2012p 5oz PROOF DRAGON posted by Castronova

[CSJournals-migration]

This is sort of interesting...!! The Big Mystery Is Out..

 

So, I awaited the 5 Jun release date...ready to grab one, just to find that I couldn't. No USA Sales, 'cause we act like greedy little orphans and the Australians are complaining that we're siphoning off all their good stuff into our collections. They left a number to call.. I did.. No Joy there either.. Its gonna be mid July til the company had them available. So, like a good collector, I snagged one on the Bay from a really decent German guy, for about $40 more. Yey!! Off it goes to grading and lo and behold, its a PF70.. So, like a good collector, I go to "research page" just to see how many have been graded 70..

2309 PF70 S$8 2012P Proof Lunar Dragons have been graded, 2100 or so are ER. Its about a 3-1 ratio of 70's over 69's. If the Perth Mint allocated half its 5k mintage to the US Dealer....I think I know where they went. Funny how I can't buy one from the Perth Mint.. but I can wait two months and buy a PF70 from the guy they cut their deal with here in the USA, slabbed and graded by NGC PF70. Can't wait to see how much the price is either.. So...there, the big secret is out.. this has all the intrigue of the 2010 5oz ATB debacle, just anothe AP gone rogue.

 

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[SPHansen]

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird... it's a plane... it's MIDDLEMAN!

[jayman1970]

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird... it's a plane... it's MIDDLEMAN!

 

[mwsc]

There are about 2500 Early Releases, more 70's than 69's. And then another graded group of 500 with still more 70's than 69's. New York Mint, (GovMint) is a large company. They will be testing First Release Labels vs "1 of First 500 Struck" labels. Its just marketing. I am guessing $695 for PR69 First Releases...and more for all other options. But if you look at ModernCoinMart and compare the price they are charging for the 2 ounce proof ...the 5 ounce will be relatively similar. At least the demand for graded material and 69's and 70's pushes the mints to make a higher quality product. There have been other discussions. This proof 5 ounce Dragon was New York Mint's idea and concept which they presented to Perth Mint and therefor they took half the mintage. Just a hunch but Coin World and the ANA Magazine will have GovMint.com ads for the First Releases or First 500 Struck of the Proof 5ounce Dragon very soon.

 

They are essentially a market maker. They have have found that it sells coins to have ad copy that states "Exclusive Offer of the first coins released." Personally this is fine with me. These are beautiful coins and GovMint, New York Mint, First Federal, Stauer, aka (Asset Marketing Services) has outstanding customer service...and they come up with some good coin ideas based on their sharply focused 20+ years of marketing research.

 

And also congrats on the PR70. Personally I care only about eye appeal and not investment so I love a nicely graded coin in a slab.

[mkman123]

your lucky to have goten a PR70! congrats!