Peter Anthony: The image of a grown Panda sitting on its haunches adorns the 1993 50 Yuan 1/2 oz. Small Date gold Panda. It was struck at the Shenyang Mint. Despite a decent-sized reported mintage this is a surprisingly hard-to-find coin today. One attrition factor was the melting pot as there were few collectors for this size Panda when it was new.

It is a challenge for most people to tell apart the 1993 Large and Small Date 50 Yuan Pandas. Perhaps the best method relies on minor differences in the architecture of the Temple of Heaven. The dates themselves are for all practical purposes the same size.

Another characteristic of the 1993 Small Dates is that they were well-struck. These are not quite as nice as the Large Date but still often produce very high grades. Unconserved 1993 Pandas often have red spots. The place most likely to show wear or rub is the Panda’s head and torso. The fields are also areas for concern. On the Temple of Heaven side the fields, as usual, are susceptible to marks.

The 1993 50 Yuan Small Date gold Panda is part of three NGC Registry sets: "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State," "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State (Incl. Varieties)" and "Gold 1/2 Ounce Panda, 1983-Date, Mint State and Proof."