Peter Anthony: The 1991 50 Yuan 1 oz. gold 10th Anniversary Panda is remarkable in several respects. It and the 1991 10 Yuan 2 oz. 10th Anniversary silver Panda are the only double thick “piefort” coins in the entire Panda series. This coin is the work of Shanghai Mint master designer Chen Jian, who was also the artist for the 1982 Pandas. The lifelike pose of the bear clinging to a bamboo branch is typical for Mr. Chen who made great efforts to model his Pandas after real animals.
The 1991 1 oz. gold piefort is a very popular coin with collectors. Its mintage is 2,500. So even though it regularly appears for sale it commands a price several times higher than its intrinsic gold value. Of the various coins and medals issued for the 10th birthday of Panda coins this one is the second most sought after. Only the ultra rare 1991 5 kilo gold 10,000 Yuan Panda outranks it.
The 1991 50 Yuan 1 oz. gold 10th Anniversary Panda appears in two NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1986-1994, Proof," and the "Gold 1 Ounce Panda, 1982-Date, Mint State and Proof."