Chinese Gold Panda Coins

Gold Panda Coin Design

The China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation (CBPM) created the designs on the obverse and reverse of the China Gold Panda coins between 1982 and 1986. In 1987, the China Gold Coin Incorporation took over responsibility for the design, manufacturing and distribution of the popular coins.

The obverse side shows an engraving of the "Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests" that is located inside the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. From the Ming dynasty on, Chinese emperors prayed there every year in early spring for abundant harvests and national prosperity. "People’s Republic of China" is written in Chinese characters along the edge of the coin and the year of mintage appears underneath the engraving.

The reverse side of all Chinese Panda coins shows a representation of a giant panda (or a group of pandas). The actual panda image on the reverse side of the coin changes annually. These coins were the world's first gold bullion coins with annually changing designs on their reverse side. There is one exception to this rule though. The design of the panda engraving on the reverse side didn't change from 2001 to 2002 when the responsible authorities decided that the design should remain constant. The decision was reversed after many collectors complained. The coin's face value, gold purity and gold weight appear on the reverse side as well.

The 40th anniversary edition of the coins that was issued in 2022 includes a special 40 privy mark on the reverse side that features the image of a panda peeking out of the zero digit. That distinguishing feature of the 2022 edition is likely to make these coins especially popular among collectors.

History of the Gold Pandas

The Chinese Gold Panda coin series started in 1982, three years after the People’s Bank of China had issued its first gold coin. The Gold Panda coins were the world's first gold bullion coins with annual design changes of their reverse side (with the exception of 2001/2002 when the design didn't change). Since 1983, all Gold Chinese Pandas have an official face value. The coins were issued in the denominations of 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz at first. The 1/20 oz coin followed in 1983. This small size (and the original 1 gram coin of which 110,000 were minted only in 1991) was a world's first for bullion coins. Larger proof coins of 5 oz, 12 oz and 5 kg were minted as well in certain years and in very limited numbers. Since the introduction of the new metric sizes in 2016, larger proof coins are minted in the sizes of 50 gram, 100 gram, 150 gram and 1 kg.

The original face values were 100 Yuan (1 oz coin), 50 Yuan (1/2 oz), 25 Yuan (1/4 oz), 10 Yuan (1/10 oz), 5 Yuan (1/20 oz) and 3 Yuan (for the 1 gram coins that were minted in 1991). The face values of the coins were raised in 2001 to 500 Yuan (1 oz coin), 200 Yuan (1/2 oz), 100 Yuan (1/4 oz), 50 Yuan (1/10 oz) and 20 Yuan (1/20 oz).

The weights of each Chinese Panda gold coin are denominated according to the metric system since 2016. The new gram sizes are the closest equivalent to the prior troy ounce sizes. So, the new 1 gram coin replaced the 1/20 oz coin in 2016 (and changed the face value from 20 Yuan to 10 Yuan) and has nothing to do with the original 1 gram coin from 1991.

You might occasionally also find a Gold Panda coin listed online that doesn't have any face value engraved on it. These coins are produced in very limited mintages since 1983. Chinese government officials hand them out as official gifts to visiting VIP's.

Commemorative issues of the Chinese Gold Panda were minted in proof condition for the 10th anniversary (2,500 coins of 1 oz), 15th anniversary (3,800 coins of 1 oz, 8,000 coins each of 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz), 25th anniversary and 35th anniversary of the coin series. They mention the anniversary in the lettering underneath the Temple of Heaven on the obverse side. The coin set for the 25th anniversary contains 25 coins (1/25 oz with 15 Yuan face value), each showing a different one of the up-to-then used panda motifs.

Various other commemorative editions of the Chinese Gold Panda coins (mostly 1/4 oz coins) were offered by banks, exhibitions and trade fairs (such as the Munich Money Fair), often in anniversary years.

Mintage Numbers

General production numbers for Gold Panda coins vary wildly, from only 13,532 minted coins in 1982 to 289,055 coins in 1988 (for coins of 1 oz). Since 2007, mintage figures have increased substantially but it is unclear whether these projected maximum mintages were actually reached and how many of these coins were sold. As for the smaller denominations, only 4,168 half-ounce coins were minted in 1998. In general, production numbers were lowest from 1982 to 1984 as well as in the mid-1990's.

Gold Pandas were first issued in proof condition in 1986. Proof coins bear the mint mark P on their obverse side. Until 1993, around 10,000 coins were minted annually for each denomination in proof condition. The design of the proof coins was identical to the brilliant uncirculated coins from 1986 to 1994. The mint mark P does not appear on the 1995 and 1996 proof coins. These can be distinguished by their unique panda design (different from that on the brilliant uncirculated coins) though. The proofs from these two years are also the most valuable since only 2,000 proof Pandas of 1 oz were minted in 1995, followed by 1,500 such 1 oz proofs in 1996. In 2007, proof Pandas of 1/25 oz made up the 25th Anniversary Set (See below).

Only in 1991 were 1 gram Chinese Gold Pandas with a 3 Yuan face value produced. The large denominations - 5 oz, 12 oz and 1 kg - were only minted in certain years.

Open Mintages Table