Peter Anthony: The 1998 25 Yuan 1/4 oz. gold Small Date Panda is a standout coin in the Panda series. 1998 has become perhaps the most sought-after year for gold Pandas. All the coins from this year are key coins in their sets. In the wake of the Asian financial crisis demand for gold Pandas plummeted and many have been reported melted.

There are two major varieties of the 1998 gold Pandas: Small Date and Large Date. The 1998 25 Yuan gold Small Date is a Shanghai Mint coin. The two versions are not hard to tell apart; the numerals of the Small Date are much smaller than those of the Large Date. The total mintage for both varieties is a very low 13,009. The actual number of B.U. condition that that exist today is even less than that. Between the two varieties the Small Date variety is is the more common.

Better than three out of five of the 1998 25 Yuan Small Date Pandas achieve the MS-69 grade level. Grades vary from MS-70 down to MS-63. Part of the reason for this wide range may be that because even lower grades of this date have significant value many less-than-perfect coins get submitted for grading. Red spots are a commonplace problem on unconserved 1998 gold Pandas. The head, body and rock are the places most likely to show wear or rub.

The 1998 25 Yuan Small Date gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1/4 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1/4 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold 1/4 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."