Peter Anthony: From 1982–2000 all 1/2 oz. Pandas were denominated with 50 Yuan. The 2001D 200Y 1/2 oz. B.U. gold Panda is part of the first year of new, higher denominations for the series. It has a face value of 200 Yuan. It features a very medal-like rimless design on the Panda side. This contributes to the feeling that the bamboo forest stretches on far beyond the coin’s edge.

2001 was a year in which gold’s price touched its modern lows below $300/oz. There were other negatives affecting demand for gold Pandas: the effects of the Asian Crisis lingered as well as a lack of excitement after the millennium hoopla the year before. The 2001D 1/2 oz. B.U. gold Panda has an announced mintage of 100,000 but it is a very scarce coin today.

This coin can suffer from red spots but aside from that it usually grades well; almost three out of four graded coins are MS-69. There aren’t any MS-70 coins so far. Wear or rub, if present, is usually seen on the head or body of the bear. It usually has a duller luster than the non-D version.

The 2001D 200 Yuan gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."