United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 2 Pounds

History

2 Pounds 2019, Sp# CLCB6, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, Chinese Zodiac, Year of the Pig

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

Since 2014, each coin in the Shēngxiào Collection has celebrated the lunar animals of the Chinese zodiac in turn.

The Chinese zodiac is a classification scheme that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. The 12-year cycle is an approximation to the 11.85-year orbital period of Jupiter.

Identifying this scheme using the generic term "zodiac" reflects several superficial similarities to the Western zodiac. Nevertheless, there are major differences between the two: the animals of the Chinese zodiac are not associated with constellations spanned by the ecliptic plane. The Chinese 12-part cycle corresponds to years, rather than months. The Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 animals, whereas some of the signs in the Western zodiac are not animals, despite the implication of the etymology of the word zodiac.

Obverse	Crown, jewelry Diamond Diadem Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Elizabeth II The fifth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the George IV State Diadem and drop earrings. The George IV State Diadem, officially the Diamond Diadem, is a type of crown that was made in 1820 for King George IV. The diadem is worn by queens and queens consort in procession to coronations and State Openings of Parliament. The piece of jewelry has been featured in paintings and on stamps and currency. It can be seen in the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace. ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATRIX means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith. Engraver: Jody Clark ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·F·D·2 POUNDS· JC
Reverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Pig Construction (building, bridge etc.) House Zodiac Pig Depicts a mother pig and five piglets lying peacefully in the foreground. In the background nestled beside a grove of trees is a comfortable-looking country house with smoke curling from its chimney beneath a crescent moon. The Pig (豬) is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in Chinese zodiac. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year of the Pig": 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019. Engraver: Harry Brockway YEAR OF THE PIG • 2019 豬 HB
Edge	Reeded (milled)