Year of the Fire Horse
Horses are galloping onto coins for this Lunar New Year.
February 17, 2026, will be the beginning of the lunar year of the Fire Horse. Lasting until February 6, 2027, this sign and element combination happens every 60 years. It occurs when the horse sign, which appears every 12 years, aligns with the fire element, which takes place every five years.
The horse is the seventh sign of the 12 zodiacs. According to Chinese legend, the horse gained its spot during what is referred to as the Great Race, a running contest held by the Jade Emperor to determine the order of the zodiacs. The horse is said to have been close to earning sixth place, but a sneaky snake wrapped itself around the horse’s hoof and spooked it. The snake then slithered its way to the finish line, with the horse following.
In what is viewed as a more intense version of the horse zodiac, those born under the sign of the Fire Horse are seen as trailblazers in innovation and creativity. However, they are often impatient and burn out faster, often trying to find a balance between working with a team and being independent. A Fire Horse is known to stand their ground and can struggle with personalities like their own.
If the horse is your zodiac sign, you share it with well-known people, such as Johnny Depp, Kobe Bryant, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison, and Stephen Hawking.
Fire Horse Coins
The first coin minted for the Year of the Horse was in 1978 by The Royal Mint on behalf of Hong Kong, a British colony at the time. The coin was minted under the element wood and portrayed Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. A galloping horse, the Chinese characters “港 香,” and value are on the reverse. It is 22-carat gold, weighs 15.97 grams, and has a diameter of 28.4 millimeters. The coin was issued in uncirculated and proof finishes and had a denomination of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars. For the first time this year, a Fire Horse was minted for The Royal Mint’s lunar series.
Collectors of lunar horse coins range from Chinese astrology followers, who buy the coins every cycle, and cultural collectors, especially those in East Asia. Also included are numismatists, who often seek the first coin of the series, and gift buyers, who buy for kids who dream of having a pony or being a cowboy. There are also collectors who buy the coins because they are horse signs themselves.
China Gold Coin Group Co. LTD: Minted for China, these coins are available in both silver and gold, and each coin shows a different design. While most of these issues are round, three come shaped in a blossom.
CIT: These horse replica coins from CIT, minted for Mongolia, come in silver and gold-plated versions. They have a nominal value of 1,000 togrog and are a keepsake treasure!
Lithuanian Mint: Minted for Niue, these coins come in silver, silver with Swarovski crystal inlays, and gold. Circles are engraved into the coin to reflect light as it moves, giving a beautiful view of the horse at all angles.
MDM: MDM minted Year of the Horse coins for a number of countries. For Solomon Islands, both silver and gold mother-of-pearl coins display a profile view of a horse’s head. A silver coin with a gilded horse and a freshwater pearl insert is for Vanuatu, while Burundi’s coin displays two horses galloping towards the viewer and glancing at each other. Flames flicker below their hooves, and in the background, with a jade insert of a horse at the center
Mennica Polska: Mennica Polska minted two coins for Cameroon for its “Chinese Calendar” series. The first is a silver pendant depicting a horse in the form of a chess piece on a chessboard background. The second is a silver ruthenium-plated coin with a gilded horse and a red cubic zirconia insert that represents fire. This design with a black proof finish captures the image with stunning detail. The use of zirconia, adding to the fire element, makes this coin unique.
Mint XXI: Minted for the Republic of Ghana, Mint XXI’s Year of the Horse coin shows a horse’s head made from artistic lines, circles, and vines. At the center of the head is a fiery crystal insert.
Monnaie de Paris: France’s €¼ coin features a horse on its hind legs, with various Chinese symbols representing art and history surrounding it. The remainder of the Year of the Horse coins have the topline of a horse leaping through a ring and surrounded by various Chinese motifs. This design is available in both silver and gold.
Perth Mint: The Perth Mint issued coins for Australia in various designs, metals, and shapes. Their silver rectangular bullion coins show a horse on its hind legs with a mountain scene in the background. These round bullion coins show different designs: the silver is of an adult and foal galloping through grasslands as they face and mimic each other, and the gold shows a horse on its hind legs, with grass below its hooves and a mountain landscape behind. These two designs are also available on coins with a dragon privy mark.
Perth Mint also issued coins with this design in color and selective gilding. Their popular fan-shaped quadrant coins are available with four different depictions of horses.
For Tuvalu, Perth Mint continued its tradition with its “baby zodiac” series. The coin features a foal curled atop flowers, looking at the viewer from a side profile. The Mint also continued with its “Chinese Astrological Series,” with a three-piece set of a horse, featuring each of the three Chinese symbols that translate to prosperity, longevity, and success.
Royal Canadian Mint: Canada’s Year of the Horse coins show a horse in motion with auspicious designs throughout its body. The Mint also minted one of its silver “Maple Leaf” bullion coins with a Year of the Horse privy mark.
Royal Australian Mint: The Royal Australian Mint minted Year of the Horse coins in copper-nickel, aluminium bronze, silver, and gold. The design features a jumping horse surrounded by gingko leaves. There is also a coin available in aluminum bronze with all the Chinese lunar calendar signs in a circle and a horse on top.
The Royal Mint: Available in copper-nickel, silver, and gold, the Royal Mint’s Year of the Horse coins depict a horse running on a cobblestone road, with a clock tower in the background, as both clock hands point to 12.
Singapore Mint: The Singapore Mint produced coins for Bhutan, Macau, and, of course, Singapore. The Bhutan coins show a stylized design of a horse, appearing to jump. The Macau coins display a purple horse with patterned tiles. Both coins are available in silver and gold.
Singapore’s Year of the Horse coins are available in silver, silver-colored, and gold, and come in various shapes. The main design of the coin features a horse on the Kelong and Jewel bridges, with the Punggol Waterway Park in the background.
Learn about these coins and more at NumisMaster.com!
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