Taiwan’s Central Bank recalls Lunar New Year silver coins
台灣央行召回農曆新年銀幣
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Central Bank has recalled tens of thousands of unsold Lunar New Year silver commemorative coins from post offices nationwide.
It has opted to recycle the silver rather than allow arbitrage amid soaring global prices. Business Today reported that officials emphasized the coins were issued for holiday gifting and collection, not speculation, marking the first such action in the bank’s history. The 2026 Year of the Horse commemorative set, priced at NT$2,450 (US$75) per set containing one silver coin and one copper alloy coin, sold out in two hours at counters despite the hike from prior years. Earlier sets, such as the Year of the Snake edition, originally cost NT$1,900, but silver’s climb made them profitable to melt down. International silver prices rose from about NT$950 per ounce early last year to a record about NT$3,800 by late January, exceeding the coins’ fixed sale prices and sparking a buying frenzy at post offices. SETN reported that the bank directed Chunghwa Post to remove all prior zodiac sets in mid-December after noticing abnormal sales volumes. The recycled silver, numbering tens of thousands of coins, has been returned to the Central Mint for future coin production, while other non-silver commemoratives remain available. Last week, it was reported that the Bank of Taiwan sold out of its silver bars as demand rose alongside gains in precious metals. |
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| Jules Quartly Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2026-02-05 |
