99.99 percent pure 1-kilogram silver bar features sheep design

Goes on sale in stores Monday, online in October

[Courtesy of Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp.]
[Courtesy of Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp.]

The Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp. (KOMSCO) is launching its first-ever silver bar featuring a Chinese zodiac design, ahead of 2027, the Year of the Sheep.

The state-run mint said Friday that it will release the "Year of the Sheep Silver Bar" on Monday.

The bar marks the company's first zodiac-themed silver bar. It applies a sheep motif to a 1,000-gram bar of 99.99 percent pure silver, combining the value of the precious metal with the symbolism of the new year.

The design renders the sheep in a modern style, evoking the animal's traditional associations with gentleness, peace and abundance. The mint designed the bar as a gift or collector's item to commemorate the 2027 Year of the Sheep.

KOMSCO plans to continue rolling out products that combine the cultural symbolism of the 12 zodiac animals with the value of precious metals, starting with this sheep-themed bar.

The bar will first be sold exclusively at the mint's offline currency product store on Dokmak-ro in Mapo-gu, Seoul, starting Monday. It will become available on the corporation's online shopping mall starting in October.

"This bar is meaningful as the first zodiac-designed silver bar our corporation has introduced," said KOMSCO President Seong Chang-hoon. "We hope it becomes a product that lets people hold onto not just the intrinsic value of silver but also the symbolism and special meaning of the Year of the Sheep."

Detailed sales schedules and prices can be found at the mint's currency product store and its online shopping mall.


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