There are few coin programs that command the type of international attention that the Chinese Panda Series does. Alongside the American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and British Britannia, the Chinese Panda is a global titan when it comes to annual sales for its bullion coins. Like these other collections, the Chinese Panda coins offer some of the same coveted weights investors seek out, but unlike some of those other coins, the Chinese Panda also has some distinctive features that those other programs do not share. With the 2021 Chinese Pandas rolling out from the Chinese Mint, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at the collection and learn more about the series.
What Makes the Chinese Panda the Same?
When you look at the American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and British Britannia coin programs, for example, you will find a singular silver coin available and several gold coins. Each of those collections has a 1 oz silver coin, with 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz gold coins available. The Canadian Maple Leaf includes a 1/20 oz gold coin as well. When the Chinese Panda debuted in 1982, its gold series offered all five of those weights. When its silver series was standardized in 1989, it featured a 1 oz silver coin. This has remained a staple of the Chinese Panda Series since that time.
What Makes the Chinese Panda Different?
While the Chinese Panda has weights in common with those other collections, from there it sets itself apart with a number of unique features you won’t find in other major bullion coin series. First and foremost, the Chinese Panda was the first series to debut new design images on its coins with each release. This was the standard for the series from the moment the gold coins were issued in 1982. Since then, the Somalia Elephant and the Kookaburra, Koala, and Kangaroo coins from the Perth Mint have followed in those footsteps.
It is more than just the design that makes the Chinese Panda Series unique. While the Chinese Panda does offer one weight in silver and five in gold, those no longer align with the other major bullion coin programs. In 2016, the Chinese Mint announced a change in its coins. All coins would abandon the Troy ounce standard used around the world in favor of issuing its coins with Grams instead. The 1 oz silver and gold coins became 30 Gram coins, with the fractional gold coins replaced by 15, 8, 3, and 1 Gram options.
In another fun fact about the Chinese Panda Series, the obverse and reverse are considered different between the gold and silver series. Chinese Panda Gold coins feature the Giant Panda images on the reverse, with the Temple of Heaven on the obverse. The Chinese Panda Silver coin has the Giant Panda on the obverse and the Temple of Heaven on the reverse.
The New 2021 Design
For the 2021 Chinese Panda Series, a new Giant Panda design features in the series that captures the compassionate, nurturing nature of the Giant Panda. In the new Giant Panda design, a young cub is seen climbing up the trunk of a tree. As the young cub explores its independence climbing a tree, its mother is nearby to support her cub’s independence while ensuring the young panda doesn’t meet with harm. The mother panda is standing nearby with its front paws against the trunk of the tree. One of her paws is behind the panda cub, offering reassurance that the cub won’t fall. As with all other years, the Hall of Prayer for Abundant Harvests features on the other side of the coin. The outer façade of the building has been shown on the coins each year since 1982 in the gold series and 1983 in the silver series, including since 1989 when the silver series was standardized as a 1 Troy oz .999 pure silver coin.
Background on the Design Elements
As just mentioned above, the designs on the Chinese Panda Series coins are historic in the context of the broader program. The Chinese Mint produces new images of the Giant Panda species on the coins each year, depicting individual pandas, young cubs, or adult pandas with young cubs. Only once has the Chinese Mint repeated a design. In 2002, the same design featured on the coins that was used in 2001. After backlash from investors, the Chinese Mint reversed course and returned to issuing new designs each year.
The Hall of Prayer for Abundant Harvests features on the coins each year. This building is the central and largest building in the Temple of Heaven Complex. The building was constructed between 1406 and 1420 during the Ming Dynasty. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties regularly visited the complex for annual ceremonies in the Hall of Prayer for Abundant Harvests to pray for bountiful harvests for the empire.
Available Coins in 2021
With the release of the 2021 Chinese Panda Series, investors and collectors can expect to see all of the same products they are accustomed to purchasing in this series. The Chinese Panda Silver Coin is available in 30 Gram Silver BU options, a colorized 30 Gram Silver Coin, a gilded 30 Gram Silver Coin, and the beautiful Day and Night Two-Coin Colorized Set. These are all available alongside the 30 Gram, 15 Gram, 8 Gram, 3 Gram, and 1 Gram Gold BU coins.
Buy Chinese Panda Bullion at Provident Metals
Please feel free to contact Provident Metals with any questions you have about Chinese Panda bullion coins. Our team is available to you on the phone at 800-313-3315, on the web using our live chat service, and via our email address. You can also follow us on Facebook and continue reading these weekly blog posts for more information on our product lineup.
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