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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