I see the Perth Mint has struck and is selling the 2oz Silver colorized Lunar Rooster for 2017. The Perth Mint also struck and distributed each 2oz colorized silver coin for Series 2 EXCEPT the 2016 Lunar Monkey. Why would anyone now buy a 2017 2oz colorized silver Rooster given the 12 year Lunar cycle will be missing the 2016 Monkey? I contacted my usual supplier Bullion Bourse about this earlier this year and I was told the 2oz colorized Monkey wasnt going to be struck because of capacity issues. I then wrote to the Perth Mint (and never got a response) stating I had collected the first 8 2oz colorized coins in the Lunar Series 2 set and now I wouldnt be able to have a full 12 coin set. Exactly why the Perth Mint chooses to strike coins 1 - 8 of a set, not coin 9 (monkey) and then strikes coin 10 (rooster) is beyond me.
I think the ANDA special is a proof coin. There is also a 2oz coloured bullion version, however mintage numbers are quite low and most of them seem to have gone to Germany and America. There's a few for sale on eBay. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2016-AUS...936275?hash=item5448851d93:g:bQAAAOSw0hlZFxHb
So the few that were produced went to the big US and European sellers while Australian customers of the Perth Mint were shafted again? Not the first time this has happened (think 2012 Dragon releases) and I bet its not the last time. The Perth Mint continues to dud its Australian customers while it sucks up to the foreign markets. Unfortunately in 2008 I started to collect the series 2 lunars so I'm kind of stuck collecting the rest of this series but never again buying Perth Mint coins.
It is available (€43) from a large European dealer i just looked at, and there are also a couple currently listed on ebay US, too. Buy-it-now i saw was US$76. Also an auction, currently at $42 with 2 days to go. Mintage just over 3,000 up to december 2016, low yes but not historically unexpected for the 2oz colour, should be no problem getting one. Anyway, they are out there which you'll be happy to hear. Not good that dealer telling you a load of BS about not being struck. Nice collection of 12 you'll have by the way, i'm a little envious.
Thanks Sully, the mint I am sure never struck the 5oz colorized monkey either so that's another set I wont be able to complete.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2016-5-oz-Silver-Colorized-Lunar-Monkey-Coin-812-Mintage-/272713465166 It's out there but mintage was low.
Try this link it gives the mintage directly from the Perth Mint (2016 numismatic lunar) http://www.perthmint.com.au/numismatic-mintages.aspx From what I can see they have sold 3050 of the colorized 2 oz monkey so far. Also you might get more help by phoning the Perth Mint than sending a letter/email. Cheers. Danny