Chinese New Year: Special coins for Year of the Rat

This month brings not only the start of the new calendar year, but also will see people celebrating Chinese New Year.

To mark the occasion, the Royal Mint, who make the coins of the UK, have released a special set of commemorative coins.

This year of the Chinese zodiac is the Year of the Rat, but the Chinese New Year doesn't begin until until 25 January 2020.

Illustrator PJ Lynch at work in his studio

The coins come in different sizes and different colours - silver and gold - and the picture of the rat was designed by children's book illustrator PJ Lynch who lives in Northern Ireland.

He's famous for his children's books and has served as Laureate na nÓg - or all-Ireland children's laureate.

PJ said "When I was invited to submit a design, I thought I'm not mad about rats and rodents generally scare the life out of me...But I did a lot of research and met a lot of people who are mad about rats and learned about how intelligent they are and the qualities they have.

"It made me look afresh and I made lots of drawings."

PJ Lynch posted his sketch of a rat for World Rat Day

If you were born in the Year of the Rat, you are in good company.

William Shakespeare and Prince Charles share this sign, which is associated with intelligence and optimism.

One of the new coins designed PJ Lynch

The Royal Mint said: "The rat is thought of as a godly creature in Chinese culture, and people born in the Year of the Rat are considered to be optimistic and great at building relationships.

"Known to be generous and resourceful, the curiosity and intelligence of people born in the Year of the Rat leads them to seek out knowledge."