The current NT$10 coin has been in circulation for 30 years and has become vulnerable to counterfeiting, a central bank official said. Along with the measures aimed at preventing counterfeiting, the new coin will feature the image of early Republic of China leader Sun Yat-sen, the official said. The current coin bears the visage of former ROC President Chiang Kai-shek.
Another NT$10 coin will also be issued to commemorate Jiang Wei-shui (1891-1931), founder of the Taiwan Cultural Association and the Taiwanese People’s Party, as well as a prominent figure in the resistance movement to Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan. The coin with Jiang’s portrait is scheduled for release Aug. 6, his birthday.
The central bank also said it would release another memorial coin in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ROC. The memorial coin will enter circulation Oct. 10, the ROC’s National Day.
Meanwhile, the current NT$1 and NT$5 coins, as well as the NT$200 banknote, all of which bear Chiang’s portrait, will remain in circulation, according to the central bank. So will NT$20 and NT$50 coins, which were produced at a later date and with better anti-counterfeiting technology than the current NT$10 coin.