SINGAPORE: The Singapore Mint’s annual Lunar Fair kicked off at Chinatown Point Atrium on Thursday (Jan 1), offering the public a first look at newly issued Chinese New Year-themed coins, gifts and collectibles.
Held from 11am to 8pm daily, the fair will run until Jan 11. Entrance is free.
Early visitors on New Year’s Day were treated to a lion dance performance at 10am, before the fair was officially opened.
The Singapore Year of the Horse coin – which comes in 10 versions with different face value, format, metallic composition and relief treatment – proved to be a key draw for collectors and festive shoppers.
It features a horse, the seventh animal in the Chinese zodiac, with Punggol Waterway Park in the background.
All the coins bear the Singapore coat of arms and the year 2026. They are issued with a serialised certificate of authenticity, except for the $2 nickel-plated zinc coin.
Zodiac-themed collectibles remain popular, both as keepsakes and as symbolic gifts exchanged during the festive period.
The fair starts as shoppers have begun preparing festive decorations and gifts ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Among those who visited the fair on its first day were Lim Ming Ling, a 59-year-old housewife, and her husband Tan Tiong Nam, 60, a part-time bus driver.
They have collected all the zodiac coins issued since the series was launched in 2017.
The couple typically buy several sets, keeping one and gifting the rest to relatives. “I aim to complete my 12-zodiac (signs) collection,” said Lim.
Visitors to the fair can browse a wide range of Chinese New Year coins and commemorative products, alongside festive gift items for family, friends and corporate gifting.
Fair-exclusive releases include the Galloping to Success Dazzling Horse 1 oz 999 fine silver medallion with selective gold-plating – limited to 1,000 pieces – and the Prestige Dragon & Horse Bundle Set.
Limited to just 10 sets, the bundle pairs the Chinese Dragon 1 oz 999 fine silver bullion coin in exclusive Beijing packaging with the Singapore Mint’s Lunar Horse 1/4 oz 999.9 fine gold medallion bearing a special certificate number.
Adding a contemporary twist to traditional Chinese New Year gifting, the fair also introduces the Sanrio Hello Kitty Mahjong Edition collection.
This year’s release marks the 10th issue in the Singapore Fourth Chinese Almanac Coin series, which was launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2017.
A new coin is issued annually until 2028, with each design depicting a zodiac animal set in a park or natural landscape in Singapore. - The Straits Times/ANN
