"low mintage" and novel silver currency

[silvstack]

Hi folks, been a while.

I see more and more extremely low mintage coins from Niue, Cook Islands, other islands, some African nations, and some of huge coins (like a kilo) have similar low mintages. I also see more coins that must be licensed with copyright holders, whether with Disney or StarTrek, etc., or with themes with no possible relation to the country, such as ancient Egypt, all as legal currency, often with HRH on the obverse. There are even "birthday" coins, coins with color, inset crystal or stones, etc.

I see a value in buying and selling these to others who are interested in their rarity, but I wonder if people here get caught up in that.

Also I wonder how the lowest issue of 500 coins can even be worthwhile for a country. For instance, a recent Niue issue of 500 two ounce coins sells for about US$250 each and if silver is about US$17 per ounce, then the amount amount over bullion is US$216 x 500 = US$108,000. Of course there's design, setting up, packaging, handling, perhaps licensing, and at the end of the day can Niue realize even half of that and is that worth their while?

Or just your thoughts about these.

-New Yorker

 

[alor]

the mint is not Niue
so low mintage is not to mean there will be average of demand for that coin
good and high demand usually will push the mintage up, and prices up too

 

[JNS]

I agree for the demand and of course the metal prices will determine the value of low mintage coin, however i will concentrate on more well known countries producing these low mintage coins rather than some other mint which has been putting up new coins series.
I believe low mintage modern coins have high potential however little by little collectors of these came to cease. Very hard to invite the new generations to embrace coin collecting most especially if to ask them to buy a high premium low mintage coin.

The coin market and trends had changed tremendously in last 5 years due to emergence of many minting technologies. However, every time i went to coin store, coin shows and auction houses seldom for a young blood appears. Meaning, there will be little buyers in the future.

Expected that many of these coins one day will be heading to be dumped in the melting pot or the collector will no ROI at all because younger generations feel them to be out of fashioned or more low mintage series will be much more interesting.

 

[silvstack]

BTW I apologize, I should have posted in the numismatic thread.

It occurred to me that perhaps these countries don't reach out to the various mints to commission Disney coins - perhaps it is the mints who recognize the potential for profits and submit to the countries the various proposed series of coins and they have their marketing people to work with the sponsors and markets, etc. For instance, there's a Korean coin which only includes English - obviously not a Korean project, but geared to fools like me! I don't think this notion is quite right, or certainly not 100% because countries do have some interest in their own monetary designs, and even odd ones - I know the Republic of Chad "Grotesques" series has been in development for a long time; but it might explain disney themes and birthday coins, that the marketing people propose to countries to authorize the production of that countries' money for a stake in the proceeds and that the country might not have much to do with the process other than to say, sure, bring it on.

I used to collect coins and recognize scarcity but with every country producing limited mints, it's kind of absurd. There's even 1 Kilo coins (I think Koalas) where the mintage is just 100! so i'm not sure who "collects."

Below are a couple coins -
one is the Chad 2016 King Tut 5 oz coin which cost about $5 per oz. over spot, with a mintage up to 30,000, minted by the Scottsdale mint - , I'm keeping this - I think it is a beautifully designed coin, not exhorbitant mark-up over spot, affordable to purchase and keep and will retain value if a market for numismatics is weak - I like these very much!


and the other one is the Niue 2017 "celestial bodies" "moon" 2 oz coin which costs about $100 per oz over spot with a mintage of 500, minted by the Arts Mint on Champs Elysee in Paris - I bought the celestial bodies to resell just to see what this is all about, and I definitely don't want to hold on to this if the numismatic market is weak!

 

[alor]

there is only a problem in the future when the Egyptian started with their king Tut coins
give that King a buzz
there was a God coin the other day, we can buzz God there

the series coins meet their demise long ago, when I phone come out with their series every time
consumerism madness

 

[Topherclaus]

I hate coloured coins with a passion but some others that aren't too expensive over spot are fun I think.

I own a kilo koala, mostly for its metal value but also just because they're a neat item and kilo coins have impressive detail on them. They're actually produced by the Perth Mint. There are also larger kookaburra coins. I have a set that is 1oz, 2oz, 10oz, and 1kg coins together.