Page 81 - The Lugdunum Auction 25

An impressive and complete collection
of the well-known series of Chinese Panda Gold Coins (1982-2007)

Introduced in 1982, the .999 pure Chinese Gold
Panda series quickly became a staple among coin
collectors and numismatists.

During its inaugural year, the People’s Republic of
China released 16,000 one-ounce Pandas, which
sold out within months. Soon after, these coins were
trading on the secondary market at prices up to four
times their original value. The popularity of the Gold
Panda soared, leading the American Numismatic
Association to honor the 1983 100 yuan 1 oz coin as
“Coin of the Year” in 1985.

The Gold Panda stands out as an innovative bullion
coin, being the first of its kind to feature a new
reverse design every year. In 2001, when the Chinese
Government attempted to stop this tradition, public
opposition was immense. As a result, although the
2001 and 2002 Pandas shared the same design, the
policy of annual design changes resumed with the
2003 issue. This approach has helped China maintain
steady demand from collectors, even during periods
of gold market volatility.
The beloved Panda
From 1982 to 2000, early Chinese Panda coins were produced according to demand, meaning there was
no set limit on how many could be minted-production only stopped when the Chinese Central Bank
ceased accepting orders. Later releases, however, imposed a cap on the number minted. Between 1982
and 1998, the Mint produced 2.174.174 ounces of gold, and by 2013 this figure had grown to 4.926.360
ounces. In total, approximately 24 million coins across all denominations were minted during these years.

An emblematic and unchanged obverse
The obverse remained unchanged between 1982 and
1991. Since 1992, however, the design illustrating
the Temple of Heaven in Beijing has been enclosed
within an inner circle. An engraving illustrating
the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, together with
references in Chinese to the “People’s Republic of
China” and the year (in Roman numerals) in which
the coin was minted.
The Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) is situated in a large
park (273 hectares) in Beijing. The most important
building (illustrated on the obverse) is the Hall of
Prayer for Good Harvests. Its origins date back to
1420 during the period of the Ming dynasty. Chinese
Emperors came to Tiantan each year in January
(early Spring) to pray for abundant harvests and
national prosperity.

The Temple of Heaven (Beijing, China)

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