Introduced in 1983, China Panda Silver coins have been one of the most popular silver bullion investment products in the world. Due to high demand, the annual circulation of the coin series has risen significantly in recent years. The production of the China Silver Panda has increased from 31,000 coins in 1987, to eight million in 2012.

In 1982, the China Mint published the first gold panda. After the introduction of the gold pandas, the China Mint added the China Silver Panda to its portfolio in 1983.

From 1983 to 1985, the Silver Panda was minted in a proof version with a fine content of 900/1000. In 1986 there was no Silver Panda produced. In 1987 the fine content was increased from 900/1000 to 999/1000. The early editions of the China Panda Silver coins were mostly available in weights of 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 5 oz, 12 oz and 1 kg. (see chart below)

From 2005 on, the Silver Panda was minted annually in denominations of 1 oz, 5 oz and 1 kg. The 1 oz version, with the exception of commemorative and special editions, are usually issued in mint-state investment quality.

Denominations up to 2015

Size            Fineness            Weight            Diameter            Nominal value            Minting period

1/2 oz              999/1000                   15.62 g                   33.00 mm                  5 Yuan                                    1993-1998

24.30 g            900/1000                    27.00 g                  38.60 mm                 10 Yuan                                   1983-1985

1 oz                  999/1000                    31.10 g                 40.00 mm                  10 Yuan                                   From 1987

2 oz                  999/1000                    62.21 g                 40.00 mm                  10 Yuan                                   1991

5 oz                  999/1000                    155.5 g                 70.00 mm                  50 Yuan                                   1987-1996, from 2005

12 oz                999/1000                    373.2 g                 80.00 mm                  100 Yuan                                1988-1997

1 kg                  999/1000                    1000 g                  100.00 mm                200 Yuan                                1998-1999

1 kg                  999/1000                    1000 g                  100.00 mm                300 Yuan                                 From 2000

One of the unique features of the 2015 Silver Panda is that the coins do not have any inscriptions referencing the weight or purity of the coin. However, the silver coins are guaranteed by the People’s Bank of China to contain one ounce of .999 pure silver.

Coins minted in the year 2016 were produced for the first time using the metric gram weight system. The fine weight in ounces was rounded to the full gram number. Since the conversion to the metric system (in grams) in 2016, China Panda silver coins have now been available in denominations of 1 kg, 150 g and 30 g. The 30 gram version is minted in investment quality, and the two larger coins are only issued in proof quality.

From 2015 onwards

Size            Fineness            Weight            Diameter            Nominal value            Minting period

30 g                  999/1000                   30 g                        40.00 mm                  10 Yuan                                   From 2016

150 g                999/1000                   150 g                     70.00 mm                   50 Yuan                                  From 2016

1 kg                  999/1000                    1.000 g                 100.00 mm                 100 Yuan                                From 2016

Appearance

Front

The front of the China Panda silver coin depicts the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Built in 1420, the temple is a national symbol of China. Above the motif is the inscription "People's Republic of China". The year of mintage is noted below the Temple of Heaven representation.

Back

The back of the China Panda silver coin always depict one or more Panda bears. The motif on the coin changes annually, with the exception of the years 2001 and 2002, where the Panda designs were identical.

Also on the back of the China Panda silver are the fine weight, metal, fineness and nominal value. China Panda Silver Coins in the embossing year 2015 have no weight or fineness inscriptions. In 2016 the China Panda Silver data appears again, but the weight is in grams.

Since 2002 the coins have a tilted rippled edge. From 1983 to 2001 the alignment of the notches has been straight.

Packaging

The packaging has always been updated. While the coins were first packaged in a film strip of 10 pieces, the single package was replaced by the masterpack with 15 coins each in 2006. Since 2008, the China Panda Silver has been marketed by the China Mint in 30 packs.

Manufacturer

The China Gold Coin Incorporation (CGCI) is a Shenzhen-based company under the direct supervision of the People's Bank of China.

The China Gold Coin Incorporation was established in 1987 to design, manufacture and market the Chinese commemorative and investment coins in the four precious metals. The most important product of CGCI is the China Panda bullion coin series.

The China Gold Coin Incorporation also has the task of planning and coordinating domestic demand for investment metals with the Central Bank. Abroad, the company is represented by subsidiaries.

China Great Wall Coins & Investments Ltd, founded one year after China Gold Coin Incorporation, has acted as a link between the producer and the international wholesalers. The Hong Kong-based company is primarily responsible for the distribution markets in Europe, America and partly for Asia.

History

Founded in 1920 the China Mint is the state-owned Chinese coin producer, headed by the People's Bank of China. The China Mint operates mainly in the commercial sector for the state of China and companies in the country. The mint only produces a few of its own products. Since 2006, production of China Panda coins is the official responsibility of the China Gold Coin Incorporation.

The motif of China Panda coins is the Great Panda, which has become the symbolic figure for species protection. The panda bear, threatened with extinction, is located in south-central and southwestern China. The names were given according to the Nepal and China "Small Pandas", which in some regions are also called Golden Dogs.

In addition, the China Panda Bear is considered a symbol of happiness and generally stands for harmony and patience. Due to their black-and-white skin pattern, whose colours can also be found in the yin-yang symbolism, panda bears in the Asian region stand for balance.

Worth Knowing

By a change of law in China, the metric system (gram and kilogram) replaced the troy ounce as a unit of measurement for coin weights in 2015. In 2016, investment coins were minted for the first time using the metric gram system. For this, the fine weight in ounces was rounded to the full gram number.

Due to their great popularity among collectors, the China Silver Panda has a higher premium. This is especially true for years with low mintage and proof editions. Due to the high premiums on the metal value many counterfeits exist on the market. Therefore, caution should be exercised on alleged bargains in classified ads and auction portals.