10 Yuan Panda

The 1989 Panda is the first year the Chinese Mint abandoned the fixed design policy and began changing the panda motif annually — a deliberate marketing decision to drive collector demand by making each year's issue distinct. It worked. Secondary market premiums over spot climbed steadily through the early 1990s as the series gained international traction, particularly in West Germany and the United States.

Struck at the Beijing and Shenyang mints, with output split between facilities that year.