Chinese Panda Coins
Chinese gold and silver panda coins are used as investment coins in the world market. A country chooses the design for their investment coin based on a 
representative motif of their country. The Panda gold and silver bullion coins were first issued in 1982, and were the first bullion coins issued by China. They have since become one of the major investment coins in the world coin market. The Panda bullion coins are highly sought after not only for their investment potential, but also for their collectability. The panda bear design changes every year, increasing the artistic attraction and collective value of the coin. The Chinese people regard the giant panda as a national treasure. Panda bears are an unique and rare animal, characterized by the black and white fur, black eyes and charmingly naïve mannerisms. The international wildlife protection organization, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), uses the image of a panda as its logo, bringing world fame to the panda.
When designing the panda coins in 1982, the technicians encountered difficulties in having the panda’s characteristic black and white color reflected in the gold. A joint effort between the design experts from the Banknote Printing and Minting Bureau of the People’s Bank of China and the engravers at the Chinese Mint resulted in a new engraving method called “intaglio engraving.” This method works on the fact that the mirror surface of gold can diffract black color. After careful design work and testing, the black and white colors of the panda were successfully represented on the gold coin, as well as on the silver coin which was minted shortly thereafter. In 1983, the Panda gold coin was awarded the World’s Best Gold Coin of the Year, the first international award for Chinese modern commemorative coins.
