Peter Anthony: The 2005 Pandas continue the charming theme of a mother Panda with her cub. The 2005 500 Yuan 1 oz. gold Panda shows the adult helping to feed the smaller bear. The design is especially attractive on this larger denomination. The coin has a reported mintage of 55,000. There are certainly not that many available to collectors as this has become a somewhat better date.

The image of the bears and the bamboo forest cover most of the 2005 Panda. This is pretty good camouflage for minor flaws and so the 2005 grades very well. Most examples graded so far are either MS-69 or MS-70.

The 2005 500 Yuan gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."