A set of commemorative coins will be issued by the People's Bank of China on Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the fight against fascism.

The coins' release was announced by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday.

"As the 70th anniversary arrives, we are issuing the coins worldwide to better commemorate the victory and to call for people to remember history and cherish peace," Zuo Xiuhui, deputy director of the bank's Currency, Gold and Silver Bureau, said at a news conference.

Zuo said the set of coin comprises one gold coin, two silver ones and a nickel-coated steel coin. They are all legal tender.

The gold coin, with a face value of 100 yuan, weighs a quarter of an ounce, while the five-ounce silver coin has a face value of 50 yuan and its one-ounce counterpart has a face value of 10 yuan.

"The front of the coins bears the national emblem in the center, showing that victory is commemorated in the name of the nation, with the year 2015 below this," Zuo said.

The back of the coins are designed with themes demonstrating the hard-won victory and the people's contributions.

Zuo said 500 million of the nickel-coated steel coins have been released for the public, while the gold and silver ones are aimed mainly for domestic and overseas collectors.

Fifty-thousand gold coins are being issued along with 100,000 one-ounce silver coins and 5,000 five-ounce silver ones.

"The public can come to bank branches and other financial institutions for the nickel-coated coins," Zuo said.

"The gold and silver ones are being distributed solely by China Gold Coin Incorporation."

hena@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 08/20/2015 page5)