Central bank to issue Forbidden City commemorative coins on 600th anniversary

BEIJING - The central bank will issue a set of gold and silver commemorative coins Monday to mark the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, a world-famous historic site.

The set consists of two gold and five silver coins, all legal tenders, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, said in a statement.

All coins feature the national emblem on the obverse, while the reverse is inscribed with different pictures, denominations and Chinese characters reading, "The 600th Anniversary of the Forbidden City."

The gold coin, which is 90 mm in diameter, contains 1 kg of pure gold and has a face value of 10,000 yuan ($1,427.98), with a maximum issuing limit of 100.

This year marks the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, a former imperial compound. The Palace Museum was built on the base of the former imperial compound in 1925.