Just been browsing Bullion Baron's website and I saw the mintages of the 2oz lunar proofs: http://www.silverlunar.com/p/perth-mint-s1-silver-lunar-mintages_28.html It seems the s1 lunar ox only had sales of 171, with a limited of 1000. I wonder if this mean that only 171 sets of the 2oz can be completed?
What happens to the unsold 2oz proofs? I am assuming that they have been melted down ... Anyone has 2oz mouse with a COA higher than 136?
It is possible they were sold to dealers without box and CoA, who re-sold them in just their capsules. I speak of the S2 1kg coloured Ox as an example.
Yeah I have boxed 2oz Pig, Ox, Rat and Tiger. The Perth Mint says that unsold collector coins get melted down. As for these earlier Lunars, I believe the process was that only dealers could buy them. The Mint asked their dealer network who wanted what and how many. The orders come in and the Mint pumps them out to their dealers. Presumably only limited dealer interest was in these earlier 2oz Proof lunars and I doubt the Mint did any melting down.
The mint in Series 2 makes unlimited colour versions (like the Ox) on a mint to order basis. In the 1oz for example, they marketed and sold 3,800 in a box with a CoA but then about another 60,000 (in the case of the 2010 Tiger) in capsule only. So in 2010, the 1oz coloured Tiger had a mintage of about 60,000 in capsules and another 3,800 boxed with CoA.
Just checked my S1 mouse its has a COA of 129, anyone got higher than 136? I must say, the S1 rabbit probably has the best packaging out of all the S1 lunar proofs
