2010 Inauguration of ChiNext Added Word Silver Panda Commemorative Coin

To celebrate the successful Inauguration of ChiNext, the bank of China will issue a commemorative panda coin with added words on December 30th, 2009. This coin is 40mm in diameter, 10 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness with the max. planned mintage 30000.

Chinese 2010 gold & silver panda coins

Chinese 2010 Panda coins are expected to be issued by November, 2009. There are 7 gold pandas and 3 silver pandas in the series.
GOLD
1 kilo planned max. mintage: 200
5oz planned max. mintage: 1000
1oz planned max. mintage: 300000
1/2oz planned max. mintage: 120000
1/4oz planned max. mintage: 120000
1/10oz planned max. mintage: 120000
1/20oz planned max. mintage: 120000
SILVER
1 kilo planned max. mintage: 4000
5oz planned max. mintage: 10000
1oz planned max. mintage: 800000
All coins are legal tender of P.R.C.

2010 Chinese Lunar Tiger Series

Chinese Lunar Tiger coins are finally here! They will be issued on October 22nd, 2009 by the People's Bank of China. There are total 15 coins: 8 gold & 7 silver. They are minted by Shanghai, ShenYang & GuoBao Mints, and solely distributed by China Gold Coin Company.
GOLD:
1/10oz (round shaped), 18mm in diameter, 50 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness & max. mintage at 80000.
1/10oz (round shaped, colored), 18mm in diameter, 50 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness & max. imtage at 80000.
1/2oz (fan shaped) ,cylindrical radius of 58mm, 39mm inner circle radius, central angle 30 degrees，200 Yuan in face value，99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 6600.
1/2oz (plum shaped), circle diameter 27mm，face value 200 Yuan, fineness 99.9%，max. mintage at 8000.
5oz (rectangular shaped), 64mm x 40mm in size, 2000 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 118 pcs.
5oz (round shaped, colored), 60mm in diameter, 2000 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 1800.
1kilo (plum shaped), circle diameter 100mm, 10000 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness & max. mintage at 118 pcs.
10kilo (round shaped), 180mm in diameter, 100000 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness & max. mintage at only 18 pcs.
SILVER:
1oz (round shaped), 40mm in dameter, 10 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 100000.
1oz (round shaped, colored), 40mm in dameter, 10 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 100000.
1oz (fan shaped) ,cylindrical radius of 85mm, 60mm inner circle radius, central angle 30 degrees，10 Yuan in face value，99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 66000.
1oz (plum shaped), circle diameter 40mm, 10 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 60000.
5oz (rectangular shaped), 80mm x 50mm in size, 50 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 1888.
5oz (round shaped, colored), 70mm in diameter, 50 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness, max. mintage at 8800.
1kilo (round shaped), 100mm in diameter, 300 Yuan in face value, 99.9% in fineness & max. mintage at 3800.
All coins are legal tender of P.R.C.

See 2010 Chinese Tiger images at http://chinesecoinnews.com

2009 BJ Intl Coin Expo Commemorative Silver Coin

The 2009 Beijing International Coin Expo proof silver commemorative coin is issued on October 15, 2009 by the People's Bank of China and minted by Shenzhen GuoBao Mint.

It is 1oz in weight, 40mm in diameter, 10 Yuan in face value and 30000 in mintage.

2009 The 60th Anniversary of PRC

The 60th Anniversary of PRC 3 gold & 2 silver coins are issued on September 16, 2009 by the People's Bank of China and minted by ShenYang and GuoBao Mints.
1. 1kilo gold proof coin (Diameter 90mm, Face value 10000 Yuan, Fineness 99.9%, mintage 100)

2. 5oz gold proof coin (Diameter 60mm, Face value 2000 Yuan, Fineness 99.9%, mintage 600)
3. 1/4oz gold proof coin (Diameter 22mm, Face value 100 Yuan, Fineness 99.9%, mintage 60000)

4. 1kilo silver proof coin (Diameter 100mm, Face value 300 Yuan, Fineness 99.9%, mintage 6000)

5. 1oz silver proof coin (Diameter 40mm, Face value 10 Yuan, Fineness 99.9%, mintage 100000)

2009 Tales of the Marshes -Series I

Chinese 2009 Tales of the Marshes series I is issued on Auguest 18, 2009 by the People's Bank of China and minted by Shanghai and GuoBao Mints.

There are total 5 coins in sreies I:

1/3oz colorized gold coin (max. mintage: 30000)

5oz colorized gold coin (max. mintage: 800)

2 1oz colorized silver coins (max. mintage: 2x 60000)

&

5oz colorized silver coin (Rectangle shaped) (max. mintage: 10000)

The 30th Anniversary of Chinese Modern Coins

The 30th Anniversary of Chinese Modern Coins gold & silver coins (09 panda with added words) are issued on June 30, 2009 by the People's Bank of China and minted by ShenZhen GuoBao Mint.

1/4oz gold: 23mm, 100 Yuan, 99.9%, max. mintage 100,000

1oz silver x 2: 40mm, 10 Yuan, 99.9%, max. mintage 300,000

China 2010 Shanghai World Expo coin series I

China 2010 Shanghai World Expo coin series I will be issued on June 10, 2009 by the People's Bank of China and minted by Shanghai, ShengYang and GuoBao Mints.


1/3oz gold: 23mm, 150 Yuan, 99.9%, max. mintage 50000
1oz silver x 2: 40mm, 10 Yuan, 99.9%, max. mintage 70000

Representative Forms of Fakes and Counterfeits of PRC Modern Commemorative Coins

by http://www.fakecoin.info

The first fake form is: imitation, directly making counterfeits.

The main characteristics of fake Chinese gold coins:

1. Use of copper gilt and low quality silver as the material of production;

2. Sand blast work done coarsely with only one layer;

3. Embossment impaired, strokes of Chinese characters are rough, surface is not level;

4. ink is not evenly distributed, easily leading to various phenomenon such as discoloring and exposure of white;

5. there is no similar craftwork or pattern to the fake.

Differentiating between authentic and fake certificates:

Characteristics of authentic certificates:

1. verify that the certificate contains the signature of the current director of the People's Bank of China.

2. printed on the same official print paper as for the Renminbi.

3. imprinted with colorless fluorescent emblem of the Central Bank and a fake-proof watermark, moreover, every certificate contains micro print design.

Characteristics of fake certificates:

1. photocopy of the original made on regular print paper. Writing is not crisp and the certificate number is not aligned on one horizontal line;

2. usually lacking the emblem of the Central Bank and the fake-proof watermark; those that have them are not clear;

3. the price appears directly on the certificate, and added on top are the seals of the People's Bank of China, Chinese Gold Coin Corporation and the name of a minting factory;

4. Other than the certificate of authentication, oftentimes in addition includes the verification report of the regional quality inspection department or the notarial deed report from the notary office.

The distribution channels of fake coins:

1. No stable retail facility. Usually temporary sale points take place in libraries, memorial centers, post office, hotels, etc.

2. Through various methods such as telemarketing, door-to-door or Internet sales, the method ensures the same-time exchange of money and the product.

3. Impersonating employees of the Chinese Gold Coin Corporation hawking products.

4. Overseas, the distribution channels of fake coins are mostly auction retail websites such as Ebay and Ioffer.

The second fake form uses the concept of swiping badge for coin.

According to related provisions of the <> of the People's Republic of China: "The People's Bank of China can issue commemorative coins as needed", "the coin's theme, face value, design, material quality, pattern, specification, issue quantity and time" etc. are determined by the People's Bank of China.

These days in society, there are some businessmen who have labeled the commemorative badges that they sell as gold or silver coins. There are also other businessmen who have combined Chinese themes with foreign face values to sell off their badges as commemorative coins for distribution in the market. They attempt to confuse the concept of badge and coin among consumers. Chinese precious metal commemorative coins are legal tender of the People's Republic of China. Their coin currency is the Renminbi "Yuan".

The most obvious distinction between commemorative coins and badges is: coins are issued by the People's Bank of China and possess the country name and face value while the badges do not possess these features.

Classic examples of how commemorative badges imitate coins:

Read the rest of this article

Shanghai 2009 Coin Auction Winter Conference

2008 was a quite a disappointing year for the stock market. Most types of investments finished the year in the red after severe declines. However not all investments were a loss. The one bright spot, as the reporter discovered recently at the “2009 Coin Auction Winter Conference”, was gold and silver coins. After a volatile 2008, the value of some gold and silver coins categorized as old, refined, and rare have remained strong. Certain high-grade products have seen values reach new highs. Compared to other categories of collection investing, the ability of high-grade gold and silver coins for risk protection is apparent.

High Auction Prices for Fine Coins

The "Shanghai 2009 Coin Auction Winter Conference" began precisely at 1:30 in the afternoon of October 10th at the Shanghai Eastern International Auction House. This auction event showcased 186 auction items, including among others gold and silver coins, gold, silver and copper badges, and paper notes, and attracted over 200 avid coin collectors from all over China. Sources say that this auction event also attracted some well-known people from within the coin-collecting industry. Indeed, several of them arrived from Hong Kong upon hearing of the conference.

Compared to the coin auction conference held in June of 2008, this time fine coins continued to dominate the event. These included the 1981 commemorative gold coins replicating the design of a rhinoceros copper figure, an excavated artifact (First Set), the 1993 18 liang (about 900 g) commemorative gold coins of Kuan Yin, and the 1990 20 oz. Dragon Phoenix gold coins.

From the results of the auction, 160 items closed deals among a total of 186. The rate of deal close reached a high of 86.02% and transactions totaled RMB 4,875,526 (over USD 700,000). The closing prices for fine coins were even higher. For example the 1993 Kuan Yin coins reached a high closing price of RMB 825,000 (over USD 120,000) while the 1990 Dragon Phoenix coins achieved a closing price of RMB 500,500 (over USD 73,000).

According to the Vice Secretary of the Chinese Coin Collector’s Association, Mr. Ruiyong Huang, the success of this auction depended on several factors. Foremost is the entrance of a group of knowledgeable young collectors. Furthermore besides coins, the number of deals that closed for badges far exceeded expectations. Worth mentioning is that deal-closing prices for some high-grade coins maintained resilience, demonstrating the mentality that “risk investing trend has passed, yet collection investing is very timely”.

Coin Combination is Key to Collection Investing

The reporter has found that since 2008, the values of calligraphy painting, porcelain and other artworks have followed the financial crisis leading to severe declines. In fact, the market value of coins has also been impacted to varying degrees. For example, after the Beijing Olympics, the value of the first 3 sets of Olympic coins declined steeply, losing over 40% in many cases. It is obvious that such risk is high. Mr. Huang explained that the steep declines are most commonly seen in medium-grade coins, whereas the low-grade coins are cushioned by the price of gold, thereby these have experienced lesser or even zero decline in value. As for high-grade coins, the lack of supply has driven collectors’ ever-strong demand.

Experts advise that coin-collecting as an investment requires thoughtful combination. As well as a variety of hard currencies such as the Panda coins that are similar to gold in quality, also to be considered are high-grade coins that possess obvious artistic characteristics. These include the limited circulation of 200 large standard gold coins, 500 large standard silver coins, 1000 small standard gold coins, and 2000 small standard silver coins. Badges whose material approximates gold yet possess good themes and have limited circulation are relatively safe investments. Examples include the 1979 View of Beijing gold badges, Chinese Zodiac gold coins (8 g) of the lower-price level, and other Kuan Yin gold coins from certain years. Experts also advise that silver and gold coin investments are different from other types of investments in that realizing immediate value is not a strong possibility. Therefore, an appropriate allocation should be made according to one’s own personal assets for long-term investment.

Press Morning Newspaper

Fake Chinese Silver Lunar Ox with only 1% silver

Recently while busy at work, Mr. Tian suddenly received a phone call from a stranger, who wanted to sell him a type of commemorative album that contained commemorative coins of the Chinese Zodiac. The salesman indicated their high collection value and offered to provide “drop-in service”.

Upon seeing this album, Mr. Tian was beside himself and inspected it carefully. The album was packaged in a fancy box. Inside there were 5 silver coin bars commemorating the Year of the Ox, each were beset with a commemorative seal. Every coin and seal were marked as weighing 30 g and a 99.9% silver content. Mr. Tian also noticed that the box contained an inspection sampling document approved by the Province of Guangdong, though this document indicated only the original would be covered.

“The salesman showed me the ticket price for the album which was marked at 5800 Yuan per set.” Finally after some negotiation, the salesman agreed to sell the set at a discounted price of 2000 Yuan.

To ensure peace of mind, Mr. Tian brought the album he purchased to the inspection center at the City of Tangshan’s Quality Inspection Bureau of Gold, Jade and Other Precious Products in order to verify the authenticity of this set of coins. He was shocked by the results. The coins and seals that are individually marked to contain 99.9% silver in fact only contained a little over 1%. The principal materials found were copper, nickel, and zinc. Copper and zinc comprised, on average 40 to 50%, of the materials. Not only this, what was clearly marked as weighing 30 g, the actual weight of the individual coins and seals was only little more than 20 g, almost 10 g of difference.

“Since this is a commemorative product, it must have a trade name. In addition the product must clearly indicate the amount of precious metal contained and the product’s issuance number. Numbers cannot overlap as each is unique and the total corresponds to the total issued. Moreover, every issue has a corresponding certificate of authenticity.” Ms. Xiaoling Zhou from the Quality Inspection Bureau at Tangshan indicated. The album that Mr. Tian purchased had no issuance number and certificate of authenticity. Without the certificate, the inspection document provided can only cover a batch sample but cannot serve as an authenticity certificate for the commemorative album that Mr. Tian had purchased.

Accordingly, the inspection center at Tangshan’s Quality Inspection Bureau of Gold, Jade and Other Precious Products has specifically warned avid collectors about things to look for before purchasing precious metal commemorative coins. Buyers need to understand among other things the total number of issues, specific dimensions, the amount of precious metal content, designs on both sides, the minting facility, and the packaging of each set of coins that are issued by specific governmental organizations. Having this knowledge will facilitate the inspection process when making a purchase. The coin’s actual weight must match with the standard weight. If there is a significant difference, it is safe to assume that the coin is false. Furthermore, it is very important to demand for the certificate of authenticity which is the only piece of document that explicitly states all the official coin data including the issuance number. This certificate should be stored for safekeeping. If there’s doubt over the authenticity of the product, it should be taken into an inspection center for verification as soon as possible.

source: fakecoin.info

The Founding of The Agriculture Bank of China LLC Commemorative Gold & Silver Coins

The Founding of The Agriculture Bank of China LLC Commemorative Gold & Silver Coin Set (2009 panda with added words) will be issued on Janunary 16, 2009 by the People's Bank of China and minted by Shanghai Mint.
1/4oz gold (max. mintage: 100000)
1oz silver (max. mintage: 100000)

A new member to the commemorative panda series.

Chinese proof silver pandas by geckster109

Chinese gold panda video by geckster109