China's Panda gold series has operated on an annual design-change policy since 1983 — with the single exception of 1987 and 1988, which shared an identical reverse — making each year technically its own type for collection purposes. The 2006 issue falls within the period when the People's Bank of China was aggressively expanding the program's international distribution through authorized dealers in Europe and North America, driving premiums well above melt on freshly issued examples.
China's Panda gold series has operated on an annual design-change policy since 1983 — with the single exception of 1987 and 1988, which shared an identical reverse — making each year technically its own type for collection purposes. The 2006 issue falls within the period when the People's Bank of China was aggressively expanding the program's international distribution through authorized dealers in Europe and North America, driving premiums well above melt on freshly issued examples.