Ebay Global Shipping Program - Restricted Item

That's a shame. Hope you can somehow get it back from ebay.

Could it have been a phrase or expression in your item description that has somehow been misinterpreted? I was trying to list some old transparencies of trains the other day, and one of my listings kept coming up with a warning that I was not permitted to list firearms! I've no idea what it was in my description that ebay thought was a firearm, but I went right through it, eliminating all the abbreviations (i.e. putting 'diesel multiple unit' in full instead of 'dmu'), and this seemed to do the trick.

My understanding is that under the global shipping program, if an item is undeliverable because it's a restricted item, ebay will make the buyer and seller whole, then take ownership of the item and potentially sell it to recover their costs. Not sure what that process is, but it seems unlikely that they would just destroy the item.

According to this list on the FEDEX website, collectible coins are prohibited from import into China.

https://crossborder.fedex.com/us/as.../index.shtml

Personally, as a buyer, I wouldn't touch ebay's GSP with a barge pole and avoid listings that use it although I guess as a seller sending to China it would make sense.
I don't believe the item was deemed restricted by ebay. I once tried to purchase a 240V Laser display from China via ebay. When I tried to check-out and pay, ebay stated it was a restricted item in Australia and wouldn't allow payment to proceed. In actual fact, the item was perfectly legal in Australia and I could buy similar items (at more cost) from the local electronics stores. They were confusing it with a hand held laser pointer. There is no way you can talk to the people that make these decisions. I was banging my head against a brick-wall for 2 weeks and eventually gave up. Anyway, it seems that the buyer has already paid which is what makes me think ebay is not the culprit. ebay GSP is partnered with Pitney-Bowes and it is Pitney-Bowes that unpacks your item and repacks it so I suspect it is Pitney Bowes that has deemed it restricted. Probably a dishonest employer at a PB re-packing warehouse. Not sure what you can do though.