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In the Chinese calendar the year 2013 is known as the year of the snake. The snake is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. In Chinese horoscope the snake is strongly related with cleverness and knowledge.

On this occasion a beautiful .999 silver coin has been released by the Republic of Fiji with the mintage quantity of 8888 pieces worldwide. This Year of the Snake gilded coin with a green pearl insert is another issue of the extremely popular Lunar Series.

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•     Contains 1 oz / 31,1 grams of .999 fine Silver.

•     Each coin including natural green pearl
  

•     Coin comes in a case with a numbered COA.
  

•     Limited mintage of only 8888 coins
  

•     Obverse: Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, “Fiji”, and the legal tender value of 10 Dollars.
  

•     Reverse: Distinguished by a frightening Dragon with Gold plated
  

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In the series Chinese Lunar Year with Pearl you can find:

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  2012 Chinese Lunar Year – Dragon    – White Pearl

  2013 Chinese Lunar Year – Snake     – Green Pearl

  2014 Chinese Lunar Year – Horse      – Red Pearl

  2015 Chinese Lunar Year – Goat       – Yellow Pearl

  2016 Chinese Lunar Year – Monkey   – Pink Pearl

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History:

The Snake (蛇) is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac and related to the Chinese calendar, as well as in related East Asian zodiacal or calendrical systems. The Year of the Snake is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 巳.

According to one mythical legend, there is a reason for the order of the 12 animals in the 12-year cycle. The story goes that a race was held to cross a great river, and the order of the animals in the cycle was based upon their order in finishing the race. In this story, the Snake compensated for not being the best swimmer by hitching a hidden ride on the Horse’s hoof, and when the Horse was just about to cross the finish line, jumping out, scaring the Horse, and thus edging it out for sixth place.

The same 12 animals are also used to symbolize the cycle of hours in the day, each being associated with a two-hour time period. The “hour” of the Snake is 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., the time when the sun warms up the earth, and Snakes are said to slither out of their holes.

The reason the animal signs are referred to as “zodiacal” is that one’s personality is said to be influenced by the animal sign(s) ruling the time of birth, together with elemental aspects of the animal signs within the sexagenarian (60 year) cycle. Similarly, the year governed by a particular animal sign is supposed to be characterized by it, with the effects particularly strong for people who were born in a year governed by the same animal sign.

In Chinese symbology, Snakes are regarded as intelligent, but with a tendency to be somewhat unscrupulous.

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