Specific question for the north americans - would there be much interest/demand for the Australian $200 gold coins over there? They are a 10 gram 22k coin (AGW 0.2948oz), with a face value of $200 AUD, which makes them one of the highest face value to gold content coins in the world - they have a built in "stop loss" at $678 AUD/oz (based on their legal tender status - you can spend/bank them). Hopefully we never see those sorts of gold prices again, but it's a factor for some people. Much point to bringing some of these coins to the US, or would they be viewed as weirdo foreign gold that wouldn't sell? The premiums on them are incredibly low here.
GP, I try not to say never, but the coins don't fit my investing profile (1oz coins). And I don't recall seeing them here in the US, but maybe it is because I wasn't interested in buying them. If gold collapses to below $700oz, we will have much greater worries than the face value of gold coins. Checking past ebay sales, there does not appear to be much interest. 4 sales in the past two weeks and all of them for under $500.
APMEX sold Australian 200 Dollar coins at fairly low premiums all last year. Their odd weight throws me off a little (comparing a 9.16g coin to a 10g bar). I did buy one 1980 200 Dollars Gold Koala last year just to have one. I would say they are just as liquid as any other Australian legal tender coin in the US. If the coin's gold value falls under the $200 denominalion I will be having other problems.
If they were .999 I would buy them but I do not see them selling much in my circles. I think they are just a little less known and they are somewhat like the older canadian gold which isn't .999 where you are lucky to get melt from the US folks.
They wouldnt be my cup of tea but I dont think I represent most of the American buyers , i think the norm here is gold eagles (not my cup of tea either), I would also have to say I dont usually like odd gold quality I like 999 or better, see what others think???
I think with COA you'd have success. At the moment these would drop under the $600 reporting threshold in USA btw so perhaps a dealer approach many work. I took some around Bangkok and was offered spot at probably 4 shops in total. They were prepared to read the RAM card - I wouldn't let them take it out of the cardboard or test it, but come sale time no doubt they'd require same. They just did the abacus and made their offer. Better than exchange rate for Aud versus Baht btw. Here in UK I've been pointed toward coin shops for true value, and have been offered spot value only on a loan from Pawn Shop meaning around 25% buy back on spot. I'd suspect similar plays in USA.
