1996 5 Yuan 1/20 oz Gold Panda Coin - Small Date [BU]

The 1996 5 Yuan Gold Panda Small Date is a Shanghai Mint product struck during one of the most turbulent periods in Chinese numismatics. With the impending transfer of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule, speculation and hoarding drove demand sharply — only for many coins to be melted when the fever broke. Despite an announced mintage of 145,000, only a small fraction of these coins have apparently survived.

The Chinese Gold Panda programme launched in 1982 and quickly became one of the world's most collected bullion coin series, celebrated for its annually changing reverse designs. Each coin is struck in 24-carat gold and issued as legal tender by the People's Republic of China.