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Pandamonium strikes!

15 posts in this topic

Update on my recent diversion while I wait for my latest 8 reales submission to be graded.

 

I read Gary's (ghermann44) latest post about his time at the ANA show with Dave (Yankeejose) and noted that he finally bought his wife a silver panda coin. I've been meaning to journal about pandas for awhile so here goes.

 

I got sidetracked from my 8 reales passion earlier this year when I bought an MS 70 2011 1 oz Silver Panda coin for my fiancee to commemorate the year that we met. Since pandas are her favorite animal, it was well received and, hopefully, an acknowledgement that coin collecting has a fun side, too.

 

Naturally, the coin hunting instinct in me kicked in and I started looking at the competitive sets of silver panda coins. This was my introduction to the modern commemorative bullion collecting that so many of you write about (the SAEs, for instance). It took some investigating into mintages, populations and prices (NGC's Chinese Modern Coin Price Guide was one source) to convince me that these might have a worthwhile payback in addition to their charm. Starting with 2002, a reasonable number of MS 70s are available and each year from then to present has a different, well executed, panda design (the earlier ones look a bit cartoonish to my eye).

 

So I've built a short set of silver 1 oz pandas from 2002 to present and my intention is to highlight each design with a nice photo, perhaps in a custom set. Until then, I'll leave you with a nice composite of the 2002 coin.

 

~jack

14184.jpg

 

See more journals by jgenn

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I realize Gold and Silver Chinese Panda Coins is cute, but do you understand where your hard earned U.S. money is going?

 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through the People's Bank of China and China Gold Coin Incorporation (CGCI) directly controls the distribution of all these Gold and Silver Panda coins and enjoys the profits from this effort.

 

Buying Panda Coins Hurts America and American Workers - Directly or Indirectly your Money goes to Support the Chinese Communist Party and to potentially take Jobs from real Americans. Buy American Gold and Silver Coins instead!

 

- CGCI, China Gold Coin Incorporation was established in 1987. It is under the direct supervision of the People's Bank of China. The People's Bank of China is operated by and for the Chinese Communist Party.

 

- CGCI is the sole body dealing in gold and silver Chinese Bullion Panda Coins.

 

- China Gold Coin Inc., functions include; coin development, design, mintage and distribution of CGSCC (Chinese Gold and Silver Commemorative Coins).

 

Coins Buyers really ought to know the Truth - Just my Opinion

 

 

 

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The Unions screwed this country up way before any Chinese did. Your a day late and a dollar short!

 

In My Opinion.

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Totally agree with wdrob.

 

I've been accumulating the 1/20 oz gold pandas over the last couple of years. I don't feel the need to certify them, I simply take out of the original packaging and house in "rounds" that fit them nicely. Another small, (really small) hedge for my "chaos" scenario.

 

BTW whats plural for panda? Is it one panda and two pandi ?

 

Cheers !

 

Rich

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I have been collecting modern chinese coins for about 7 years. I find the diversity much more interesting and exciting. Gold, silver, platinum pandas or pandi, unicorns, lunars, etc. etc. Mintages can be extremely limited and certain coins hard to find in high grades and expensive.

 

There was an auction just completed by Stacks in HK on Sunday. An interesting example was a 1984 medal set that hammered for $6K, plus BP. Also a pattern coin for the 1983 silver panda I believe hammered for $75K. About 2 years ago, a kilo gold sold for over $1M.

 

There are a couple of excellent resources if you have questions or want to do additional research. The board, chinese coin forum, can answer any question you have. They have several resident experts in the field plus several from China.

 

FWIW, there is an extremely large collector base within China. They even have a coin exchange similar to the Diamond District buildings in NYC, where there are many many booths. It is quite impressive to see (although I have only seen pics and never been there).

 

Fun stuff.

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Unless you are buying a china coin directly from china then you are not funding china.

 

If you shop at walmart then you have a better chance at actually helping china. No one seems to think of that.

 

I find MVCoins' posts to be mean spirited and not helpful. People are free to collect whatever tickles their fancy and I believe your posts aren't tickling anyone. :banana:

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jgenn, I fell in love with the Australian Kookaburra bullion series, so I know what you mean. It's not widely collected and that's another reason I like it.

 

BTW, MVCoins, you can also look at the purchase of bullion coins from China as a way for us to reduce PM's in China.

 

 

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The Unions screwed this country up way before any Chinese did. Your a day late and a dollar short!

 

In My Opinion.

 

I don't 100% agree with your take on the unions. They helped create the middle class in this country, once upon a time. That being said, I think their usefullness has past.

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think their usefullness has past.

 

Exactly what I meant. I did not intend to infer that Unions have not ever served a noble purpose.

 

But let's face it, when a guy/gal working within a Union is payed $28.00/hr to place an item into a box and ship it, well ...... That can do nothing but increase the cost of the goods. If I can get the same item, at a much cheaper price and equal quality then I am going for the latter.

 

So in essence I was stating that Unions have helped Americans work themselves out of a job when all is said and done. The companies will just eliminate the position or move it over seas where corporate taxes are much less and there is less regulatory red tape impeding production.

 

But now I have hijacked this thread and went completely off topic. Sorry jgenn .... was not my intent to debate unions.... it just kinda happened while trying to defend a persons decision to buy PM's from China and elsewhere.

 

 

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Glad to see you all enjoyed my post.

 

The sad part is what I said is the truth. Chinese Panda Coins (Gold and Silver) are a State Owned resource of the Chinese government. In China the government is the Communist Party. Suggest moving to China and see what you think of living under a one-party state run communist system. Some people may like it the but they don't care much for dissent or free access on the internet.

 

They have unions in China too, but they are just run by the Communist Party. So it goes in a Communist State.

 

 

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think their usefullness has past.

 

Exactly what I meant. I did not intend to infer that Unions have not ever served a noble purpose.

 

But let's face it, when a guy/gal working within a Union is payed $28.00/hr to place an item into a box and ship it, well ...... That can do nothing but increase the cost of the goods. If I can get the same item, at a much cheaper price and equal quality then I am going for the latter.

 

So in essence I was stating that Unions have helped Americans work themselves out of a job when all is said and done. The companies will just eliminate the position or move it over seas where corporate taxes are much less and there is less regulatory red tape impeding production.

 

But now I have hijacked this thread and went completely off topic. Sorry jgenn .... was not my intent to debate unions.... it just kinda happened while trying to defend a persons decision to buy PM's from China and elsewhere.

 

 

Didn't mean to hijack it either. Thanks for the clarification Rob. We're on the same page.

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Interesting comments - I gather you hate unions. But why?

 

If you're interested the Largest Union in the World is in China - 134 million members in 1,713,000 primary trade union organizations as part of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The Communist Party appoints the leadership in all cases. Is it better to have a Communist government running all Trade unions? Would you prefer that in America?

 

To be fair Unions in large part created the modern American middle class. Maybe some went to far, but America is worse off without a vibrant middle class. Do some internet research before you complain about Unions and China.

 

Buying Gold and Silver Panda coins either directly or indirectly is feeding your hard earned money into the coffers of a Communist Party. Like it or not that is the sad truth. Maybe folks out there learned something today. I prefer to support America, but that is just my opinion.

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In case you don't know - the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Union represents nearly all workers at U.S. Mint facilities!

 

U.S. Mint Coins are made by Union Workers and they sell quite well. If you are interested I am not in a union and have no bias in the matter.

 

 

 

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Interesting comments - I gather you hate unions. But why?

 

If you're interested the Largest Union in the World is in China - 134 million members in 1,713,000 primary trade union organizations as part of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The Communist Party appoints the leadership in all cases. Is it better to have a Communist government running all Trade unions? Would you prefer that in America?

 

To be fair Unions in large part created the modern American middle class. Maybe some went to far, but America is worse off without a vibrant middle class. Do some internet research before you complain about Unions and China.

 

Buying Gold and Silver Panda coins either directly or indirectly is feeding your hard earned money into the coffers of a Communist Party. Like it or not that is the sad truth. Maybe folks out there learned something today. I prefer to support America, but that is just my opinion.

 

I never said I hated Unions. In fact, if you look at my first response, I indicated that Unions created the middle class. I just think their time has come and gone. I supervised UAW workers for nearly 3 years. If I were a business owner, I would of hired 70 - 80% of them. IMO, the Union management is so out of touch with today's business climate and they continue to hang on to times of yore.

 

My comment about China was tongue in cheek. There are always two sides to a coin. I don't like the protectionist business climate in China. I've been there a few times and prefer to travel to other parts of the world.

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