani used this infectious smile in the newspaper France-soir in order to highlight stories which brought positive news and cheered up French people’s spirit. This operation, called « Take the time to smile » was an immediate success.

In 1996, the logo is relaunched and developed in other forms : a new 3D version is created and new expressions are added in. Nowadays, from the smiley to the emoticon, smiling takes multiple forms, becoming a representative of cheerfulness !

Since the creation of the yellow smile in 1972, Smiley diversified the range of its expressions, conveying over a hundred émotions. From the smiley to the emoticon, smiling takes multiple forms.

Each mini-medal highlights a particular emotion : love, gratitude, gluttony, joy and laughing.

The medals are packaged in a coloured packaging, to treat to someone or to yourself.

Weight: 29 g x 12 tk + 1 x 89 g
Metal: Cu/NI
Diameter: 12 x 44 x 26,8 mm ; 1 x 65 mm
Face value: 1/2 $ x 13
Quality: Proof-like
Mintage: 18 888 coins

Featuring the 12 lunar animals in traditional Chinese painting art on fan-shaped coins – the Chinese character of each animal is represented on individual designs.

The 12 zodiac animals are placed around one big coin with a diameter of 65 mm – all coins are refined with 24K Gold Plating.

The beautiful collection comes with a lucky mintage of 18,888 pieces – perfect as a subscription program or complete set!

Face value: 5 €
Diameter: 34 mm
Weight: 19.1 g
Metal: Brass
Mintage: 40,000

Obverse:
The obverse of the euro collector coin depicts a male European bison with trees in the background above and fallen branches in the foreground below. The Slovak coat of arms appears in the lower right of the design, just below the year of issuance ‘2024’. The name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’ is inscribed along part of the left edge. In the lower part of the design are the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ placed between two dies, and the stylised letters ‘KL’, referring to the coin’s designer Karol Ličko.

Reverse:
On the reverse, a depiction of a European bison’s head dominates the centre and right of the design. Above the head are the coin’s denomination and currency, ‘5 EURO’. The Slovak name of the European bison, ‘ZUBOR HRIVNATÝ’, is inscribed along the upper-left edge, and the scientific name, ‘BISON BONASUS’, is at the lower-left edge. The two names are separated by a beech twig with leaves and nuts.

The bison is Europe’s largest land mammal, with its build resembling that of cattle. It has a relatively short, rounded head and is covered with brown hair from head to tail. The forequarters are bulkier than the hindquarters and are further accentuated by longer hair. Strong, hollow horns are a permanent feature of both sexes and grow with age. Bison are most active at dusk, and their vision has adapted accordingly. Their best-developed senses are hearing and smell. They can live to around 35 years of age. Bison are a social animal that typically live in herds of 8 to 13 animals, though older males tend to be solitary. They feed mainly on green and woody plant matter, including branches, bark and leaves. They prefer younger forest stands with dense undergrowth. In winter, their staple food sources are brambles, tree bark, shrubs and dry grass, which they dig out from under the snow. The bison’s historical range extended almost throughout Europe. In Slovakia today, approximately 70 individuals of the species live wild on a reservation in the Poloniny National Park.

Denomination: 1/4 €
Alloy: Common metal
Weight: 15,8 g
Diameter: 34 mm
Quality BU
Year: 2025

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is a Gothic cathedral in the heart of the French capital, on the Île de la Cité. Built in the 12th century, its stained glass windows, gargoyles and flying buttresses have inspired many literary works such as Victor Hugo's novel. In April 2019, a violent fire ravaged a significant part of its structure, including its spire and roof. Restoration work then quickly began, in order to rebuild the monument identically.

On the front, in the foreground, a stonemason from the medieval period symbolizing the craftsmen who built the cathedral. In the background, the left part of the cathedral in detailed view and the right part, as well as the spire, in schematic outline of the structure to evoke its construction/reconstruction.

The reverse is common to all coins in the UNESCO series of this year 2025. It represents the terrestrial globe with the parallels and meridians on the left side and the inscriptions of major sites classified as UNESCO World Heritage on the right side. These inscriptions are as if engraved in stone, which echoes the Rosetta Stone. The left side of the globe is surrounded by the UNESCO logo as well as the marking "World Heritage". The face value is inscribed on the left side of the globe, blending perfectly with the parallels and meridians.

Face value: 5 €
Diameter: 34 mm
Weight: 19.1 g
Metal: Brass
Mintage: 45,000

The Danube salmon or huchen (Hucho hucho) is endemic to the Danube basin and is the only native salmonid species in Slovakia. This predatory fish, the largest European salmonid, can grow up to around 150 cm in length, weigh more than 50 kg, and have a lifespan exceeding 15 years. Its body is torpedo-shaped, with a large head and a terminal mouth extending beyond the back edge of the eye. An adipose fin is located between the caudal and dorsal fins. Coloration ranges from grey-green to reddish-brown, with dark spots. Juveniles are lighter in colour with dark stripes along the sides of the body. The Danube salmon inhabits fast-flowing submontane rivers with cold, well-oxygenated water. When young, it feeds on invertebrates and smaller fish; as an adult, its diet consists mostly of fish. Spawning occurs between March and April, following upstream migration. The female uses her tail to make a shallow depression (redd) in the gravel riverbed, where the eggs are laid and fertilised. Juveniles remain in shallower currents or smaller tributaries, while older individuals occupy deeper river sections. In Slovakia, the Danube salmon occurs in the foothill reaches of the Hron, Váh, Turiec, and Orava rivers, as well as in the Danube River itself, and has been introduced into the Poprad and the Dunajec rivers.
The Danube salmon is an endangered species of European conservation importance. It is threatened primarily by river impoundment and resulting migration barriers, as well as by water pollution and other environmental changes. Fishing is permitted only under strict conditions and requires a special licence.

Obverse:
The obverse depicts a Danube salmon in its natural habitat, preying on a smaller fish just below the river surface. The scene is complemented by aquatic plants and a pebbled riverbed. Above the waterline is the name of the issuing country ‘SLOVAKIA’ and the year of issuance ‘2025’. At the top of the field is the Slovak coat of arms, positioned between the coin’s denomination ‘5’ and currency ‘EURO’. At the right edge is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ between two dies.

Reverse:
The reverse design is divided in half by the surface of a river, with a mountain landscape above and two Danube salmon below. On the right side of the water’s surface is the species’ scientific name ‘HUCHO HUCHO’, and below it, across the width of the field, is the Slovak name ‘HLAVÁTKA PODUNAJSKÁ’. The fish are shown swimming above a pebbled riverbed with aquatic plants on the left. At the right edge are the stylised initials ‘TL’ of the coin’s designer, Tomáš Lamač.