Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation Releases 12 Zodiac Series 'Year of the Rat Art Medal'

Provided by Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation is launching and selling the ‘Year of the Rat High-Relief Art Medal’.

On the 3rd, the Mint announced that it will release the ‘Year of the Rat’ art medal as the fourth product in the 12 Zodiac series.

The front of the medal features two rats symbolizing the Year of the Rat in 2020, the Gyeongja year, along with a cornucopia, a horn of plenty symbolizing wealth and well-being in Greco-Roman mythology. The back of the medal depicts a mother rat and a baby rat in the shape of ‘2020’.

The medal weighs 390g, has a diameter of 80mm, and is made of single-metal (90% copper, 10% zinc). To create an antique atmosphere, an antique finish technique artificially aging the surface and a white rat plating technique were applied to enhance its aesthetic value.

The Mint is producing and selling two types of the Year of the Rat art medal: silver-plated copper medals and copper medals, each limited to 100 pieces. The selling price per piece (including VAT) is set at 198,000 KRW for the silver-plated copper medal and 165,000 KRW for the copper medal. Purchases are available on a first-come, first-served basis through the Mint’s online shopping mall.

Previously, the Mint introduced premium art medals themed on the 12 zodiac animals such as the rooster in 2017, the dog in 2018, and the pig in 2019.

Art medals have high collectible value due to their enhanced artistry and three-dimensionality, as well as their limited production and sales quantities. According to the Mint, this has made art medals popular not only domestically but also in Europe, including France and Italy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.