Peter Anthony: The 1990 50 Yuan 1/2 oz. gold Small Date Panda features the image of a full-grown bear astride a rock. It projects an image of strength more than cuteness. It is one of the first five B.U. gold Pandas of the 1990s and is scarcer than most of the years that preceded it. This is fitting as there are many scarce Pandas from this decade.

There are two major varieties of 1990 gold Pandas: Large Date and Small Date. The Large Date coins were struck at the Shanghai Mint and, as their variety name suggests, have a larger size date than coins struck in Shenyang. The Small Date Shenyang coins are considered to be the scarcer of the two 1990 gold Panda varieties.

1990 is one of the worst years in regards to red spots. It is unusual to find one in its original packaging that does not have these. In ungraded coins both the Panda’s body and the head are areas to carefully examine for wear or rub. On the Temple of Heaven side the fields, as usual, are susceptible to marks. The 1990 Small Date Pandas are generally not as attractive as the Large Dates. The most prevalent grades are MS-68 and MS-69. There is only one MS-70 coin as of this writing. The 50 Yuan is a scarce coin and only a relatively modest number of these have been graded to date.

The 1990 50 Yuan Small Date gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."