2012 1/4 oz Chinese Gold Panda Coin

We are introducing the widely anticipated 2012 1/4 Ounce Chinese Gold Panda to our gold bullion investors and collectors in brilliant, uncirculated condition. The 2012 Gold Panda is a very fine coin that is prized for both the purity of its gold content and for its value to collectors the world over. It contains 1/4 Troy ounce of 99.9% pure gold and is quite literally a coin worth more than its proverbial weight in gold. As a people grounded in their ancient traditions such as the teachings of Confucius, construction of the Great Wall of China, the finest china production in the world, and her grand celebrations of the New Year, the Chinese people take meticulous care in creating fitting tributes to their nation’s many accomplishments. Well known for their fine and intricate sculpure, China employed some of its most talented new craftsmen in striking the first Gold Panda in 1982.

China has traditionally been able to trade Gold Pandas at a higher market rate than the spot price of gold because of a very shrewd and pioneering market strategy. They made a modern coin collectible simply by capping its mintage while changing its design every year. Today, Gold Pandas are considered so beautiful that they are often set in high-end, fine jewelery. The Chinese Gold Panda was first released in 1982 and such was their immediate demand that by 1987, some of the one-ounce 1982 Gold Pandas were trading for more than three thousand dollars each. China quickly realized the immense potential of the Gold Panda and wasted no time capitalizing on its success. The very next year, China introduced the Panda in a silver series. Eventually, the Chinese Gold Panda became one of the most successful gold coins of the 1980's. Offering incredible investment flexibility, the 2012 Gold Panda is struck in five denominations of 99.9% pure gold: 1 Troy ounce, 1/2 Troy ounce, 1/4 Troy ounce, 1/10 Troy ounce, and 1/20 Troy ounce. The Gold Panda is legal tender in China though they have never been intended for circulation because their stated face values are so far below their actual value in gold bullion. With face values of only 500 Yuan, 200 Yuan, 100 Yuan, 50 Yuan, and 25 Yuan, respectively, the Gold Pandas tend to retain their freshly minted, uncirculated state. Each 2012 Gold Panda will arrive to you in the Original Shenzen Guobao Mint Sealed plastic!

The design of the 2012 1/4 oz Gold Panda follows in an admirable lineage of predecessors but features a new strike of the lovable panda every year. The ancient Chinese nobility considered the elusive pandas to be rare and noble creatures. So prized were these elusive bears that Emperor Wen is said to have buried his mother with the skull of her panda companion. They were often offered as gestures of good will to visiting royalty. Today, China still offers her pandas to many countries, making the panda an unofficial diplomat to the world. Pandas are now fiercely protected as endangered species, and the panda has become an unofficial national symbol of China. The reverse side of the Gold Panda features a new strike of a generally playful panda living in her natural habitat: sometimes she is watching over cubs, sometimes she munches on her favorite food of bamboo, sometimes she is depicted sitting by the water’s edge or walking through the forest. In addition, the panda is often struck in interesting finishes, adding to the anticipation of each new release. Because every issue features a very distinctive variation from previous designs, each new issue stirs much anticipation in the collectors’ world.

The traditional design of the front of the 2012 Quarter Ounce Gold Panda is always handsome. The obverse is engraved with an intricate rendering of China’s magnificent Temple of Heaven. The temple was constructed between 1406 and 1420 by the Youngle Emperor to celebrate the annual harvest during Winter Solstice. The temple was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988 by the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization. The UNESO described the temple as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design.” The Gold Panda’s design, struck in fine bullion, is as much a masterpiece as the temple that inspired its design. The People’s Republic of China is inscribed across the top in the Chinese characters 中華人民共和國. The year of issue is also labeled across the bottom. Each 1/4 ounce Gold Panda weighs 7.7758 grams, measures 21.95mm in diameter and has a thickness of 1.53mm. We know you will find the 2012 Gold Panda a fine addition to your gold bullion portfolio, and investors will appreciate that each Gold Panda will arrive in brilliant, uncirculated condition.