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China Republic – Official Mint Medal
Smithsonian Institution honoring Mei Xiang and Tian Tian
2014 Silver Panda Medal 40mm (31.10 grams) 0.999 Silver (0.9999 oz. ASW)
Certification: NGC PF69 ULTRA CAMEO 3860327-078
Smithsonian Institution 2014, Great wall of China and the Smithsonian Institution.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian at National Zoo, Smithsonian’s pandas laying, bamboo in background.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
 Mei Xiang (Chinese 美香 Měi Xiāng “beautiful fragrance”) is a female giant panda who lives at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. There is a film director who shares the name.
Mei Xiang was born on July 22, 1998, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan Province; she weighs about 230 pounds. Her mother was Xue Xue and her father was Lin Nan; both parents were wild pandas. She and Tian Tian, a male, are the National Zoo’s second pair of giant pandas.
Giant pandas are thought to be solitary creatures, except for mating season and mothers with young cubs. In keeping with the habits of wild pandas, Mei is generally alone, although Mei and Tian are occasionally together outside of breeding season. Tian and Mei are trained to participate in a full medical examination, including a blood draw, without anesthesia.
Mei Xiang at the National Zoo in Washington D.C., February 2010
 Tian Tian (Chinese: 添添; pinyin: Tiān Tiān; literally: “More and More”) is a 275-pound male giant panda at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. The panda was born on August 27, 1997, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, to Yong Ba (mother) and Pan Pan (father). Tian Tian is the half-brother of the San Diego Zoo’s Bai Yun.
Giant pandas are thought to be solitary creatures, except for mating season and mothers with young cubs. In keeping with the habits of wild pandas, Tian is generally alone, although the zoo’s female panda, Mei Xiang, and Tian are occasionally together outside of breeding season. While Tai Shan was still at the National Zoo, Tian and Tai occasionally viewed each other through a mesh-opening in the fence and were aware of each other’s presence through scent marking. Male Giant Pandas play no part in raising their young in the wild. Tian and Mei are trained to participate in a full medical examination, including a blood draw, without anesthesia.
Tian Tian at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. in March 2004
 The Smithsonian Institution (/smɪθˈsoʊniən/ smith-SOH-nee-ən), established on August 10, 1846 “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. Originally organized as the “United States National Museum,” that name ceased to exist as an administrative entity in 1967.
Termed “the nation’s attic” for its eclectic holdings of 154 million items, the Institution’s nineteen museums, nine research centers, and zoo include historical and architectural landmarks, mostly located in the District of Columbia. Additional facilities are located in Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York City, Pittsburgh, Texas, Virginia, and Panama. More than 200 institutions and museums in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and Panama are Smithsonian Affiliates.
The Institution’s thirty million annual visitors are admitted without charge. Its annual budget is around $1.2 billion with 2/3 coming from annual federal appropriations. Other funding comes from the Institution’s endowment, private and corporate contributions, membership dues, and earned retail, concession, and licensing revenue. Institution publications include Smithsonian and Air & Space magazines.
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