Some pics to share...2012 5 oz Proof Koala and more...

2012 5 oz Proof Koala First Strike from GovMint.com:




2005 1 Kilo China Myth Animals Cook Islands coin (Struck by Perth Mint Exclusively for Franklin Mint Japan) Franklin Mint closed their amazing minting facility in the USA in 2002 (it was a small but very skilled facility having been reduced in size from the pre-1985 size of being the Worlds Largest Private Mint) so their Japanese office was left to find other sources to strike their coins and medal:







A Franklin Mint Japan .999 silver medal plated with 2rkt gold honoring the Centennial of the gift of cherry blossom trees to the USA. What a stunning sculpt. Too bad the US Mint doesn't see fit to commemorate this event with a nice clean artistic design:

 

Americans and their fascination with grading coins....

 

I grade my coins mainly because they look good in the slab and it protects them. You can hold and look at them over and over while the coin remains free from being damaged or tarnishing. Toning my be fine on classics but not good on modern proofs. You also have a serial number registry on file of your collection. As far as grade...doesn't matter to me as long as it has eye appeal. And, for the coins I send in myself to be graded, I carefully remove the coins from the capsules so the display and all original mint material still looks brand new..even the capsule. So that part can be set aside and not worn out looking at the coin multiple times. If you send packaged stuff into the graders and ask them to return the packaging it returns in OK shape but with signs of use.

 

And with the pandamania. A lot of australians and others countrys peoples too.
;-)

 

It's only going to get bigger out here. I can see in a few years that it's graded or it's heavily discounted.

For example see what ebay US is doing now. You can't put a grading on coins above $2000 unless it is done by NGC or PCGS.

malachii

 

Not just coins... i lost TONS on buying graded basketball cards.. shaq and other rookies.. that were hundreds now worth 10's .. graded stuff is just a flavour of the month thing more often than not.. allowing for unsustainable premiums.. i wouldnt bother but if you get them for a similar price to unslabbed its worth it..

Just more plastic and a waste of space iMhO.

Nice pics.. thanks for upping

 

For me though honestly the graded coin is about the protection of the piece. It is preserved.

 

That proof koala is shipped in a capsule and box.
If you never take it out of the capsule it is preserved and protected.

 

That 5oz koala proof has black background?
Is that normal? I thought proof is mirror-like finish

 

Nice coins Cu thanks for sharing.