Hi, A simple question to those of you who have more experience in collecting Panda silver coins: which are the most valuable ones, the rarest, most special ones? Some editions with special marks? Rare versions? I know a 1990's Panda coin sold for over 200,000 USD on an auction, so I guess some of them have very high potential for future numismatic value!
1995 micro date with est pop under 4000 but the 2001 small D version is very new discovery & might have an even lesser mintage. Followed but 1999 serif & I believe the 1998 large date. Some gold panda have a mintage of under 10. Edit add: the 2000 mirror panda. Try looking up The Big 3 by yennus, great info.
I like the 1983 Pattern Panda ... USD: $243,506 http://forums.silverstackers.com/topic-34771-1983-silver-pattern-panda-sells-for-243506usd.html There are a couple of YouTube clips on it also.
Here is a link where you can read up on the BIG3 and other silver Pandas. http://forums.silverstackers.com/topic-18356-pr-beginners-guide-to-pandas.html Bi-metallic Pandas are also quite popular at the moment. Some 1/2oz Silver Pandas have been doing amazingly, e.g. 1995 1/2oz Silver Small Date.
I was wondering if there were any special variants of the latest (2011, 2012, 2013) Panda coins... I mean - newer versions worth paying attention to. Overall mintage has increased. So the "standard" Pandas in 2013 might not be the best catch.
Yes, there have been a few varieties discovered for the 2011s (big eyes and small eyes). I think there have also been some varieties discovered for the 2012s and 2013s too, but I can't recall what they are at the moment. In regards to mintage. I am actually encouraged by the larger mintage. It is a sign that both global and local (Chinese) demand for Pandas has increased significantly since 2010. The size of the Chinese market is huge, 1.4billion people is massive. The mintage of 8million 2013 coins is very small. Only one person in 175people is going to be able to have one (and that's assuming equal distribution, and non-world wide sales). Some pessimists would argue that only a small fraction of the Chinese population have the ability to afford them - but this view I think can be shown to be unlikely. Apple expects to sell around 40million iPhone's in China this year. A person that can afford an iPhone, can certainly afford at least one ounce of silver. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/technology/apple-profits-up-as-iphone-sales-grow-88.html
The 1994 that I think you are referencing is a 12 oz. gold Panda. The highest public "price" for the coin is $275,000 but there is some background story to that sale and I do not quote it in the China Pricepedia. The most expensive silver Pandas are probably the 1994 kilo and 1997 12 oz. Munich Panda medals. Among regular (not pattern) silver issues I would choose the 1994-1995-1996 12 oz. silver Pandas and the 1998-2002 silver kilos as pretty much the highest priced coins. Best wishes, Peter Anthony China Pricepedia www.pandacollector.com.
