When you’re ready to grow your coin collection beyond coins minted in the US, you might want to consider the Chinese Silver Panda as a place to start. Besides being pretty affordable for a small budget, this coin features the beautiful and captivating panda bear.
About the Chinese Silver Panda
Chinese Silver Pandas are the official silver coin for the People’s Republic of China. The coin is fairly new in the coin world; it was first produced in 1983. The typical Silver Panda contains one troy ounce of 99.9% fine silver. Other weights of the coin exist but can be hard to find. There is also a Gold Panda coin.
- Front Coin Design: The front design of the Silver Panda changes from year to year, but always features the giant panda with bamboo. The 2015 coin depicts a single, reclining panda munching on a stalk of bamboo. A bamboo forest is seen behind the bear.One of the coolest aspects of the Silver Panda is the color variation of the panda’s fur. While it’s all silver, different textures used actually make the panda seem black and white. On the obverse face, you’ll also see the number 10, followed by a Chinese character that represents “yuan,” the Chinese currency.
- Rear Coin Design: The back of the Panda features the Temple of Heaven. This beautiful temple was built in Beijing in the 15th century to serve as a place of worship for the royalty of China. The temple still exists today. Above the design of the temple, you’ll find seven Chinese characters that translate to mean the People’s Republic of China. The space below the temple features the coin’s year of issue.
About the Panda
Of course, what really makes this coin special is the giant panda. The giant panda of China is an endangered species that is reliant on the conservation efforts of humans to survive. Even though an adult panda weighs about 350lbs, 99% of its diet is only plants. And it needs a lot of bamboo to survive. In fact, the average panda eats between 20 and 30lbs everyday! In the wild, they are usually solitary creatures, which means it spends most of its life alone without the company of other pandas.
If you’re looking for a special coin for collecting that’s also considered a reliable form of investment, the Chinese Silver Panda is a good choice. It’s a great way to expand your coin collection from North America to the world!