Peter Anthony: The 1996 5 Yuan platinum is the penultimate coin in the 5 Yuan series and has a listed mintage of 5,000. Like most of the other 1/20 oz. platinum coins it is scarce. Also like most 1/20 oz. Pandas it is reportedly struck not in China but in Australia at the Perth Mint. They are sometimes found sealed but it’s not certain if they were sealed by Perth, or by a later distributor. In any case, the pouches look nothing like those from any Chinese mint.

The mid-1990’s were a time of intense interest and speculation in platinum and the metal was popular for use in jewelry. Jewelers were a major market for the smallest Pandas like this one. That many of the coins were indeed used in pieces of jewelry is evidenced by the many coins today that show damage from mounting. There was also attrition from melting when platinum prices were high. Yet, for all of this the 1996 1/20 oz. is the seen more often than any of the other dates from the 1990’s. On average it grades well, too.

The 1996 5 Yuan platinum Panda is part of the NGC Registry set, “Platinum 1/20 Ounce Panda, 1993-1997, Mint State and Proof.”