If you have been a part of the numismatic community for a decent amount of time, you know how well bullion coins from all over the world are revered. From Australia to Canada to Mexico and so on, collectors find themselves being captivated by their beauty and for good reason. Whether silver or gold or platinum, the coins have a distinct look and make great collector pieces. Perhaps some of the most collected bullion coins that come from a different country are the China Silver and Gold coins. More specifically, for this continuation of the 100 Greatest Modern World Coins blog series, we will be focusing on the first year of issue gold coins from the Chinese government. With help from authors Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker, we look deeper into their success and their rarity in the series.
#65 - China 1982 Panda Four-Piece Gold Set
Designed by Shanghai artist Chen Jian, the 1982 Gold Panda coins were the first to be issued by the Chinese government. One-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce, and tenth-ounce denominations were struck with the obverse featuring the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The building is the largest of the three making up the Temple of Heaven that resides in the eastern district of Beijing, China. Known for being the annual site of royal ceremonies to assure a good harvest for the people, the round building has three roofs and sits atop three marble plinths (or podiums) with a main stairway in the center and two stairways off to the sides leading to the hall.
The reverse design of the gold coins feature a giant panda. While the panda on the reverse changes every year, the design always features the native animal in a number of different ways. Pandas are found wild in China exclusively as the large bear is known to have a diet consisting of bamboo stalks and leaves, something that is also found in the designs from year to year.
Originally issued in 1982 in small, sealed plastic pouches, the coins are often found in certified holders as dealers and collectors find themselves paying higher premiums over spot for the first year of issue gold coins. A rare, complete set of them were sold in an auction in 2016 for $29,218. The coins were certified by NGC in a MS69 grade.