Hi folks - I am trying to put together offers for a couple of sharp coins, but am having a hard time digging up current reference values onfeebay, etc. I figured I'd come to the Oz experts since I am not very experienced in Australian coins (add to that I am generally bullion focused). Any thoughts on pricing for the following would help to save me from overbidding...I am falling in love with all three. I don't see a lot of the Phoenix privy coins around out there and the mint has done a nice job in the packaging of the other. Hopefully I am not wasting your time with this question, but if anything, it offers a few pics of some coins to discuss. [imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/796_1.jpg][/imgz] [imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/796_2.jpg][/imgz] [imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/796_3.jpg][/imgz]
Book values from 2011 McDonalds (which I highly recommend purchasing) are: 1997 Phoenix privy Kookaburra: $55 1997 Harbour City (Landmark set): $90 2005 Gilded Kookaburra: $100 Remember, those are dealer prices so they're at the higher end of what the coins are "worth".
On AUS ebay the phoenix will sell around $45 plus postage The harbour city around low $50s The gilded kook has a wider range 40-60 depending on the day.
Thanks for the info and tips, especially the tip on McDonalds. I am quite unfamiliar with Australian coins and even though I'm not sure how much I plan to grow my collection in that direction, 30$ is nothing to protect against even a small valuation mistake. Even though I am very NorthAmerican oriented, and further, 90% plain bullion focused, the mints from down under have a tonne of gorgeous pieces....I'm assuming McDonald's is just printed tables (no pictures) otherwise it might be better for my pocketbook to avoid it as I'm sure I'd fall in love waaaaaay too often. Appreciated folks.
Mcdonald book is a guide not a bible especially on pricing. Some items undervalued others overvalued. When I go to a coin shop or to a seller and he/she pulls out the book for my inquiry to give me a price, I instantly know what coins I should ask him to look up from his available stock. The 1997 Harbour City might be $20 more expensive in the book than the 2oz dragon but not on ebay.
McDonalds has the vast majority of coins in pictures and coloured as well. Notes also are in colour as are pnc's. It is a wise investment imho. But as said before it is a guide. It only covers Aus coins not Tuvalu or Cook Islands etc.
Book values for the 2011 MacDonalds is already out of date. Silver spot has probably gone up by $10 an oz since they sent the typeset to the printers. I think you can safely add an extra $5 - $10 to the valuation of any 1oz semi-numismatic/bullion silver coin in their catalogue. As for the massively overpriced Perth Mint 1oz and 1/2oz coloured coins; it will probably take a $20 increase in spot to make a dent in their valuations.
I've thought for a while that the catalogue printers could switch to "Bullion Value + X%" for a lot of items. Would be much more useful than trying to work out what silver or gold was worth nine months ago when the book was printed and calculating an appropriate premium from that date.
In pervious issues he rarely updated old prices regardless of the spot price. Some items he had 50% of spot for many years. My advice is learn the prices from experience and not from the book.
Not a lot; the so called "numismatic premium" that the Perth Mint charges for defacing a perfectly good coin with paint has skewed the true intrinsic value (silver) of the coin vis a vis to its paint content. So silver spot needs to rise quite dramatically before there is any worthwhile rise in valuation. The premium you actually pay on these coloured coins is for paint not silver.
APMEX is still selling the 1oz colourised Ox for about US $ 33 an oz - same as the non-coloured version, I guess of the first 3 coins of the 2nd series, the Ox has least premium attached to it. Mouse probably going well because its the "1st" of the series, and Tiger going well because a popular animal. Depending on the silver price, I'd expect around September when the Mint begins to roll out the 2012 Dragon, production will be going full tilt - certainly going to be a popular one.
He really should put the whole thing online where it can be kept up to date. It'd make searching a lot easier too
My point exactly! If a coloured coin doesn't meet it "numismatic potential" its premium drops down to its intrinsic value (silver). Wonder who will take 1/2 dozen of the overpriced Perth Mint Clownfish off my hands. I paid $55 each during the hype and now I would be glad to offload them for $45 Even at a discount the buyer is still paying over $20 for a dollop of paint and a pretty box.
I offer $40 but only for the box?! Sorry just joking. Every time one is involving non-tangible 'fluff' ( colorised coin,low mintages, proof finish,MS-68+,etc) one is paying a premium above spot and thus partly speculating. I am a sucker for mintage numbers & different mints of a fav coin. The most fundamental price floor, is the coin/bar/round evaporating its premium to be put into the furnace
True enough but I reckon the colourised version to the eye are way above the standard bullion version. The 2008 mouse was probably over colourised, the 2009 Ox got it exactly right and the 2010 Tiger underdone a bit and the 2011 rabbit well, a very dull coloured coin. So of the colorisations to date, the ugly duckling of the series is probably the best looking so far! To the "average punter" who just wants to collect a coin or two in a lunar year, paying say $35 for a bullion version of $45 for the coloured version makes very little difference in their budget.
Only been really lucky with one colourised coin (The Redback); nearly every other colourised coin that I dabbled in has been losers. I will leave the field to the professionals.
