30g Panda or 1oz Panda: what's the difference?
From 1987 to 2015, the standard silver Panda held one troy ounce of .999 silver. In 2016, China switched its Panda coins to metric weights, in both gold and silver, and the standard silver coin became 30 grams.
A troy ounce is 31.1 grams, so a modern Panda holds slightly less silver than an older one. Here's what we pay for each today:
| Coin | Silver content | Live silver value | We pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30g Panda (2016 onwards) | 30 grams | £35.71 | £34.50 |
| 1oz Panda (1987 to 2015) | 31.1 grams | £37.02 | £35.77 |
The year is shown on the front of every Panda, so you can tell which type you have.
A new panda every year
China has made the silver Panda since 1983. Unlike most bullion coins, the panda design on the back changes every year, while the front shows the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
The changing design makes Pandas popular with collectors, but for most coins we pay based on the silver they contain.
The earliest silver Pandas
The one-ounce .999 silver standard was set in 1987. Pandas from the first few years were made to different specifications, so if you have a Panda from before 1987, we'll test it and price it on the silver it actually contains.
Larger silver Pandas
As well as the standard 30g coin, China makes larger silver Pandas, with sizes going up to 1kg. We buy these too, and price them on their silver content.
Silver Panda specification
- Face value - 10 yuan
- Silver content - 30 grams of .999 fine silver (one troy ounce from 1987 to 2015)
- Diameter - 40mm
- First made - 1983
- Design - a new panda every year, with the Temple of Heaven on the front
- Tax - not UK legal tender, so not exempt from Capital Gains Tax
Not sure who to sell to? Read our guide to the best place to sell silver coins.
