The Lunar Year of the Horse - 2002 Unc. Cupro Nickel $1 Coin - SLE

The Bank of Sierra Leone has approved the release of a coin to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Horse. For Chinese people all around the world, the Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year. In times gone by, it was the one time of year when farmers could rest from their work in the fields and family members would travel to be together. Even today, public transport in China over the New Year celebrations is packed, shops are busy with customers bying new clothes, gifts and food for the festivities and the streets are filled with the sounds of firecrackers and seasonal greetings. 

Illustrating the power and majesty of this year's (2002) lunar animal, the beautifully detailed design on the coin shows a horse rearcing up onto its hind legs. The design is taken from a painting by a famous Chinese artist, Mr Au, who is known particularly for his animal paintings. The coin carries the inscription. 'Year of The Horse' with the Sierra Leone Coat of Arms on the obverse.