The Isle of Man Post Office is pleased to announce the release of a pair of new coins to commemorate the coming of the Terracotta Army to the British Museum in London.

There are two designs in the series; ‘The Making Of The Horse’ - illustrated top - and the ‘The Making Of The Soldier’ - illustrated lower - and both of these designs show the production process of the c. 7,000 figures comprising the Terracotta Army, showing a few of the many production techniques that were used including coiling, rolling, slab building and the use of moulds. Details to the figures were applied by hand and they were then fired and painted. These coins portray an impressive example of early mass production, involving over 1,000 men.

These are also the first coins that Pobjoy Mint has ever made with a hole through the centre. This replicates the ‘Banliang’ coins of the state of Qin, which were circulated around the time that the Terracotta Army was being produced. The word Banliang means ‘half-ounce’ which was the weight of all Banliang coins at the time of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi.

All precious metal coins come with a delightful and charming real Terracotta army replica figurine of ‘The General’ which stands 7.5cm tall. Also included in the delightfully apt presentation box is a full colour certificate which tells a story about the history of the Terracotta Army.

These unique 2009 dated coins are available in STERLING SILVER only