2019-02-12 Tue

A Panda coin is issued every year at the World Money Fair in Berlin, and this year, Tanzania has issued a 1,000-shilling coin with a polymer ring, featuring the playful and mischievous animal. The German State Mints had introduced the award-winning polymer technology in 2016, using which polymer is combined with metallic coin blanks to produce highly secure coins.

Michael Chou of Champion Hong Kong Auctions and Mark Sutton of Middle Earth Mint thought about producing these coins, while the well-known Chinese Panda coin designer from Shanghai Mint, Yu Min created the reverse design. A 3-D modelling software was used to produce these coins at the B.H. Mayer Mint in Munich. Traditional plaster sculpts were used initially to create the designs, while the software was used to impart depth, contrast and texture to the coin.

The coin is struck in 1-ounce of 0.9999 fine silver and it has a diameter of 40 millimetres. The National Shield of Tanzania is shown on the obverse and the World Money Fair logo is depicted inside the red polymer ring. A little panda is shown on a tree at the centre and Chinese New Year lanterns are depicted on the edges.

On 25th January B.H. Mayer Mint hosted the first-strike ceremony and a total of 1,000 such coins were struck.

Image Courtesy: Champion Hong Kong Auctions