NKOREA COIN PHOTOABLUM AND DISCUSSION-ONE OF JIM ROGER COIN INVESTMENT

This thread will show you and share of the North Korea coins photo

North Korea Kaesong Cultural Heritage in 2013 was officially recorded and enlisted in "World Heritage" list. North Korea mint decide to issue 5 commemorative coins; south gate, Spire, Wang Jia Emperor tomb monument, Emperor tomb stone figures - Wen Chen, Emperor tomb - Generals to commemorate the legacy of these national treasures in 2014.

Mintage : 5000 maximum or lesser
Diameter : 40mm
Thickness: 3mm
Issuer : Korean central Bank

 

Unimpressive coins but good info and pictures.



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All NK coins are flat instead of like china medal which is high relief. I only came across 2 NK coins are high relief which is KG Silver coins. I do not have the photo and not own it.

China coins also flat due to the direction of the government and mints. Only china medal can be in high relief.

Those brass NK coins shipping fee is at least 10 -15%. The coins cost ranging from 12 -15 USD with low mintage. The main cost is the die and import and export costs of the metal instead of the metal.

Brass NK coins is undervalue if they follow the trend of china old brass medals and circulating coins.

 

Another interesting information of the processes of minting the NK coins. I hope the information which I gather is correct.

The mints need to produce some sample coins for the government leaders to approve before minting the trial coins. after all approval of the sample coins and trial coins the mass minting as the planned(authorise) mintage will start.

Generally, the sample or so call specimen coins of silver coins will be in aluminium and gold coins will be in brass. The sample coins will carve the wording sample in NK language.

Below is one of the sample coins photo that I copy from Internet.



This sample coins is gradable and acceptable by PCGS as specimen title.

I will take a photo of it within few days because I own few of them.

Silver sample coins will not more than 50 pcs. Gold sample coins will less than 30 or even lesser.

NK follows old china practice of circulating coins which produce sample coins and carve the words on it. The different is NK produce sample of commemorative coins, using different metal on the sample coins and NK sample coins is much lesser quantity as compare to china which china does not.

 

Here one of the familiar coin that you will come across lol. one of the china Mystical creatures which has been issued by Perth mints

 

As promised this is the sample photo of sample NK coins (aluminium for silver coins).

SP title of PCGS means "Short for Specimen Strike" as http://www.pcgs.com/Lingo/S

The first coin of the left is specimen coin make by aluminium for silver coin specimen, second one is silver coin and the third one is brass



The specimen coins will bear the words in "korea language of specimen" as photo and highlighted.



The above coins belong to someone else not mine.

Mine will be panda

 

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!

 

The Vases coin is actually a very nice one! Is this from a series?

 

It is a series BUT I am not sure the no in series.

The silver specimen coin of the vase is key coins among others.

 

I has obtained more information on the specimen coins as following:

NK specimen coin is North Korea's specimen which used for reporting to the higher authorities and/or the leaders for approval before issuing any official commemorative coins.

According to the DPRK statement and physical specimen coins in the market, the specimen of NK silver commemorative coins is made of aluminium or aluminium silver plated and gold commemorative coins is made of copper or copper gold-plated. The 2 major reasons of not using the PM in making the specimen coins are saving material costs and avoid wasting precious metal resources and preventing corrupt officers and related systems to pocket the coins. However, this is not very successful. Still many corrupted officials stole those specimen coins and sell it.

The mintage of specimen coins is highly depending on coins metal, specifications, themes, political issues and other factors. Generally the specimen coins mintage is based on the number of different government department involvement and approval. DPRK has done a detailed studies and statistics regarding the specimen coins has stated that the mintage of silver specimens coins make of aluminium or aluminium silver plated for every single silver commemorative coins did not exceed 50 pieces each and gold specimen coins make of copper or gold-plated copper for every single gold commemorative coins did not exceed 30 pieces each. According to finding and physical specimen coins found and available in market, the actual mintage of specimen coins for commemorative coins are very rare. Generally, Silver specimen coins is between 1-30 pieces; Gold specimen coins mintage is even lesser and rare. The further research and studies are not possible for gold specimen coins due to the availability of it is physical extremely scarce until 2015. It might more clear as when those corrupted officers would like to cash out.

Definition of North Korea specimen coins. NK central bank and NK Pugang mints call the specimens coins as "pattern coins/prototype coins/". This name does not fully comply and descried the specimen coins functional role. The specimen coins is for reporting and obtaining approval and discussion of the respective and higher authorities. The patterned coins is for testing the minting of the coins which request less department involvement (i.e only to the minting company or/and central bank). Mr Sun Keqin who is the reputable Chinese circulating coins author faces the similar definition confusion in Chinese modern circulating coins. He did clarify it and classify those as specimen coins rather than patterned coins.

According to the central Bank of North Korea and NK Pugang mints information which NK has issued 200 plus of gold and silver commemorative coins. However, the known NK silver specimen coins which available in market was 182. This is due to lack of records in older days of the respective department, the corrupted officers are not able to access to those ultra rare specimen coins and specimen coins which make by PM like silver and gold are generally reported to the senior national leadership or even the supreme leader which is non-refundable and no record of certain special specimen coins record in central bank.

Each specimen coins is crafted "" as "sample" which usually located on the back of the right side, with very few items on the left or up and down. Regardless of the position of the left and right or up and down, " sample" the 2 words are always together. It is specimen coins for circulating coins if it is separate the wording otherwise it is specimen coins for commemorative coins.

words can identify as "Yin Wen" and "Yang Wen". Those "Yin Wen" words only Engrave on individual large size commemorative specimen coins which is rarer than the "Yang Wen".

NK specimen coins is kind of fineness, well-made, casting, relief, micro-engraved, mirror, sandblasting and other fine processes are in place which is even better than the actual effect issuance of the actual commemorative coins.

NK specimen coins enable the further study and research into the commemorative coins. It provides more in-depths information to us before issuing the commemorative coins. It will provide some examples and photo when I am free.

On top of it, I will try to post all 182 specimen coins photo too.

 

sorry of my laziness of not posting the photo. I will try end of this month. bug down by my full time job recently.

Here is part of my collection which intend to sell in future.

 

Hi all,

Here the so call Children playing/NK folk theme specimen coins photo. It has 3 in the series.



Brass coins are available for sell at my webpage next one to 2 weeks. The mintage is around 5,000 if I am not wrong. The coins are in capsule which is not perfect. Due to the NK in early coinage technology which coin is not perfect in this case. However, price is very attractive as compare to ebay.



Please notes that Pyongyang Mint have took over NK CBank mint in 20XX so there is 2 versions of many NK coins with same design BUT the building sign is diff. I will show you the diff and photo next times.

 

2016 Singapore coin show North Korea brass coins. Mintage 3000, estimated minted 500. diameter 40mm.

Silver version mintage 500 and fully minted.

NK has right to mint fully if there is demand. However, it is rarely to mint the balance as history trend.

I consider this as rare since not many countries specially mint a coin for a coin show and especially not their country coin show. Generally, panda medals are issued for coin show instead of panda.

 

Wish I could have made it to the SG Coin show... these NK Coins would definitely have been on my hunting list.

I think you're right andrewlee10 "I consider this as rare..."

 

Thanks for sharing.

Can you maybe get some of these? I guess it quite hard.

 

Do you have more information on silver coins?

 

type of information that you keen

 

Some pictures and if you have any for sale.

 

I will post silver, brass and aluminium photo tonight or tomorrow.

Yes it will be available for sell at our webpage. However, we encourage member here to pm us to get a special price as compare to our webpage.

 

Here the photo for the coin show for silver, brass and aluminum.