2013 Shanghai Memory with Panda

Source: You can see pictures of this beautiful coin: http://rare-panda-coins.blogspot.com/


Where is the Panda?
There is a Panda on this medal. The girl under the umbrella is holding a panda doll!
Therefore this qualifies as a "Panda Coin"

The Shanghai Mint has just produced a new and very interesting set of Panda medals commemorating 70th anniversary of the shelter of more than 18,000 European Jewish refugees in Shanghai during World War II. Officially known as the "Designated area for stateless refugees", and also know as the "Shanghai Ghetto" or "Hongkew Ghetto". The design of the medal represents the hospitality and humanitarianism of the Chinese people who offered the Jews refuge during the war.

The commemorative medals are a very unique and groundbreaking issue from the Shanghai Mint. These medals have a number of important characteristics that will make them very desirable to collectors. All are 99.9% pure gold or silver.
First Panda medals minted with laser etched serial number
First Chinese numismatic piece with a Jewish theme.
Extremely low number of pieces produced
Designed by famed mint designer Rocky Zhao with his father, legendary engraver Qiming Zhao

Exceptionally Low Mintages

We have not seen such low mintages Pandas since the 1990s. One example would the the Zurich International Coin Expo 1 oz Panda medal, mintage 550, which sold at the recent Hong Kong Auction for
almost $5700 in PF68.

Here are the official mintages:


2013 Shanghai Memory Mintage
5 oz Gold Panda 36
1 oz Gold Panda 570
1 oz Silver Panda 5773

The 5 oz gold was sold out from distributors via pre-orders before release. In addition to the usual interest from Chinese collectors, demand from collectors of Jewish historical commemoratives has been very strong.


Laser-Etched Serial Numbers

The Shanghai Memory medals are all sequentially serialized with a number unique to the specific medal. The 5 oz Gold are numbered #1 - 36, the 1 oz Gold #1 - 570, and the silver #1 - 5773. Each coin has a certificate (COA) with the matching number.

Serialization presents some interesting new possibilities for collectors. As with serialized prints in the art world, early (lower numbered) coins may be considered more desirable, certain numbers may be more or less "auspicious", and matched sets can be created.

In fact, the lower numbered Shanghai Memory medals have been pre-packaged into gold and silver matched sets. Each of the different coins in the set has the same serial number. So in order to get the lower numbers, one must buy all of the available sizes. For example, to get #35, you have to buy the 5 oz gold, 1 oz gold, and the 1 oz silver, all of which will have 35 etched. Here is the serial number map.


Matched Sets
Serial Numbers
3-coin Premium Set
5 oz Gold
1 oz Gold
1 oz Silver

#01 - 36
Gold & Silver Box Set
1 oz Gold
1 oz Silver
Special 2-coin Box

#37 - 200
Gold & Silver Paired Set
1 oz Gold
1 oz Silver
Separate Boxes

#201 - 570

1 oz Silver with box #571 - 5773


Packaging

The medals are all distributed with special packaging and materials.

All come with:
Glass-Top Display Box
Torah-like scroll containing historical information.
Certificate of Authenticity (COA)

Details
The silver medals are not in sealed plastic packs - only capsules.
#37 - 200 comes with a special glass-top display box which holds
one 1oz Gold
one 1 oz Silver
one Scroll
Single display box that holds both coins and the scroll
Two individual COAs
#201 - 570 are sold in matched pairs

one 1oz Gold
one 1oz Silver
two separate glass-top display boxes, each with scroll.
Two COAs
#571 - 5773 are 1oz Silver only
Glass-top display box
scroll
COA

 

Beautiful Panda!

Any info on where to get these?

 

Hello Yennus, I think this guy has more than one. I too think they are beautiful. Great artistic appeal. I'd love to have 10 of these for posterity. I have 4. Simply beautiful Yennus.

This guy has 2 more Shangahi coins left, but his were selling fast too. The price on these are bound to go higher. http://www.ebay.com/itm/161096232327?ss 1423.l2649

 

Indeed, a very meaningful coin release.

I hope I can get a few of these before they run out.

Thanks for the link!

 

You are welcome. I agree, I think these will go very fast. I spoke with one guy (his link is below), and he said the distributor he works with is almost out. I bought a couple from him. Good guy. I'm sure I won't be able to get them, but I really would like 10. I like them that much. I have 4...6 to go...maybe 2 Oct, Nov, and Dec...if they are still around. Ill even buy the 70s only if they have the packaging! http://www.rarepandastore.com/servlet/the-Silver-Pandas/Categories

Here are some more, PF70's: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2013-Shangh...7962024?pt=US_World_Coins&hash=item27d63bb628

 

In North America the medals are available from:

Mish International Monetary Inc ([email protected])
KMJ Group of Norwalk, California ([email protected])
Qian Min of Qian's Coins and Collectibles ([email protected])
Rare Panda Coins of Menlo Park, CA (www.rarepandastore.com)

There are also distributors in China.

Best wishes,
Peter Anthony
China Pricepedia
www.pandacollector.com

 

Hello Peter, thanks for the feedback. Have you heard whether or not these medals are popular in China? I've heard mixed reviews. Hot here in the U.S. and Europe, not so much in China.

 

Am I the only one that finds the panda association a reach?----not very appealing at all to me

 

You are not alone. Expressed similar concern/sentiment at a CCF thread about it.

 

I haven't spoken to anyone who has purchased one of these solely because it is a Panda coin (although I consider it a "cousin"). In fact if you look at this strictly from a coin collecting point of view you may well miss why it is selling well. There are several dealers who made that mistake and now regret it because they have no, or too few, Shanghai Memories to sell.

Best wishes,
Peter Anthony
China Pricepedia
www.pandacollector.com

 

They have started off more popular overseas, or so I'm told.

Best wishes,
Peter Anthony
China Pricepedia
www.pandacollector.com

 

barsenault: great topic and very interesting coin. Thanks for all info!

 

Couldn't agree more Peter. I got 5 of these bad boys. They appear to be selling well on eBay. I've been in touch with 2 of the dealers you listed above, and they report good sales. I think it is interesting concept. I hope they increase in value, but I bought more for its message than an investment per se. Although with a mintage of 5300+, I don't think I can go wrong. I did speak with a couple of dealers where I bought my 10 2008 raw banknotes (yum)...and they had mixed reviews. One of them was pretty adamant about how this wasn't a 'true' Chinese coin...and he gave a list of reasons...not to mention he was upset about someone capalizing on the this horrific period in history. That Shangai Welcom wasn't written in Chinese. It was an interesting perspective from a person in Shanghai. Although, I obviously happen to like the concept, and think it pays honor to those who provided a home for the displaced because of evil treatment upon humans.

 

Well, I doubt many sellers would tell you that coin is not selling well.

 

LOL. You're right. I've been watching them on eBay, and they are selling out quickly and raising prices...good sign I guess.

 

Got 5 more for the message than as an investment. Hmmm... :/

 

Not sure why the hmm. I don't buy just one of something, I have five in my family. Heck, I hope to pass my stack of 3000 of all sorts of kooks, pandas, lunars, and brits on to them...sure I hope they go up in value, but if I like the message, and look, I'm assuming there are many others who do too, so if ever we need to sell, it won't be a problem. So I guess I should rephrase...I bought for the message, knowing it will go up in value over time...or so I hope!

 

You have 3000+ oz of silver? Wooooow. That seems for me like a bridge too far.

 

One day, one roll at a time. Lots and lots of rolls of kooks. filled in with the collectible pandas and a few bullion pandas and a lot of another of my favorites...Britannias...and of course a box of various and assorted colored (Phewie), gilded, and CIT coins. Stark, the biggest disappointment have been the colored (PM: Santa Maria; D&D, Dragons; Birds, etc...). I've stopped buying colored...as beautiful as some are...just not doing it any longer. I'm sticking with low mintage semi's, some collectibles like Pandas...and that's about it. Unless of course something really appeals to me...I have a weak spot for gilded too!! . Oh, and in case anyone plans on robbing me, none of this is at where I live...not to mention I have 2 angry dogs, and an artillery of guns...but if you'd like to have tea and a biscuit, look forward to it. hehehe.

P.S. of all the coins I have Stark, those 10 2008 panda banknotes are my favorite. I can't wait to get them graded. I think you are more into collectibles...if memory serves me correctly? Funny, I went to sell one of my funnel web snakes the other day, just for kicks...it sold for.....a measly 99.00. I took about a 15.00 loss on that sucker (includes shipping). That was a bummer.

 

Very well said. Send greetings to dogs and artillery.

Yeah, I'm more into collectibles. Mainly try to hunt coins that have small mintage/like them a lot. I will probably be collecting Lunars and maybe Pandas or Libertads as well, for swapping (some of) them. But core collection are (semi)numis. Stock Horse was great investment, some CIT coins and love the Norfeds.

I'm done with colored too. Would buy some, but only for keeping them. I've sold all mine D&D, was more or less on loss with every coin. Maybe that would be different in next few years, who knows, but I doubt. Red Spider was the king, all the rest were just followers.
Sold Red Squirrel for almost 50% than was purchase price. It still hurts. :/
I like gilded too.

I guess we have quite similar taste.

I prefer more "simple" coins (Tiffany art and some other are exception). What I like about this Shanghai coin and other Chinese coins is sort of "vintage" look (at least on pictures), and not many "colors". Don't have any Chinese coin so far so can't say they look the same.