This Singapore 10 dollars of 1997 is the Year of the Ox from the second series of Chinese almanac coins.

The second series of Chinese almanac coins began in 1993: the animals were drawn in the style of traditional Chinese paper-cutting, with the cyclical characters of the year and the denomination $10 beside the figure. The series ended in 2003 with the Year of the Monkey. The coins are issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and struck by The Singapore Mint; the second series is in copper-nickel, about 40 mm across and 28 g in weight.

The obverse shows the arms of Singapore with their supporters and the word Singapore in the country’s four official languages, with the year below. The mintage is 251,000.

For a collection by the Chinese calendar this is the Year of the Ox, the year 1997. Proof-like quality comes close to proof: the field is mirror-bright, though the strike is a standard one.

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