Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Popularity Of Chinese Gold Coins And Bullion

The Popularity Of Chinese Gold Coins And Bullion

By Helene Norris


Some countries do many things to show off their economic might and prestige. Erecting huge monuments and public works that give the world something to marvel at and admire can be one way. Yet other countries go one step further by minting gold coins and bullion to really awe and inspire. This is what China has done in terms of their minting of Chinese gold coins or panda coins as they are known.

The first globally available coins for investment and collection came in the form of a one ounce Krugerrand introduced in 1967. Though not the first of its kind, the Krugerrand was the first of its kind to be minted in one ounce sizes. However, this coin later on became minted in smaller sizes of one half down and one tenth ounce gold contents. The panda coin is also a coin that comes in the one ounce content category.

Unlike the Krugerrand, the uniqueness of the Chinese panda coin is that is minted in a group called families. It thus comes in a family of differing sizes but same design, from as small as one twentieth of an ounce all the way to the full one ounce size. This thus makes it particularly attractive for collectors to buy.

The panda coin, despite its achieved distinction next to the Krugerrand does not outdo the Krugerrand in beauty. Most think that the Krugerrand is already not so attractive compared to other coinage in the world, and these same people would also probably find the panda coin pretty much boring in terms of design. The front or obverse side contains an etching of the Temple of Heaven and other side has the distinct panda design which gives the coin its name. Each year China mints a coin with changes to the reverse but not the obverse side, thus giving the collectible characteristic to the coin.

The most popular sizes for investors and collectors are the one ounce sizes. The smaller sizes are more popular with artisans like jewelry smiths and designers. Most of the smaller coinages end up as pendants, earrings or even charms.

Most pundits of the panda Chinese gold coin will say that its low premium over gold content is comparable to that of the popular Krugerrand. However there are also others who would beg to differ. Whatever the real case is in which is the better buy, everyone is entitled to their own opinion in the end, especially when it comes to decisions on whether or buy or not, or to invest or not.

If in the off chance that one is interested in buying these items, there are quite a few dealers to be found on the internet. Most will sell you coins by weight, meaning that they will sell you the coinage regardless of the mint date. Should you be more particular though, they may charge you a bit extra in giving you the exact date coinage you need, especially if you are a collector. It is interesting to note that at one time, 1982 series gold coins from China fetched up to 3,000 dollars per coin, from average prices of about 500 dollars per coin.

It is important to note that you should do a lot of background work and research first before buying and collecting Chinese gold coins. Train yourself to look for certain physical aspects of the coins you have an interest in such as serration amount, other distinctive marks and features and the like. It would also do you a lot of good if you also do further background checks and reference traces on prospective dealers and sellers.




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