The 2005 issue falls in the final years before the Chinese Mint shifted its lunar series production toward higher-relief techniques and fan-shaped formats that would arrive later in the cycle. At 85mm, this is the large-format commemorative version — China issued multiple sizes simultaneously, and the smaller 31.1g pieces at standard dimensions were struck in far greater quantities, making the large-format survivors proportionally scarcer in pristine condition despite official mintage figures that suggest otherwise.
The 2005 issue falls in the final years before the Chinese Mint shifted its lunar series production toward higher-relief techniques and fan-shaped formats that would arrive later in the cycle. At 85mm, this is the large-format commemorative version — China issued multiple sizes simultaneously, and the smaller 31.1g pieces at standard dimensions were struck in far greater quantities, making the large-format survivors proportionally scarcer in pristine condition despite official mintage figures that suggest otherwise.