What is Mandarin Duck ? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtDu3dMsvXA[/youtube] It is not Peiking Roast Duck on the dinning table
Seems to me many western collectors / investors doesn't understand the cultural importance in asia of swan and mandarin duck. Probably because swan and ducks are common also in western culture, and not considered anything special. I do not fully understand myself, but being a longtime stamp collector of asian countries, I can tell these are popular themes. If this means the larger part of the mintage is sold in china / asia, I find that very interesting. I buy long term, and one of my main criteria is how well it sell in CHINA. The potential market over there is so huge, but that doesn't help if they are not aware or interested. So I'm a continued fan of this Traditional Culture series and totally not fan of those hyped and flipped in the western market only. I will follow the continuation of this series closely!
Yeah, I agree, what sells well in China is bound to do well. After all, they only have a gazillion people, and they are moving many, many into the middle class each day, and creating more millionaires and billionaires every week and year...more and more will take to collecting their coins from ages, and ages hence, and I'll be there to gladly sell them some of my stuff at a premium, years down the road. ). Goooooo China.
That was a very modest announcement I think the silver adds a lot to this issue. In my eyes this release looks increasingly better and can't wait to get a glimpse of the antiqued ones, but maybe they are too rare to find any to shoot?
No prototype minted for the antique. Mint will not do prototype for all varieties and seldom get prototype except coins that using new technology or ways of minting. This the reason you do not see any prototype exist for many china coins and medals.