BEIJING - China's central bank issued a set of gold and silver commemorative coins Monday to mark the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, a world-famous historic site.

The set consists of two gold and five silver coins, all legal tenders, the People's Bank of China said at the launch ceremony.

All coins feature the national emblem on the obverse, while the reverse is inscribed with different pictures of the Forbidden City.

This year marks the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, a former imperial compound, based on which China's Palace Museum was built in 1925.