Peter Anthony: From 1982–2000 all 1 oz. Pandas were denominated with 100 Yuan. The 2001 1 oz. B.U. gold Panda is part of the first year of new, higher denominations for the series. It has a face value of 500 Yuan. The coin features a very medal-like rimless design on the Panda side. This contributes to the feeling that the bamboo forest stretches on far beyond the coin’s edge.
2001 was a year in which gold’s price touched its modern lows below $300/oz. There were other negatives affecting demand for gold Pandas: the effects of the Asian Crisis lingered as well as a lack of excitement after the millennium hoopla the year before. The 500Y 1 oz. B.U. gold Panda has an announced mintage of 150,000 but it is not a common coin today.
This coin can suffer from red spots and in general doesn’t grade well; less than half of the coins graded to date are MS-69 or MS-70. Wear or rub, if present, is usually seen on the head or body of the bear.
The 2001 500 Yuan 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."