Snakes made precious

China Post Group released gold and silver bars on Jan 5 in conjunction with the release of special Chinese zodiac stamps for the Year of the Snake. The gold and silver bars are based on the motif of this year's zodiac, the snake. The whole set includes five gold bars, weighing 10g, 30g, 50g, 100g and 500g, and one silver bar, which is 100g. Processing techniques include mirror-finishing, matting and carving in relief. Each bar is carved with a unique code number, along with a collector's certificate. China Post Group has released 10 sets of gold bar products since 2009. This year's series can be purchased from post offices and stamp-collecting specialty shops. The price for the bars starts at about 4,800 yuan ($762).