China's
new coins honor a great achievement for its railway
system. The Qing-Zang-Railway, running almost 2,000
kilometers (about 1,200 miles) from Xining to Lhasa,
capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, is an impressive
engineering feat -- some 960 kilometers of its tracks
are located 4,000 meters above sea level and the highest
point is 5,072 meters, at least 200 meters higher than
the Peruvian railway in the Andes, which was formerly
the world's most elevated track.
The 2006 10 Yuan silver and 100 Yuan gold coins commemorate
the opening of the Qing-Zang-Railway to traffic in June
2006. Mintages are 36,000 1 oz., .999 fine silver proof
coins and 16,000 1/4 oz., .999 fine gold proof coins,
all struck at the Shenzhen Guobao Mint. Inscriptions
are in Chinese and Tibetan. These are now available
from the official distributor Panda America at the issue
price of $425 for the silver and gold coin proof set;
individual silver and gold coins may be available only
by special request.
The silver coin shows a train traveling
on the Yangtze River Bridge. Special tourist trains
feature hotel-like services and special viewing cars
for the 48-hour journey to the "roof of the world."
Yaks and Tibetan Antelopes are featured, with ice-covered
mountains in background. Construction on the Qing-Zang-Railway
was halted for 10 days last August to allow the rare
female Tibet Antelopes and their newborns to pass through
on their way back from their birthing area in the Kekexili
region. Animal channels have been designed so that the
new construction will not affect the life and reproduction
of wildlife. The Lhasa Railway Station is pictured on
the other side of the silver coin.
The obverse
of the gold coin features the Map of Qing-Zang-Railway
and a Tracklayer; the reverse pictures the 1,686 meter
Kunlun MountainTunnel, the world's longest plateau tunnel
built on frozen earth.
The Qing-Zang-Railway coins can be ordered from Panda
America, 3460 Torrance Blvd., Suite 100, Torrance, CA
90503. Credit card orders can be placed by calling 800-472-6327
or at www.PandaAmerica.com.
Add $7.50 for shipping and insurance.
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Prepared by Mel Wacks
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