100 Yuan Panda

The Chinese Gold Panda series abandoned its fixed-design policy in 1987, committing instead to an annual design change — a deliberate marketing strategy that transformed the series into an active collector pursuit rather than a static bullion holding. The 2001 issue was among the last to carry a stated face value with any credible relationship to gold spot; subsequent years watched the nominal denomination become increasingly ceremonial as bullion prices climbed.

Coins dated 2001 exist in two varieties: one with a date written in a serif typeface and one without serifs. Both are genuine issues, and the variety distinction drives meaningful price separation among specialists.