Chinese Silver Panda
Encyclopedia
The Chinese Silver Panda is a series of silver bullion coins issued by the People's Republic of China
. The design of the panda is changed every year, and these are minted in different sizes and denominations, ranging from 0.5 troy oz. to 1 kilogram.
There is also a Gold Panda
series issued featuring the same designs as the silver Panda coins.
The first silver Panda coins—issued in 1983, 1984 and 1985—were Proof quality, with a precious metal content of 27 gm. of .900 fine silver, and a diameter of 38.6 mm. Mintages were only 10,000 for each year. No silver Pandas were issued in 1986. The 1987 silver Panda coins were minted in Proof quality from 1 troy oz. of sterling (.925 fine) silver, with a diameter of 40 mm. There are several mint
s that produced silver Panda coins over the years, including but not limited to: Shenzhen
, Shanghai
and Shenyang
. Unlike coins made by US mints that carry mintmarks to distinguish their origin, Chinese mints generally do not carry mintmarks. In certain years there are minor variations in the coin design—such as the size of the date, temple, etc.--that allow the originating mint to be determined. An example is 1996 where different mints produced coins with minor variations in the font size of the date on the obverse side of the coins.
Obverse
Depiction of the Temple of Heaven
in the center with Chinese characters on top saying "中華人民共和國" meaning People's Republic of China and the bottom the year of issue. If the issue is a commemorative issue, the theme will be marked here also.
Reverse
Different portraits of panda
that changes every year (except for 2001 and 2002, which share the same design).
There are many varieties on the types of coins issued as follows:
The official distributor in China for the silver and gold Panda coins is the China Gold Coin Corporation (CGCC), and since 1982 Panda America has been an official distributor in the United States.
China has reported that it will mint roughly 11% of it's annual silver supply into 2012 1oz Silver Pandas. This will equal 80million 1 oz coins. In 2006, a flood of counterfeit 1-ounce silver pandas came onto the market, and were frequently encountered on eBay through sellers located in China, both BU and proof versions. Many of these were easily distinguishable from the real thing by the lack of a denomination, which all authentic legal tender silver Panda coins have. Although these counterfeits did not contain a significant amount of silver, they were marked with '1 oz Ag .999'. Also, some do include the denomination, and are difficult to distinguish from a real one without weighing them, or comparing them to a known genuine coin.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The design of the panda is changed every year, and these are minted in different sizes and denominations, ranging from 0.5 troy oz. to 1 kilogram.
There is also a Gold Panda
Chinese Gold Panda
The Chinese Gold Panda is a series of gold bullion coins issued by the People's Republic of China. The official mint of the People's Republic of China introduced the Panda gold bullion coins in 1982. The panda design changes every year and the gold Panda coins come in different sizes and...
series issued featuring the same designs as the silver Panda coins.
| Face Value | Nominal Silver Weight | Fine Weight | Total Weight | Diameter | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 Yuan | 1 kilogram | 999.9775g | |||
| 100 Yuan | 12 Troy ounces | 373.2360g | |||
| 50 Yuan | 5 Troy ounces | 155.5000g | |||
| 10 Yuan | 1 Troy ounce | 31.1035g | 31.22g | 39.0mm | |
| 5 Yuan | ½ Troy ounce | ||||
| 3 Yuan | ¼ Troy ounce | 25mm | |||
The first silver Panda coins—issued in 1983, 1984 and 1985—were Proof quality, with a precious metal content of 27 gm. of .900 fine silver, and a diameter of 38.6 mm. Mintages were only 10,000 for each year. No silver Pandas were issued in 1986. The 1987 silver Panda coins were minted in Proof quality from 1 troy oz. of sterling (.925 fine) silver, with a diameter of 40 mm. There are several mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
s that produced silver Panda coins over the years, including but not limited to: Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
. Unlike coins made by US mints that carry mintmarks to distinguish their origin, Chinese mints generally do not carry mintmarks. In certain years there are minor variations in the coin design—such as the size of the date, temple, etc.--that allow the originating mint to be determined. An example is 1996 where different mints produced coins with minor variations in the font size of the date on the obverse side of the coins.
Obverse
Depiction of the Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest...
in the center with Chinese characters on top saying "中華人民共和國" meaning People's Republic of China and the bottom the year of issue. If the issue is a commemorative issue, the theme will be marked here also.
Reverse
Different portraits of panda
Giant Panda
The giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo...
that changes every year (except for 2001 and 2002, which share the same design).
There are many varieties on the types of coins issued as follows:
- Uncirculated
- ProofProof coinageProof coinage means special early samples of a coin issue, historically made for checking the dies and for archival purposes, but nowadays often struck in greater numbers specially for coin collectors . Many countries now issue them....
- Gold Plated / Gilded (either side or both)
- Colored (only obverse side known)
- Privy marked for different distribution such as 2001 D (for domestic market)
- Privy marked for commemorative issue, which can also be gold plated
The official distributor in China for the silver and gold Panda coins is the China Gold Coin Corporation (CGCC), and since 1982 Panda America has been an official distributor in the United States.
Minting History of One Ounce Silver Pandas
| Year | Bulk Uncirculated Coins | Proof and Other Special Coins | % Silver | Total Weight | Silver Weight | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 0 | 10,000 (proof and frosted proof) | .900 | 27g | 24.3g | 38.6mm |
| 1984 | 0 | 10,000 (proof) | .900 | 27g | 24.3g | 38.6mm |
| 1985 | 0 | 10,000 (proof) | .900 | 27g | 24.3g | 38.6mm |
| 1986 | No silver pandas in 1986 but many collect 1/2 oz silver Panda coins in their place | No silver pandas in 1986 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1987 | 0 | 31,000 (proof) | .925 | 31.1g | 40mm (possibly 38.6mm) | |
| 1988 | No 1oz silver pandas in 1988 | No 1oz silver pandas in 1988 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1989 | 250,000 | 25,000 (proof) | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1990 | 200,000 | 20,000 (proof) | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1991 | 100,000 | 20,000 (proof) | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1992 | 100,000 | 5,202 (proof) | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1993 | 120,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1994 | 60,000 small date and 60,000 large date | 20,000 (proof) | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1995 | 168,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1996 | ????? | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1997 | 50,000 | 80,000 (proof and proof with gold insert) | .999 | 31.22g | 40mm | |
| 1998 | 100,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 1999 | ????? | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2000 | ????? | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2001 | 500,000 (Unknown number of D mark local version) | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2002 | 500,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2003 | 600,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2004 | 600,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2005 | 600,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2006 | 600,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2007 | 600,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2008 | 600,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2009 | 600,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2010 | 1,500,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
| 2011 | The Scheduled Mintage was originally supposed to be 3,000,000.... The actual Mintage was 6,000,000 | ????? | .999 | 31.1g | 40mm | |
China has reported that it will mint roughly 11% of it's annual silver supply into 2012 1oz Silver Pandas. This will equal 80million 1 oz coins. In 2006, a flood of counterfeit 1-ounce silver pandas came onto the market, and were frequently encountered on eBay through sellers located in China, both BU and proof versions. Many of these were easily distinguishable from the real thing by the lack of a denomination, which all authentic legal tender silver Panda coins have. Although these counterfeits did not contain a significant amount of silver, they were marked with '1 oz Ag .999'. Also, some do include the denomination, and are difficult to distinguish from a real one without weighing them, or comparing them to a known genuine coin.
External links
- Website of the China Gold Coin Corporation, official distributor of the Chinese Panda coins in China.
- Chinese Commemorative Silver Panda Coins Mintage