Rounding up our roundup of the Bank of China’s recent releases with a look at four sets of coins. All are in the mints new metric weight system which we can assume is now it for all the commemorative and bullion coin s from China. Barring a solitary 15g silver coin, all follow the Chinese favourite combo of of a 30g silver and an 8g gold.

Two of the four releases are 2016 Panda bullion coin variants. These are released quite regularly by the BoC and generally follow a set layout. The panda artwork sits inside a ring border which carries an inscription of the event being marked by the coin. The events being commemorated this time out are the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Shenyang Mint, and the 60th anniversary of an organisation called the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese which celebrates its anniversary on the 5th October. Collecting these has often become the preferred way to buy panda’s for some.

Another range has been launched to mark the G20 conference in Hangzhou. The conference is attended by the countries in the Group of 20, an international forum for 20 of the most powerful economies in the world. Formed in 1999, these conferences are held in different locations around the world every year. This one was chaired by Chinese premier Xi Jinping. Design-wise it’s a pretty dull and unadventurous affair. It belongs to the political coin genre so common in China, Russia and the US in particular. It isn’t a genre noted for innovation or artistic merit and this is no different. The G20 range is the only one available in a 15g silver variant.

Leaving the best until last is a coin commemorating the 2016 Beijing Coin Expo. The BoC has released a coin celebrating the expo every year (except 2003) since 1995 and they’re often fine designs. This is one of those in our view, the reverse side having a fine mix of a 1934 Sun Yat-sen Sailing coin and a 1915 US Indian Head coin. The former was first issued in 1929 by the Chinese Nationalist government. Most were recalled in 1949 when the Communists took over and marked them as not legal tender. The latter is the image that adorns the current Buffalo bullion coin from the US Mint. Struck in 30g of fine silver, it has the rectangular hole in the middle reminiscent of old Chinese currency. We think it’s the best by far of this new batch of coins.

GOLD REVERSE: 8 grams of circular gold commemorative coins on the back of the pattern for the panda climbing tree, and published “8g Au. 999” words, “Shenyang Mint co., Ltd. established 120 anniversary” English words and denominations.

SILVER REVERSE: 30g silver silver commemorative coins on the back of the pattern for the panda climbing tree map, and published “30g Ag .999” words, “Shenyang Mint co., Ltd. established 120 anniversary” English words and denominations.

COMMON OBVERSE: The set of gold and silver commemorative coins are the Beijing Tiantan Chi Nian temple face, and published country name, reign and “Shenyang coin co., Ltd. was established 120 anniversary” Chinese characters.

REVERSE: The silver commemorative coins as a symbol of the front of the coin, the earth’s dot-line decorative pattern and the Beijing International Coin Expo logo combination design, and published country name, reign.ons.

OBVERSE: The silver coins on the back of the pattern for the 1934 Sun Yat-sen silver coins (sailing pattern) and the United States in 1915 coins (Indian head portrait) corresponding design, lined with square hole round money shape, and published “Beijing International Coin Expo” in English and Denomination.

COMMON REVERSE: the back of the pattern are the 2016 Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou logo, and “2016 Group of 20 Hangzhou Summit” Words and denominations.

COMMON OBVERSE: The set of gold and silver commemorative coins are the national emblem of the People’s Republic of China, and the name of the country,

GOLD REVERSE: 8 grams of circular gold commemorative coins on the back of the pattern for the panda climbing tree, and published “8g Au. 999” words, “the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese federation” in English words and denominations.

SILVER REVERSE: 30 grams of silver silver commemorative coins on the back of the pattern for the panda climbing tree map, and published “30g Ag .999” words, “the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese federation” in English words and denominations.

COMMON OBVERSE: The set of gold and silver commemorative coins are the Beijing Tiantan Chi Nian temple front, and published country name, reign and “Chinese Federation of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the” Chinese characters.