The Chinese Panda: one of Asia’s most popular bullion coins
Summary
- The China Panda is a Chinese investment coin available in gold, silver, platinum and palladium versions
- The most important editions are the gold panda issued from 1982 and the silver panda first minted in 1983
- The gold panda has a fineness of 999/1000
- From 1983 to 1985, the silver panda had a silver content of 90%. This was increased to 99.9% in 1987
- The coins feature an annually changing panda motif on the front face, with an illustration of the Beijing Temple of Heaven on the back
- Panda coins are very popular with savers and collectors and thus in demand far beyond China and the Asian continent.
Reacting early to the growing demand for high-quality investment coins, China introduced its own Panda coin – popularly known as the China Panda – to the international investment market. Chinese Panda bullion products are not just available as gold coins and silver coins – platinum and palladium versions have also been on the market for several years. However, because gold and silver pandas have proved to be the most important coins in the range, this article relates specifically to the versions made from these two precious metals.
The history of the China Panda
In 1981, the People’s Bank of China decided to bring a new investment coin onto the market. Its ‘panda’ designation was chosen for two important reasons: firstly, as China’s national emblem, pandas are well-known throughout the world; and secondly, the panda is a typically Chinese animal traditionally representing peace and protection. Today, the giant panda is found in just a few mountainous regions of the People’s Republic. The first edition of the China Panda, a gold coin, was issued in 1982 with the silver panda arriving on the market just a year later. The China Gold Coin Corporation, which is under the direct supervision of the Chinese central bank, has been solely responsible for the design, production and marketing of panda coinage for many years.
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China Panda: Purity and denominations
Chinese Gold Panda coins have a high fineness rating of 999/1000 – apart from a few special versions with an even higher gold content rated at 99.99%. Various changes have been introduced over time, affecting both the denominations and weights available. When first issued, the gold panda coin was available in four sizes with fine weights of 1/10 ounce, 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce and one ounce respectively. Another variant (1/20 ounce) was added the next year, and in the years that followed, heavier gold pandas with coin weights of 5 and 12 ounces – and even a one-kilogram coin – were also added to the range. During 2015, all weight information was completely removed from panda coins, and from 2016 onwards, the relevant weight information has been given exclusively in grams. This change is directly attributable to the so-called Measurement Law which marks China’s transition to a metric system. The Chinese Gold Panda is currently available in the following denominations:
| Weight | Diameter | Face value in Yuan |
|---|---|---|
|
1 gram |
10 mm |
10 |
|
3 grams |
18 mm |
50 |
|
8 grams |
22 mm |
100 |
|
15 grams |
27 mm |
200 |
|
30 grams |
32 mm |
500 |
|
50 grams |
40 mm |
800 |
|
100 grams |
50 mm |
1,500 |
|
150 grams |
60 mm |
2,000 |
The Silver Panda coin issued between 1983 and 1985 weighed 27 grams had a face value of 10 Yuan and a relatively low silver content of 90%. This silver version of the panda appeared again in 1987, but this time with a higher fineness of 999/1000, in denominations of one and 5 ounces, and displaying face values of 10 and 50 yuan. The following year then saw the introduction of a silver panda with a face value of 100 yuan and a weight of 12 ounces. Note too that, in some years, one-kilogram pandas were also issued, and that the range includes some design variants featuring colours and/or decorative inlays. From 2016 onwards, as with the gold panda, the silver panda coin changed its designated weight to metric gram units.
The design of the China Panda
The front of each panda is decorated with a depiction of the Chinese predator from which the coin takes its name. The actual panda motif is varied from year to year – with only coins issued in 2001 and 2002 sharing an identical design. This face also carries embossed information about the coin’s weight, fineness and face value.
The back of each Panda coin always shows the same illustration of Beijing’s famous Temple of Heaven, the city’s celebrated Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. This religious building is framed at the top by the words PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA depicted in Chinese characters, and carries the year of issue at the bottom of the coin.
The market profile of the China Panda bullion coin
The panda coin is not only in demand among investors in China and elsewhere on the Asian continent. It is also one of the world’s leading investment coins, with the gold version particularly popular in many nations. Collectors too appreciate the China Panda, primarily because its design motifs change from year to year. A unique selling point for panda coins among bullion coins traded worldwide is the fact that coin weights are given only in grams. However, prospective buyers should still be very cautious because panda counterfeits are known to be in circulation – especially silver pandas which have been simply silver-plated. Given the repeated changes in coin design throughout the history of the panda, such examples can be very difficult for the layperson to spot, even with a little background knowledge of coins and bars. That’s why it is usually advisable to purchase investment coins via a trustworthy dealer such as Echtgeld AG. Here, prospective purchasers can benefit from the long-standing collaborative relationship between the precious metal dealer Echtgeld and the specialist storage provider Swiss Gold Safe, which means any investment coin purchases can be delivered direct to secure and convenient storage facilities.
