Chinese Gold Panda Value Chart

China's flagship gold bullion coin since 1982, and the one widely-traded bullion coin that isn't sized in troy ounces: since 2016, the standard large coin has held 30 grams of .999 fine gold -- about 0.9645 troy oz, not a full ounce. Comparing its price per ounce to a 1 oz coin requires adjusting for that difference, which is exactly what this page's live melt value does automatically.

Current melt value

$4,452.08

$4,615.95/oz gold spot × 0.9645 troy oz · live

Metal content

0.9645 troy oz

Diameter

32 mm

Minted

1982–present (metric 30 g sizing since 2016)

Purity

.999 fine gold -- sized in metric grams (30 g), not troy ounces

Design

What is actually struck on each face, and who designed it.

Obverse

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, used on every Gold Panda since the series began in 1982.

Reverse

A giant panda, in a wholly new pose and setting every single year — the only major world bullion coin whose main design is never repeated.

Learn more about the Chinese Gold Panda

Why it is priced in grams, not ounces

From 1982 through 2015, the Gold Panda was sized in troy ounces like most world bullion coins. In 2016, China's mint switched the entire series to round metric weights — 1 g, 3 g, 8 g, 15 g, and 30 g — to align with China's own metric system rather than the troy-ounce convention most Western bullion trades in. The 30 g coin (0.9645 troy oz) is the size most directly comparable to a 1 oz gold coin from any other mint, but it is not the same amount of gold — worth noticing before comparing sticker prices.

A design that changes every year, on purpose

Unlike the Maple Leaf, Eagle, or Philharmonic — which keep the same reverse design indefinitely — the Gold Panda has featured a new panda design annually since 1982, making each year's coin a distinct, collectible release rather than an interchangeable bullion unit. This is a deliberate choice by the mint and one of the coin's biggest draws for collectors specifically.

Multiple mints, one design authority

Gold Pandas have been struck at several Chinese mints over the series' history — including Shenzhen and Shanghai — but all bear the same annual design approved centrally, so the striking mint doesn't change the coin's specification or design the way it can for some other national series.

Common questions

About the Chinese Gold Panda

How much is a Chinese Gold Panda worth right now?

At the current gold spot price of $4,615.95/oz, the melt value of a Chinese Gold Panda (0.9645 troy oz, .999 fine gold -- sized in metric grams (30 g), not troy ounces) is approximately $4,452.08. This updates continuously with the spot price above — sellers on the marketplace typically price above melt value, since the premium covers minting, distribution, and dealer margin.

Why does every listing cost more than melt value?

Melt value is the raw metal content only — what you'd get scrapping the coin. The premium above it pays for minting, distribution, and dealer margin, and on this marketplace specifically, it's set by each individual seller rather than one company's price list, so it's worth comparing a few listings rather than buying the first one you see.

What moves the price of gold?

Like any commodity, gold trades on global supply and demand — mine output and recycling on the supply side, industrial use, jewelry, and investment buying on the demand side. Short-term moves are usually driven by macro factors: interest rates, currency strength, and how much uncertainty investors are pricing into markets generally.

Is the Chinese Gold Panda a good way to buy gold?

Government-minted bullion coins like this one are legal tender, widely recognized, and easy to resell — that recognition is usually worth the modest premium over generic rounds or bars of the same weight. For buyers who want to add to a physical position gradually, one-ounce coins are also just a convenient, liquid unit size.

Why does the price on this page differ slightly from a listing's actual price?

This page shows melt value — spot price times pure metal content, recalculated on every page load. Individual seller listings add their own premium on top, and that premium (not the melt value) is what actually varies between sellers, so it's normal for listing prices below to sit above the number at the top of this page.