1996 China 1/2 oz Silver Panda 5 Yuan (Sealed)

The Chinese Silver Panda is a stunning tribute to the beautiful architecture and precious wildlife the country is known for. The first Silver Pandas were minted from 1983 to 1985 and made of .900 fine Silver. After a few years of a varied production schedule with different purities, the coins were finally struck in .999 fine Silver in 1989. These Silver bullion coins are struck at various mints across China, including the Beijing Mint, the Shenzhen Mint, the Shanghai Mint and the Shenyang Mint.

In 2016, to better appeal to international investors and collectors, the sizes of the coins were changed from troy ounces to grams. Although not exact conversions, the new sizes are the closest metric equivalent to ounces. These sizes now include: 30 grams, 150 grams and 1 kilo. Previous years also included 1/2 oz and 12 oz coins.

The Chinese Silver Panda is among the few bullion coins to change its design annually, with one exception. In 2001, a freeze of the design was announced, so coins produced in 2001 and 2002 had identical designs. However, after customer protest, China reverted back to its original policy and in 2003 the coin had a new design. The reverse of the coin always features at least one panda usually in its natural habitat. Since its issuance, the obverse of the coin has featured the iconic Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

After construction began in 1406 under the order of the Yongle Emperor, the Temple of Heaven was completed in 1420. The temple was built so the emperor could pray and make sacrifices to Heaven for a rich and fruitful harvest. Just as the temple itself is beautiful, so too is its symbolism steeped in the rich tradition of ancient Chinese Heaven worship. The Temple of Heaven is divided into two sections by two walls that enclose the temple. The northern half is circular in shape to represent Heaven, while the southern end of the temple is rectangular, symbolizing Earth. The Hall of Prayer inside the temple has four inner, twelve middle and twelve outer pillars that represent the four seasons, twelve months and twelve traditional hours respectively. There are four main dragon-shaped support beams that represent the four seasons and twelve internal pillars that symbolize the lunar months. The dark blue roof tiles of the temple represent the heavens and the Seven-Star Stone Group is symbolic of the seven peaks of Taishan Mountain, a place of worship for the classical Chinese practice of Heaven worship. In 1998, the Temple of Heaven was declared to be a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and was praised as “a masterpiece of architecture… [that] had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East for many centuries.”