Peter Anthony: The true rarity of 1997 platinum Pandas has finally been recognized in recent years. With a stated mintage of 5,000 this last in the line of 5 Yuan platinum Pandas attracted little interest for many years. The few collectors of the series knew they were a challenge to find and prices hovered in the $100-$150 range for a long time.

The circumstances surrounding this coin’s scarcity were hidden from view. All the previous coins in the series suffered attrition from jewelry use and melting but at least they existed at one time. The 1997 is different; its actual mintage is a fraction of the stated number. As this information became more widely known the price of this coin headed heavenward where it remains to this day. This is the key date in a series with many scarce to rare coins. It is valuable in any condition.

About 50% of the coins graded are MS-69 but the rest are all over the map. The 1997 5 Yuan platinum Panda is part of the NGC Registry set, “Platinum 1/20 Ounce Panda, 1993-1997, Mint State and Proof.”