The Chinese Panda is the only major world coin series that changes its design every year, which is precisely why it is collected by date rather than accumulated by weight. The China Mint has issued it in gold since 1982 and silver since 1983, and a complete run is a genuinely long project — the early gold proofs in particular were struck in small numbers and rarely survive in top grade.
Three things matter when buying Pandas. Purity is .999, not .9999 — a Panda listed at .9999 is a listing error. The 2016 weight change moved the series from troy ounces to metric, so silver went from 1 oz to 30 g and gold from 1 oz to 30 g, which is why listings here state the precise weight rather than a rounded figure. And condition: Panda surfaces mark easily, and the gap between the MS 69 and MS 70 populations on a given year is often an order of magnitude.
This collection covers gold from 1 g through 30 g and the earlier fractional ounces, and silver from 30 g through 5 oz, in NGC, PCGS and NGCX holders. First Strike, First Releases and Ultra Breaks designations appear in the titles where the holders carry them.
Worth knowing: our Chinese Panda collector's guide covers the one year the annual redesign was broken, the 2001 denomination change that doubles as a date check, and what to verify before buying.
