There has been much attention lately to very low mintage pandas, with prices moving up rapidly. These would include the 1998 50Y Gold 1/2oz ($2500), the 1995 100Y Gold Proof ($6277), platinum pandas, and the 5oz, 12oz and kilogram Pandas. All of these have mintages less than 2500 peices, but a large and growing collector base whos number well exceed the mintage.
When there are more collectors than coins, prices move up. Typically, as the collector base grows, coins with populations near the supply/demand threshold will suddenly move up.
The bimetallic pandas represent a very attractive and collectible subset of the Panda series with very low mintages. Although already in short supply, prices have not yet reached the levels of the hot coins mentioned above. I believe the bimetallics will eventually meet and exceed these levels.
The bimetallic Pandas have a gold center with a silver outer ring, and are thinner than other pandas, but also wider in diameter, making them appear large for the bullion content. They were issued from 1990 through 1996, often in sets, with values from 10Y to 50
| Denomination | Gold | Silver |
|---|---|---|
| 10Y | 1/10oz | 1/28oz |
| 25Y | 1/4oz | 1/8oz |
| 50Y | 1/2oz | 1/5oz |
| 500Y | 5oz | 2oz |
In 1990 and 1991 bimetallic medals (no face value) were issued along with the coin and included in the mint set.
Official Mintage Limits:
| Year | Denom. | Mintage |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 50Y | 2000 |
| 1990 | 1/2oz+1/5oz | 2000 |
| 1991 | 25Y | 10000 |
| 1991 | 1/4oz+1/8oz | 2000 |
| 1992 | 10Y | 2000 |
| 1993 | 25Y | 2500 |
| 1994 | 10Y | 3000 |
| 1994 | 25Y | 2500 |
| 1995 | 10Y | 2000 |
| 1995 | 25Y | 2000 |
| 1995 | 50Y | 2000 |
| 1995 | 500Y | 199 |
| 1996 | 10Y | 8000 |
| 1996 | 25Y | 2500 |
| 1996 | 50Y | 2500 |
| 1996 | 500Y | 199 |
| 1997 | 10Y | 2800 |
| 1997 | 25Y | 2800 |
| 1997 | 50Y | 2800 |
| 1997 | 500Y | 199 |
Actual Mintages
The actual mintages of mid-1990s gold pandas has recently been acknowledged to be much lower than the published maximums. No actual figures have been published for the bimetallic, but given the time period, it seems certainly possible that actuals could be lower.
As a side note, based on apparent availability in the market today, the 1997 set seems to be more scarce despite its slightly higher official mintage figures.
The 10Y, 25Y, and 50Y were issued in 3-coins 1995, 1996, and 1997. The 1996 10Y was also issued separately, and this is reflected in the higher mintage figure.
Several Reference Pictures are shown below.
1995
1997
3 comments:
I actually was given a 1998 1/2 oz gold panda coin as a high school graduation gift. It's been stuck away in an old jewelry box for the past 11 years, which my mother just came across this weekend. It's still sealed and in mint condition, but I have no idea what to do with it. I can't seem to find much info about this particular coin online, as it appears to be one of the least minted? Any suggestions on how/where to sell it etc? Love the blog, very informative!
Thanks... JB
I actually was given a 1998 1/2 oz gold panda coin as a high school graduation gift. It's been stuck away in an old jewelry box for the past 11 years, which my mother just came across this weekend. It's still sealed and in mint condition, but I have no idea what to do with it. I can't seem to find much info about this particular coin online, as it appears to be one of the least minted? Any suggestions on how/where to sell it etc? Love the blog, very informative!
Thanks... JB
You can sell it on ebay, but there are significant fees and some setup required if you dont have a seller account.
You can also contact a coin dealer who knows panda coins and sell to him. Not all dealers will know the rarity of this one, so some will offer just the bullion value.
The most recent ebay sale of a 1998 1/2oz was in May for $1275.
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