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The primary goal of most people who buy bullion is to make a smart investment. By investing in precious metals, they’ve already accomplished that. Of course, it never hurts if there’s a collectability factor as well. The series of Chinese Gold Pandas easily meets this requirement.
Collectability adds special value to bullion because it increases liquidity. This makes items much easier to sell on the market if the time ever comes. Since the gold coins featuring China’s majestic bear are among the most popular in the world, resale value should never be an issue.
At Silver Gold Bull, we strive to offer the widest selection of precious metal items on the market. That’s why you can find a variety of Chinese Gold Pandas on our site. What makes these coins so special, though? As with all popular bullion offerings, there are many answers to this question.
What Are Chinese Gold Pandas?
In the late 1960s and throughout the ‘70s, the South African Krugerrand was the top coin for gold bullion investing. Because of the country’s Apartheid policies, though, the coin became banned in much of the world. This left an opening for other countries, and China was one of the first to fill it.
While certain countries were quicker to release their own bullion coins, the release of the Chinese Gold Panda still came relatively early. When it became available to the public in 1982, it was a full four years before the American Gold Eagle was obtainable.
These coins feature the Temple of Heaven on the obverse and pandas on the reverse. The design was so popular that the Chinese Mint created silver versions of the coin in 1983. Still, their gold offering remained the most popular. It stands out from other gold coins in many ways:
- No mintmark: Unlike American coinage, Chinese Gold Pandas do not feature a mintmark. There are slight variations in some years, however, that can help determine which mint an individual coin comes from.
- Changes yearly: Most bullion coins throughout the world have a consistent design. China took a different approach with its gold offering. The panda design changes every year — save for once between 2001-2002 — and the Temple of Heaven design also updates occasionally.
- Multiple designers: Chinese Gold Pandas change every year, and the country occasionally brings in a different designer for new coins. This gives more artists a chance to see their work on coins, and it provides a wider variety of designs in the series.
- Wide variety of sizes: Some countries offer only one or two options for gold bullion. In its first year, China’s bullion coin had four different variations. One year later, they added a fifth variation.
These are just a few of the reasons China’s bullion offering stands out among others. And while each of these coins has a face value — up to 500 yuan — their intrinsic value always exceeds their legal tender worth.
For example, 500 yuan was worth about $4.50 USD at the end of September 2021. The ounce of gold in the coin, however, was valued at over $1,750. While you certainly could use Chinese Gold Pandas to purchase items in the country, it wouldn’t make much sense to do so.
Even if you value the coins for their precious metal content, you’ll often see them sold at high premiums. In fact, the first issues of the coin traded for up to twice their intrinsic gold value upon their release. This popularity can be explained by a few important factors.
Why Are They So Popular?
If you look at China’s gold bullion offering, it’s easy to attribute the popularity to pure cuteness. Of course, this can only add so much value. What could have led someone to pay nearly double the price of gold when the first coin came out?
There’s a good chance that a high premium was linked to the novelty of a new coin. Fortunately, you can now purchase Chinese Gold Pandas for premiums not much higher than other bullion offerings. Still, this coin remains one of the most popular in the world.
Here are a few reasons why:
- High gold content: Not all gold bullion is equal. You could purchase two similarly sized coins and get very different gold contents. Each Gold Panda contains 999 pure gold. The Krugerrand is the most widely traded gold coin on earth, yet it still only has a 9167 purity.
- Wide array of denominations: When the price of gold rises, many people feel as if the precious metal is out of reach. A 1-ounce coin at the height of gold’s value can be costly. Since Chinese gold bullion is available in sizes as little as 1.55 grams, though, anyone can invest.
- New designs: The ever-changing design of the Chinese Gold Panda makes them stand out to collectors. Instead of purchasing 10 coins with the same design, bullion buyers can invest in a variety of different coins all holding the same value.
Of course, all gold bullion remains in high demand due to its ability to store value and hedge against inflation. This has been the major appeal of the precious metal throughout history. There’s very little doubt, however, that China’s bullion offering stands out among others.
Of course, this popularity means they’re readily available for purchase. Regardless of where you buy them from, it’s important that you’re informed about each coin and its gold content. This can help you avoid making a costly mistake.
Types of Chinese Gold Pandas
Before you invest in gold bullion, it’s important to know your options. You don’t want to buy a 15-gram Chinese Gold Panda coin for the price of the 1-ounce offering on accident. Unfortunately, this is a distinct possibility since the design on separate denominations is so similar.
The following is a short list of available coins, their denominations, and gold content:
- 10 yuan: 1 gram
- 50 yuan: 3 grams
- 100 yuan: 8 grams
- 200 yuan: 15 grams
- 500 yuan: 30 grams
These denominations are for coins minted in 2016 and after. From 1982 to 2015, each coin was weighed in troy ounces rather than grams. If you buy coins from 2015 and earlier, just make sure you know the weight of the coin you’re buying.
Regardless of which one you purchase, they’ll all contain .999 pure gold.
Where to Buy Chinese Gold Pandas
The popularity of China’s bullion offering means you can easily find them. A quick search on eBay returns roughly 500 results on a slow day. Unfortunately, buying from random sellers online can turn costly. As with any popular gold coin, the Chinese Panda is widely counterfeited.
The Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) — one of the world’s most trusted coin grading companies — long ago issued a warning about these fake coins. Unfortunately, counterfeiters have manufactured fake Chinese Gold Pandas since they were first manufactured.
When you buy from private sellers, you’re taking the risk that a coin may not be real. The seller may not even know this — as we’ve seen many examples of even experts being fooled by some coins. Whenever you’re buying gold bullion, it’s best to stick with a reputable dealer.
Buy Chinese Gold Pandas Today
There are more options today for buying gold bullion than ever before. From beautiful American Gold Eagles to historic South African Krugerrands, the varieties seem endless. If pure cuteness or collectability may influence your decision, though, the Chinese Central Mint has you covered.
Regardless of which bullion you invest in, it’s important to know what you’re getting. Basic research can go a long way in this endeavor, but if you don’t buy from reputable sources, you may lose your entire investment for nothing more than a cute counterfeit.
At Silver Gold Bull, all our products come directly from the most reputable mints in the world. If you’re ready to buy Chinese Gold Pandas as an investment or collectible, we offer one of the widest selections online. And with our Best Price Guarantee, you won’t find a better value!
