Peter Anthony: The 1995 25 Yuan 1/4 oz. Small Date gold Panda was struck at the Shanghai Mint. 1995 was an interesting year for Pandas. Although announced mintages were reasonable it soon became clear that Pandas from this year were difficult to come by. This was a time period when many other series of Chinese coins took over the spotlight and collectors, or even hoarders, for this coin were few. So it ‘s no surprise that the 1995 25 Yuan remains a scarce coin today. In fact it is now considered to be the key coin of the entire 1/4 oz. gold Panda series and commands a commensurate price.

There are two major varieties of the 1995 gold Pandas: Large Date and Small Date. The two versions are not hard to tell apart; the numerals of the Small Date are clearly smaller than those of the Large Date. For variety collectors the 25 Yuan gold Small Dates are the easier of the two versions to find.

Most of the 1995 25 Yuan Small Dates grade well. In fact around two out of three of those graded are MS-69 or MS-70. Red spots are a common problem on unconserved 1995 gold Pandas of all denominations. As usual the place most likely to show wear or rub is the Panda’s head.

The 1995 25 Yuan Small Date gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1/4 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1/4 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold 1/4 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."