Chinese Mint

The Chinese Mint is a government-run mint that began in the early nineteen hundreds and continues to this day. The mint is largely celebrated for its stability and the special commemorative coins it produces; coins that not only preserve wealth but also add flair to any bullion portfolio.

History

The Chinese Mint, as it is now known, began in 1920 as the Shanghai Mint. However, it was later renamed the Central Mint in 1928 to reflect its centrally-ran nature by the government. Since the 1928 change, the government-run bullion refinery has been run by the People’s Bank; the central bank of the People’s Republic of China.

However, the government mint is actually relatively young and not representative of China's importance in the bullion industry. As it seems per modern evidence, China is the first region to produce bullion via a Henan mint dated back to 800-450 BC. That would make China the first country to mint officially recognized bullion.

That mint, which eventually became a more modern mint in 1920, has become the country’s standard for all coin-based currencies in China. It’s also where the square hole prevalent in Chinese coins came from. 

The Chinese government has done a stellar job of maintaining quality and consistency among all of its production runs; ensuring precision in production and an unmatched product.

Beyond the mint’s reliability, commemorative coins have also played a huge part in attracting investors.

In 1982, the Central Mint began a production run of special “Gold Panda” bullion rounds. These gold bullion rounds sold extremely well among investors at the time, and they became an annual staple in the mint’s production ever since.

Products

While the China Mint produces a variety of bullion options, its most prominent and sought-after products are, of course, its panda coins. The commemorative Panda coins are one of a kind, and they draw investors from around the world.

So, we’re going to cover each of the three top panda coins sold each year.

All three of these coin variants share some major features.

First, they are all highly transportable due to their small size, and this also makes them easy to store.

Beyond the physical benefits of each coin’s design, the coins are minted in limited numbers annually. This, and the fact that their design is also updated annually, adds a numismatic value to the coins. 

Gold Panda Coins:

Gold is the most popular and most traditional precious metal for investment, and the gold Panda coins reflect this popularity. 

The gold panda coins are available anywhere from a 1 gram to a 30 gram coin, and each one is made from .9999% pure gold. In fact, the Panda coin was released in ounce denominations until 2016, when they were changed to gram denominations. This is the only major bullion coin worlwide that is issued in gram denominations instead of ounces.

Each of the gold panda coins is adorned with a panda-themed design that changes annually, and they are printed with basic identifying marks to verify authenticity.

Silver Panda Coins:

Silver Panda coins share many of the same characteristics as China's gold panda coins. Except, of course, that they’re made from silver.

These are more cost-effective Chinese coins available to investors. Unlike the gold panda coin, these are primarily available in the 30 gram size only. These coins were also issued in ounce denominations until 2016, when they were issued in gram denominations instead.

Each silver panda coin is made from .999 fine silver, and identifying marks are engraved for easier verification of authenticity.

Platinum Panda Coins:

Finally, the Central Mint also strikes bullion panda coins made from pure platinum. These platinum coins are made from 99.95% pure platinum. Like the gold and silver panda coins, these platinum panda coins are updated with new designs annually, and the prominent theme is China’s own Giant Panda species. Each coin features identifying markers for verification of authenticity, and while these are higher-priced coins, they come in various sizes to make them more suitable for investors of all budgets and preferences.

However, on the second-hand market, these platinum coins can be less common.

How to Buy Chinese Mint Bullion

If you’re looking to buy Chinese panda coins, SuisseGold.eu offers a wide range of current year and backyear vintage Panda coins in silver and gold.

Our clients enjoy an easy purchasing process via 20 different currencies and 8 cryptocurrencies, the option for delivery or secure storage in a Swiss vault, and VAT-free transactions on silver, palladium, and platinum for all European clients.