Chinese Gold Pandas

Chinese Panda Gold Coins at Provident Metals

Among the best-selling gold bullion coins in the world is the Chinese Panda Gold Coin from the Chinese Mint. This gold coin program was issued for the first time in 1982 after the bull market on gold in the 1970s. After seeing the success of the South African Krugerrand Gold Coin, other mints created their own annual releases with the Chinese Panda being among the first. Learn all about this influential gold coin program here.

Background on Chinese Panda Gold Coins

The Chinese Panda Gold Coin Series made its debut in 1982. The series debuted with four options, 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. The following year a 1/20 oz coin was introduced. As the series grew in popularity, larger sizes were added as well.

These coins are issued in a prooflike, Brilliant Uncirculated state. Notably, unlike most annual bullion coin releases, the design of the panda changes every year. The design of the 2001 and 2002 coins remained the same, but public outcry led to the Chinese Mint reverting to changing the designs with every release.

The Chinese Mint has many branches currently in operation, located in Shenyang, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzen, and Nanjing. Unlike most sovereign mint branches, these mints don’t leave a mint mark indicating at which branch they were produced.

Designs Over The Years

Despite the fact that the reverse of these coins changes every year, the obverse remains the same. The obverse of these coins showcases the Temple of Heaven. This complex is located in the south-central neighborhoods of Beijing. The reverse of these coins displays the Giant Panda species. These bears are native to the central highlands of China and are unique for their black-and-white fur, particularly with patches of black around their eyes.

Interestingly, the Panda Silver Coin uses the panda on the obverse, with the Temple of Heaven is on the reverse.

Sizes Available

The sizes and denominations of the Chinese Panda Gold Coins have a complex history over the years. From 1982/83 to 2000, the Chinese Panda Gold Coins were issued in these denominations:

• 1 oz: 100 Yuan
• 1/2 oz: 50 Yuan
• 1/4 oz: 25 Yuan
• 1/10 oz: 10 Yuan
• 1/20 Yuan: 5 Yuan

In 2001, the Chinese Mint altered the denominations to the following:

• 1 oz: 500 Yuan
• 1/2 oz: 200 Yuan
• 1/4 oz: 100 Yuan
• 1/10 oz: 50 Yuan
• 1/20 oz: 20 Yuan

With the Chinese Mint changing to grams in 2016, the 1/20 oz coin, now a 1 gram coin, now has a 10 Yuan face value.

While not regularly issued, the Chinese Mint has released larger sizes such as a 5 oz coin and a 12 oz coin. Since 1997, a 1 kilogram coin has been issued but with extremely low mintage figures.

Changing to Grams

The Chinese Mint made a drastic change to the overall series for coins issued after 2016. The traditional Troy oz was replaced with Grams. The Chinese Mint said that the change was to bring the coin program in line with the country’s use of the Metric system.

The Chinese Mint still struck the same five sizes every year, they’re just now reflected in grams rather than oz. These are now the following weights available:

• 1 oz: 30 Gram
• 1/2 oz: 15 Gram
• 1/4 oz: 8 Gram
• 1/10 oz: 3 Gram
• 1/20 oz: 1 Gram

Investing in Chinese Panda Gold Coins at Provident Metals

Call the Provident Metals team at 800-313-3315 with any questions you may have. Don’t hesitate to reach out with inquiries on Chinese Panda Gold Coins. Our team can also be reached via email or through our online chat feature.