Peter Anthony: The 2003 Panda coins feature an innovative design. Much of the coin features plain matte-finished fields. Front and center a Panda strides toward the viewer from an inner circle of bamboo trees. The contrast between the fields and devices is striking. The bamboo forest is the distinguishing feature between the two major varieties of the 2003 Pandas. In the Frosted Bamboo variety the forest has a semi-matte luster that sets it apart from the mirrored finish of some of the leaves. The 2003 500Y 1 oz. B.U. gold Panda has a total reported mintage of 55,000 for both Frosted and Mirror varieties.
The fields on the Panda side of the coin are beautiful but they are also open and unprotected. This makes them quite sensitive to scuffs and dings. This has been a problem for some of the 1 oz. coins graded so far; around two of three are MS-69 or better. It is something to check carefully for in ungraded coins.
The 2003 500 Yuan Frosted Bamboo gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."