Chinese Gold Panda
What is the Chinese Gold Panda?
First introduced in 1982, the Chinese Gold Panda is an internationally recognized gold bullion coin. It was minted by the Official Mint of the People’s Republic of China, featuring a design that changes each year, but always incorporates a giant panda in various poses. This is one of the reasons the coin is so popular – collectors get a different design every year. These coins are 24 karat gold – 99.99% pure, and come in five denominations. The denominations are as follows: 30 grams, 15 grams, 9 grams, 3 grams and 1 gram. The coin was originally produced by the ounce, and up until 2016, was produced in the following denominations: 1 ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce, 1/10 ounce, and 1/20 ounce. In design, the coin is very well made and features a unique and beautiful depiction of the beloved black and white bearlike mammal. The panda, or group of pandas is always featured on the reverse of the coin. The coin’s obverse features the Temple of Heaven. These coins come in either proof or uncirculated. The proof coin comes packaged with documentation, proving the coin’s authenticity.
Silver Panda
In addition to the Chinese Gold Panda, there is a Silver Panda coin, also produced by the Mint of the People’s Republic of China. The coin is made of silver bullion and it comes in the exact same design as the Gold Panda each year.
History of the Gold Panda
China’s first gold panda design was produced in 1982 and is made of 24 karat pure gold. The original denominations were:
- 1oz with a face value of 500 yuan
- 1⁄2 oz with a face value of 200 yuan
- 1⁄4 oz with a face value of 100 yuan
- 1⁄10 oz with a face value of 50 yuan
- 1⁄20 oz (in 1983) with a face value of 20 yuan
Some years the Chinese mint has issued larger coins, weighing 5 oz and 12 oz. One interesting aspect of this coin, and something that makes it exceptionally likeable among collectors is that a new, different design is applied to the coin each year. Every year a new image of the giant panda is produced for the coin. This didn’t happen in 2002. The 2001 and 2002 coins are identical; but the reason why this happened varies depending on where you get your information. In addition to the panda differing each year, other aspects of the coin may or may not change, depending on the year. As an example, the size of the font in the date may change. Also, the temple design on the other side of the coin may change, depending on the year. But this isn’t set in stone. The only part of the coin known to change consistently year after year is the panda.
The coin is produced at several Chinese mints, including: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Shenzhen. These coins don’t contain a mintmark detailing their origin; this is common practice for mints in China, mintmarks just aren’t common in China the way they are in the US or other countries.
Move to Grams
In 2016, the Chinese mint stopped using troy ounces in regard to these coins. Instead, they began using grams, as per the metric system. The metric system is the standard system of weight in the People’s Republic of China – and that’s why the change to the metric system was made more than thirty years after the first minting. For collectors that collect by denomination this change doesn’t really impact anything, but for collectors that buy bullion for investment and calculate holdings per ounce, this was probably a difficult switch.
How many karats are Chinese Gold Pandas?
These coins are 24 karat pure gold.
Can you buy a Chinese Gold Panda?
Yes. These coins are very popular with collectors everywhere, especially because the Chinese Gold Panda changes in design each year and collectors look forward to each new minting. As always, when purchasing coins it’s important to work with a reputable dealer who has the correct paperwork and knowledge to understand what they’re working with. Especially when purchasing a coin like this, that’s 24 karat pure gold, you’ll want to work with someone that understands the ins and outs of the coin.
Choose Crown Gold Exchange
Crown Gold Exchange holds the utmost respect for you and your valuables. When you visit one of our locations, we make sure that you feel welcome, and that your property is protected. We use industry-standard equipment to ensure accurate measurement of your valuables, and we have a special process to keep your valuables safe. Our accuracy enables us to offer you top dollar, and we have several different payment methods available for your convenience, so you won’t be waiting around to get paid.
Crown Gold Exchange will purchase any kind of gold you bring us, including 8-karat, 10-karat, 14-karat, 18-karat, 21-karat, 22-karat, 24-karat, or anything else. We buy gold bars, gold bullion, gold jewelry and some gold plated items like pocket watches. If you happen to be in possession of an exclusive piece made by a top gold designer such as Cartier, Tiffany, Rolex, or Patek Philippe, we will often pay more than the weight of the item. Such special pieces often command a higher price on the secondary market due to their superior craftsmanship.