PBOC Announcement No. 32 of 2025 introduced the 2026 Lunar New Year commemorative banknote (丙午 Year of the Horse), issued from 22 December 2025. It is the third ¥20 polymer note in the 12-year zodiac programme that began with the 2024 Dragon issue.
Third note in the zodiac run
The 2026 Horse note (Pick P913) continues the PBOC zodiac polymer series under Announcement No. 32 of 2025, issued from 22 December 2025 for the 丙午 year. A galloping horse dominates the obverse; the reverse shows festival drums and Mongolian yurt patterns celebrating grassland New Year customs.
One hundred million notes were printed — the same quota as the Dragon and Snake issues. With three consecutive zodiac notes now available, set builders focus on matching EPQ/PMG grades, lucky serial numbers and intact original bank appointment slips.
Reverse and cultural theme
The reverse shows children celebrating with gongs and drums, complemented by Mongolian yurt decorative patterns — reflecting grassland New Year customs. Like earlier issues, the note measures 145 × 70 mm on polymer, with a mintage of 100 million and the familiar SPARK, holographic and windowed security features.
Appointment and collecting tips
- Appointment opened 13 January 2026 (22:30 for the banknote); exchange ran 20–26 January 2026, with a 20-note per-person cap.
- Three consecutive zodiac notes (Dragon, Snake, Horse) are now available for set building; condition matching matters for display albums.
- Fancy serials (“lucky numbers”, no-4 notes) and PMG/ACG slabs remain the main premium drivers on the secondary market.