Throughout China’s history the country was a silver standard country through and through. From its own silver coins to Spanish milled dollars to US trade dollars, the country made use of any silver coinage it could get its hands on. Even today collectors look for vintage coins with so-called “chop marks,” assay marks made by Chinese traders to determine the authenticity of silver trade coins. Thus it is no surprise that one of the most popular silver bullion coins on the market today comes from China.
The first Chinese Silver Panda coins were produced in 1983, following quickly on the heels of the Chinese Gold Panda which was first produced in 1982. Like the Gold Panda, the Silver Panda coin features an image of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on its obverse, with an image of pandas on the reverse. The panda image changes every year, making the coins a favorite not only of investors but also of collectors.
While the Silver Panda coins were formerly available in standard troy ounce weights of 12 ounces, 5 ounces, 1 ounce, ½ ounce, and ¼ ounce, since 2016 they are only available in metric sizes of 30 grams, 150 grams, and one kilogram. Expect to pay premiums of about 25% on the 30-gram coins, and 300% or more on the 150-gram and one kilogram coins. Because of collector interest in these coins and the lower mintages of the larger coins, premiums tend to be a lot higher than on other bullion coins. When referring to coin specifications below, please be aware that some earlier Panda coins and some commemorative issues may not have the same specifications. Earlier coins often varied in weight and fineness before the current weights and .999 fineness standard were decided upon.
Because the current Chinese Silver Panda coins are minted from .999 fine silver, they are eligible for investment through a silver IRA. That allows investors the ability to invest in silver coins with pre-tax dollars, defer taxation until time to take a distribution, and even to roll over existing retirement assets into silver tax-free. If you’re looking for a good source of silver, and especially if you’re also investing in Chinese Gold Pandas, it’s worth looking at the Chinese Silver Panda coins.
Coin Specifications
Purity
99.9% silver
Weight
1983-2015
- 100 yuan: 373.24 g
- 50 yuan: 155.52 g
- 10 yuan: 31.1 g
- 5 yuan: 15.55 g
- 3 yuan: 7.77 g
2016-present
- 300 yuan: 1000 g
- 50 yuan: 150 g
- 10 yuan: 30 g
Silver Content
1983-2015
- 100 yuan: 12 troy oz.
- 50 yuan: 5 troy oz.
- 10 yuan: 1 troy oz.
- 5 yuan: ½ troy oz.
- 3 yuan: ¼ troy oz.
2016-present
- 300 yuan: 32.15 troy oz.
- 50 yuan: 4.82 troy oz.
- 10 yuan: 0.9646 troy oz.
Diameter
1983-2015
- 100 yuan: 80 mm
- 50 yuan: 70 mm
- 10 yuan: 40 mm
- 5 yuan: 33 mm
- 3 yuan: 25 mm
2016-present
- 300 yuan: 100 mm
- 50 yuan: 70 mm
- 10 yuan: 40 mm
Thickness
1983-2015
- 100 yuan: 14 mm
- 50 yuan: 6 mm
- 10 yuan: 3.42 mm
- 5 yuan: 2.2 mm
2016-present
- 300 yuan: 13 mm
- 50 yuan: 6 mm
- 10 yuan: 2.98 mm
This article was originally posted on Red Tea News.
