15 g China Panda Gold Coin | Mixed Years

15 g Chinese Panda — metric weights, annual designs

From 2016 the Chinese Panda moved from troy ounces to metric weights. The 15 g coin, at 999 fine with a 200 yuan face value, took the place of the old half-ounce. These are mixed-year coins.

Specifications

Grams, not ounces

This matters when you compare prices. A half troy ounce is 15.552 g, so a 15 g Panda holds about 3.5 per cent less gold than a half-ounce coin from another mint. Compare on price per gram rather than per coin.

The design

The obverse carries the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The reverse carries a panda, redrawn for each year of issue — the feature that sets this series apart from every other bullion coin.

VAT and UK capital gains tax

HMRC treats a coin minted after 1800 as bullion gold if it is at least 900 thousandths fine, is or has been legal tender in its country of origin, and normally sells at no more than 180 per cent of the open market value of its gold (VAT Notice 701/21A). At 999 fine and Chinese legal tender, this coin falls inside the exemption for gold bullion.

Capital gains tax is separate: the UK exemption follows sterling legal tender, so it covers Sovereigns and Britannias but not a Chinese coin. This is the published rule, not tax advice — your own position depends on your circumstances.

Questions buyers ask

Is 15 g the same as half an ounce? No. Half a troy ounce is 15.552 g.

Can I choose the year? No. Mixed-year stock ships as available.

Is it VAT free in the UK? It meets HMRC's tests for a gold bullion coin. It is not exempt from capital gains tax.

Other coins in the series are on the Chinese Panda gold coins page. Live quotes on the precious metals prices page.