Peter Anthony: The 1994 50 Yuan ½ oz. Large Date gold Panda is a product of the Shenyang Mint. Despite a large reported mintage this is a surprisingly hard-to-find coin today. One attrition factor was that the mid-nineties was a period when many other series of Chinese coins were in the spotlight. Collectors, or even hoarders, for ½ oz. Pandas at that time were few and far between. To this day the ½ oz. size is one of the less popular ones and many of these coins may have been melted.

There are two major varieties of the 1994 gold Pandas: Large Date and Small Date. The most obvious difference between the two versions is that the numerals of the Small Date are more slender than those of the Large Date. Unlike, for instance, some of the 1993 Pandas the 1994 Panda Large and Small dates are not hard to tell apart. The 50 Yuan Large Dates are seen with the same frequency as the 50 Yuan Small Dates and both are among the rarest varieties in the entire series.

Another characteristic of the 1994 50 Yuan Large Dates is that they were well-struck and often garner high grades. In fact more than 75% of those graded are MS-69 or MS-70. Unconserved 1994 Pandas often have red spots. The place most likely to show wear or rub is the Panda’s head.

The 1994 50 Yuan Large Date gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold ½ Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold ½ Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold ½ Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."