Project Introduction Gold Chinese Zodiac Coin: Steven Kuo
The object that I have chosen to scan is the Gold coin from my aunt, and I received it as a gift for my birthday. It is not any ordinary gift, it has a special design for my zodiac sign, which is the rooster. The gold coins come in three sizes, a 1oz, a1/4 oz, and a 1/10 oz size, and it's all 99.99%pure gold. In the front of the coin stands a rooster with some branches beside it, and also some words underneath it with the Chinese word of the rooster beside the rooster. On the other side, the head of Elizebeth II is in the center with words surrounding it on the edge of the coin. To 3D scan the objects altogether, I placed them all inside the display case, which has a wooden cover and a black base. on the interior side of the wooden cover has words printed on the surface, and the exterior side of it has the company's logo printed on.
The main culture behind this object is connected with the animal zodiac signs, which plays an essential role in Chinese culture. The Chinese zodiac features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The animal zodiac affects the Chinese on a very high degree, not only in the present but also way back in history. Originated from ancient zoolatry and boasting a history of more than 2,000 years, it plays an essential role in Chinese culture. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in a cycle are not only used to represent years in China, but also believed to influence people’s personalities, career, compatibility, marriage, and fortune. For example, Rooster represents loyalty, sociability, and hard-working. While representing such huge values, the zodiac signs are also connected to vital elements in the Chinese culture, such as the 10 Heavenly stems, the Ying Yang, and also the five main elements. These are all important factors that affect Chinese philosophy, psychology, science, astronomy, astrology, and so on. Therefore, the object definitely stands a huge part of Chinese culture. The object is manufactured, purchased, and gifted to me in 2017, which is the year of the rooster, as a celebration for my birthday in the year of my animal zodiac. Since these are pure gold coins, I believe that it stands a huge amount of social or economic value. Furthermore, the designs of the coin and the company that manufactured it, which is the Perth Mint of Australia, enhance the value of the coins. The Perth Mint of Australia is a major company that sells luxurious metals or ores, and they also have passed the currency Act from Britain from 1965, which explains the Elizabeth II's head on the back of the coin. Moreover, the coin set is also an extremely limited edition, with only 1,500 sets in total. It doesn't only make the object much more valuable, but also makes it stand a higher place in historical, economic, and social value.