Reverse: The reverse depicts two pandas sitting in a bamboo forest – a scene that reflects their natural habitat and continues the tradition of the Panda series. At the top appear the silver weight and purity: “30 g Ag .999”, and at the bottom the face value “10元”. The annually changing panda design makes each issue unique and highly collectible.
Obverse: The obverse features the famous Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Around the rim is the inscription “中华人民共和国” (People’s Republic of China), and below, the year of issue “2026”. This obverse design has remained unchanged for many years and is among the most recognisable in modern numismatics.
About the coin: The coin is struck from .999 fine silver, weighing 30 grams. The Chinese Silver Panda was first introduced in 1983, with a limited mintage of only 20,000 pieces annually during its first three years. A hallmark of the series is its annually changing reverse design, with the sole exception of 2002, which reused the 2001 design.
Panda coins are produced at three Chinese mints: Shenzhen, Shanghai and Shenyang, but unlike many other world mints, they do not place mintmarks. Coins can be differentiated by subtle design variations, such as bamboo detail, font thickness, or slight differences in the Temple of Heaven rendering.
Since 2016, the series is minted in 30 g rather than the traditional 1 oz, transitioning to the metric system. All coins in the Panda series, whether gold or silver, are legal tender in China.
