Peter Anthony: The 1988 5 oz. gold 500 Yuan gold Panda is a large and beautiful coin to see and hold, yet is often ignored by collectors. Part of the reason for collector’s lack of interest is that while the 5 oz. gold Panda series started in 1987 none were struck in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Another break begins in 1995 and none were minted for the next ten years until the series reappears in 2006. This start and stop pattern is unattractive to some set builders.

The 1988 500 Yuan gold Panda has its own attractions that shouldn’t be overlooked. One is the design of the Temple of Heaven on the obverse. This is the only early large gold Panda to use the same motif as the smaller B.U. coins. Another attraction is scarcity. Within the 5 oz. gold set the 1987-88 are considered more common than any of the dates between 1990 and 1994. The 1988’s official mintage is 3,000. It was recently reported, though, that the true quantity of coins that were struck was 2,400. Many have been lost to the melting pot and mishandling over the years and the number available today is surely less than that.