Peter Anthony:The 1983 27 gm is the first silver Panda that the China Mint released. The coin was struck in proof quality with a mintage of 10,000. It has a face value of 10 Yuan and the silver is .900 pure. As the first silver Panda it is very popular with collectors and is not easy to find at any price. The 1983 silver Panda was designed by prolific coin designer Yu Min. It won the "Best Silver Coin of 1983" Award.
The quality of many coins struck at the China Mint during this time period was compromised during the minting and packaging process. In some coins there is also deterioration caused by the PVC-laden plastic pouches. Consequently a Proof-69 grade coin is quite scarce. Even a 68 is a good grade. The 1983 10 Yuan silver Panda is the first coin in two NGC Registry sets: The “Silver 10Y Panda, 1983-Date, One-Per-Date” and the “Silver 10Y Panda, 1983-1999, Proof.”