2000 Yuan Panda

The 150g Panda gold coin occupies the top of China's annual bullion hierarchy — a format introduced in the 1980s and expanded incrementally as domestic and international demand for the series grew. Unlike most major bullion programs, the Panda changes its reverse design annually, a policy Beijing has maintained consistently since 1982 with the single exception of 1999 and 2000, which shared an identical design — a decision that generated enough collector controversy to ensure the practice was never repeated.