Peter Anthony: The 1982 1/2 oz. gold Panda is the most difficult to find of the four Pandas of this date. At 13,391 its mintage is only slightly below the more popular crown-sized 1 oz. coin but it is actually quite a bit harder to find. As with all the 1982 Panda coins collectors immediately fell in love with the beautiful design by Shanghai artist Chen Jian. A shortage of the coins shortly after they were released sent prices zooming higher.

Although there is no denomination, the China Mint has always contended that this is a coin, not a medal. Most numismatists agree with that view today. It is difficult to find an MS-69 of this date; most coins have flaws and many were mishandled. Also, the sealed plastic pouch contains PVC and three decades has provided plenty of time to impair a coin.

The 1982 1/2 oz. gold Panda Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: “Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1982-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1982-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)," and "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1982-Date, Mint State and Proof"