Gold Panda Coin Prices Show Continued Strength

Gold Panda coin prices have continued to increase since my last post in September. Demand from investors and collectors in China is reaching a fever pitch, with the most rare coins selling for very impressive prices to Chinese buyers.

Chinese coins with mintage 1000 or less are going for record prices (if you can find then at all). The "2nd tier" coins with mintages below 2500, are moving up rapidly as collectors seek to obtain these coins while there are still available.

Off the Charts

These coins have had major moves and are nearly impossible to find. The $5000-$12000 prices on these coins is 2-3 times what it was a year ago!

• 1992-P Gold Panda Proofs
• 1995 Gold Panda Proofs
• 1996 Gold Panda Proofs
• 1994-96 Gold Unicorn Proofs

Rising Rapidly

Certain date variety Pandas are also skyrocketing due to an apparent shortage of available coins. No mintage data is available for specific varieties, but the market is telling us which coins are the most rare. Expect to pay $3000+ for the 1oz coin of the following types!

• 1999 Gold Panda Large Date with Serif (all sizes)
• 1998 Gold Panda Large Date (all sizes)
• 2000 Mirror (all sizes)
• 2001-D (all sizes)

Near Term Potential

Looking ahead, price pressure is building on the following coins:

• 1991 Gold Panda Proof sets
• 1990 Gold Panda Proof sets
• 1998 Gold Panda Small Date (all sizes)
• 1995 Gold Panda (all sizes)

The 1oz coins for these may still be available in the $2000-$3000 range, but possibly not for long.

Small Panda Coins

Although I have not covered them in detail here, many of the fractional Pandas (1/2oz and lower) have risen in substantially price as Chinese collectors rush to assemble complete date sets. Often the 1/2oz or 1/4oz coin is the most rare coin in the set. Example dates are 1994, 1995, 1998.

Low Mintage Gold Panda Coin Varieties Heat up

The Chinese gold Panda coin market has been heating up over the past several months. Low mintage and low population varieties have disappeared from dealer inventories as prices have soared.

As recently as one year ago, nearly every date and variety of gold panda was readily available on ebay and major dealers. Today, the list of "unobtainable" coins is growing, partially as a result of strong demand from China. Strong Chinese demand for full dates sets (all sizes of the coin for a given date) has put a lot of pressure on the more scarce coins in each set, especially the fractional sizes. All Panda coins with mintage or population of less than 2000 have seen major price increases, and my guess is that anything in the 2000-5000 range is next.

Difficult (and expensive) gold panda coins now include:

• 1995 all types and sizes
• 1998 large date, all sizes
• 1998 small date fractionals (1/2, 1/4, 1/10, 1/20)
• 2000 mirror
• Coin show panda medals with low mintage under 1000
• 1992, 1995, 1996 proofs
• All bimetal pandas
• Most fractional size pandas from the 1990's

Some candidates to soon move into scarcity may be:

• 1991-P Proofs
• 1990-P Proofs
• 1999 large date with serif
• 2002 pandas
• 2003 pandas
• 2004 panda
• 1997 small date
• Other 1990's date types with lowest population
• Panda Coin show medals with mintage over 1000

1982 and 1983 Pandas have remained stable, but the coveted MS69 grade has become very tough to come by for these dates. PCGS and NGC are not kind to the early date pandas, so top grade prices will continue to reflect this. MS68 premiums are strong as a result of very high MS69 prices.

Comprehensive Guide Book to Panda Coins

Exciting news for Panda coin collectors! We finally have a comprehensive English language guide book which details all of the coins in the series.

The just published Gold and Silver Panda Coin Buyer's Guide by Peter Anthony is a comprehensive 208 page reference book that is a must-have for any serious Panda collector. The guide covers every Panda coin issued by the China Mint from 1982 until today. Full color images are provided for nearly every coin, as well as valuable background information and mintage data. We highly recommend this excellent new book.

Of great interest to collectors, Mr. Anthony has published the first estimates of current surviving Panda coin populations. Over the years, many Panda coins have be mishandled, used for jewelry, and melted for scrap. This has resulted in some surprisingly small remaining populations for many coins in the series. This information is sure to change the landscape of the Panda coin market as many common coins are suddenly appear to be a lot less common!

Gold and Silver Panda Coin Buyer's Guide is available now at Rare Panda Coins as well as Amazon.com

Chinese Citizens are Rushing into Gold

Chinese citizens are rushing into gold, as shown in this news report of precious metals shops packed with buyers. The Chinese middle class of 300 million people is moving to protect its savings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwWso5m2f5c&playnext_from=TL&videos=JgC6Zjnohtc

The Chinese government is buying and mining gold, and it is encouraging its citizens to put savings into gold as well. History shows that nations with the most gold have the most power. What are you doing to protect yourself from the currency crisis?

The Panda coin series fills only a small portion of Chinese gold demand, and mintages of many dates are very low. Some of the more scarce dates are disappearing into strong hands. These gold coins may become the Chinese equivalent of the US "Double Eagle" - desired by collectors and investors for generations.