Year of the Mouse
Mongolia. 1,000 Togrog. 2020. Silver .999. 1 ounce. Antique finish. Size 22 x 32 mm. Mintage: 999 pieces. B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description
The obverse of the coin, which is struck on a blank in the shape of a stylized mouse, shows the emblem of the Central Bank of Mongolia within a lightly incused circle. Beneath, it bears the inscription “1000 Togrog” in Cyrillic characters and, beneath that, “MONGOLIA 1 OZ .999 SILVER” in Latin characters. In addition, it depicts the features of a smiling mouse, the flanks are adorned with floral elements. The year 2020 is punched on the base.
The reverse matches the obverse but without the inscription or emblem.
Mongolia. 1,000 Togrog. 2020. Gold .9999. 0.5 g. Proof. Diameter: 11 mm. Mintage: 5,000 pieces. B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description
The obverse shows the emblem of the Central Bank of Mongolia. Beneath, it bears the inscription “1000 Togrog” in Cyrillic characters and, beneath, “MONGOLIA 0.5 g .9999 GOLD” in Latin characters.
The reverse depicts a left-facing standing mouse within an ornate border, which is filled with floral motifs. There are similar motifs on the mouse’s flank and cheek. In the exergue: 2020.
Mongolia. 100 Togrog. 2020. Silver .999. 5 g. Prooflike. Size 150 x 70 mm. Mintage: 5,000 pieces. B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description
The obverse of the banknote shows the emblem of the Central Bank of Mongolia with the following inscription: “BANK OF MONGOLIA / It is certified that these minted / commemorative notes are legal tender of / The Bank of Mongolia (The Central Bank).” / Ag .999 – 5 g – 5000 pcs – 150×70 mm – 2020 and 100 TOGROG.
The reverse depicts a mouse decorated with floral elements. In the background, guilloche patterns and floral elements. The inscription reads “YEAR OF THE MOUSE” and twice “100”.
Story
On February 5, 2019, the people of Mongolia celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Pig. To mark this occasion, CIT Coin Invest AG launched its successful “Lunar Collection”, which is made up of two commemorative coins in silver and gold, as well as one silver banknote, for every year of the Chinese calendar.
In October 2019, the next issue will be released: it is dedicated to the Year of the Mouse, Mongolia’s equivalent to the Chinese Year of the Rat.
The Mongolians did not directly adopt their calendar from the Chinese, but rather from the Uyghur people, who modified it slightly. So, when Mongolians think of this year’s animal, they don’t think of the rat, detested by Europeans as plague-carrying vermin, but rather the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). This animal’s cute appearance makes it a popular pet.
The exceptional piece from this series is the little, silver mini-sculpture of the mouse, struck with smartminting technology. The sculpture’s little base allows the lucky owner of this item to set it up where ever he or she wants. CIT Coin Invest AG deliberately made the decision to announce the new issues this early, in order to give collectors a chance to get their hands on the piece before it sells out like the previous issues.
You can see the little sculpture of the silver mouse, struck with smartminting technology, in this video from CIT’s YouTube channel:
Further Information
https://www.coin-invest.li/coins/witty-silver-mouse/
https://www.coin-invest.li/coins/year-of-the-mouse-gold/
https://www.coin-invest.li/coins/year-of-the-mouse-silvernote/
