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A few questions about semi-numismatic coins & releases..


Kevin

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Hello everyone, 

I'm pretty much a newbie here with silver and I'd appreciate some help from you guys :D

Ok so I got just two questions for now:

1. I'm looking for new series of semi-numismatic coins. For example, I wish I had known last year that the Queen's Beasts was announced/launched, or the Predator Series. Do you have any idea where can I see when new semi-numismatic coins are announced and/or released?

2. How do I find out if a silver coin is semi-numismatic, numismatic or bullion? I know the numismatic ones got a huge price over spot silver, but what about semi-numismatic and bullion? As far as I know, semi-numismatic coins are those that were produced in a smaller number (e.g. 100.000) and are changing the face of the coin every year (for example, the Panda, the Lunar Series, the Kookaburra are semi-numismatic because their face is changed every year, while Maple Leaf and Kangaroo are billions because they keep the same face every year). Am I wrong? 

Sorry for my poor English.. :D I hope you will have a great day, thank you very much for the help!! 

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Semi-numi is pretty much better bullion than standard bullion.  So semi-numi coins could for example be kookaburras.  The design changes each year so they have a collectible quality.  Sometimes the design doesn't change for some semi-numis but people might like to collect older dates or years that happen to have a lower mintage.

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3 minutes ago, HelpingHands said:

Semi-numi is pretty much better bullion than standard bullion.  So semi-numi coins could for example be kookaburras.  The design changes each year so they have a collectible quality.  Sometimes the design doesn't change but people might like to collect older dates or years that happen to have a lower mintage.

So I got that right. Thank you very much for the explanation! Have you got any idea where I can look for announcements of new silver coins series (like Queen's Beasts last year) that will be semi-numismatic?

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When a series is running, the mint will announce release dates on their sites or by email if you subscribe.

The Perth Mint designs such as Koala/Kookaburra/Lunar are well published releases.

If you want to collect the Queen's Beast you could easily pick up a lion from last year so you haven't missed out.  Many people are having problems with the coins though due to them developing white spots/marks.

Semi-numi coins should be quite close in price to bullion coins on release so be carefully about paying too much.  

 

Most dealer websites have upcoming releases sections.

New designs forum members have found are here

 

 

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Numismatic coins are for e.g. Brittish Crown Silver Coin (Legal tender)

Semi-Numis is for e.g. Australian Lunar II serie (Legal tender, but not meant to be used as such)

Bullion/Round is for e.g. Silver Shield serie, Zombucks etc.. (No legal tender, just PM)

My view of it, and if I'm wrong I blame Trump.

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The Perth Mint web site is an excellent site for there past and present coin issues.They give all the details of the coins and their mintage volumes.I would not recommend buying direct from perth mint as they tend to be a liitle more expensive than their distributors or agents.

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The more I ponder it, the more I think terms like "semi-numismatic" are just marketing gimmicks.

How do you know if a coin is numismatic or semi, or whatever other special descriptive phrase you care to attach to it? Try to sell it.

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The more I ponder it, the more I think terms like "semi-numismatic" are just marketing gimmicks.

How do you know if a coin is numismatic or semi, or whatever other special descriptive phrase you care to attach to it? Try to sell it.



Really all coins are numismatic
We just invented semi numismatic as we often take pride in being cheap and not as nerdy as true collectors.

But really semi-numi doesn't make a lot of sense. In our world read Bullion value based investment.



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First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who answered this thread. I learned many things, thank you very very much!

7 hours ago, Numistacker said:

 


Really all coins are numismatic
We just invented semi numismatic as we often take pride in being cheap and not as nerdy as true collectors.

But really semi-numi doesn't make a lot of sense. In our world read Bullion value based investment.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I don't want to buy numismatic coins because they have a premium price and what I want right now are affordable coins that can go up in value over time. I'm trying to stack up Silver as a safe investment, and if I can also make profit over time from the increasing value of them.. why not? But I'd rather buy three or four 1oz Coins that are semi-numismatic than buying just one 1oz numismatic Coin for the same price, you know..

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On 13/02/2017 at 17:40, Kevin said:

Hello everyone, 

I'm pretty much a newbie here with silver and I'd appreciate some help from you guys :D

Ok so I got just two questions for now:

1. I'm looking for new series of semi-numismatic coins. For example, I wish I had known last year that the Queen's Beasts was announced/launched, or the Predator Series. Do you have any idea where can I see when new semi-numismatic coins are announced and/or released?

2. How do I find out if a silver coin is semi-numismatic, numismatic or bullion? I know the numismatic ones got a huge price over spot silver, but what about semi-numismatic and bullion? As far as I know, semi-numismatic coins are those that were produced in a smaller number (e.g. 100.000) and are changing the face of the coin every year (for example, the Panda, the Lunar Series, the Kookaburra are semi-numismatic because their face is changed every year, while Maple Leaf and Kangaroo are billions because they keep the same face every year). Am I wrong? 

Sorry for my poor English.. :D I hope you will have a great day, thank you very much for the help!! 

You are essentially correct.

The term numismatic applies to the collecting of coins, usually old circulating coins that in their day were actually bullion as they contained their actual value in precious or base metal.

These days, modern collector's coins are produced, usually in proof, for the numismatic market. However, collectors collect some bullion coins, usually ones that are produced in limited numbers and often with changed designs year to year. As a group, stackers and collectors have started using the term semi-numismatic to describe these coins and distinguish them from common bullion and exclusive numismatic releases.. The exact definition is nebulous but essentially anything that is limited and is collected can be termed semi-numismatic. Which ones will rise in value over time and therefore fit your requirements is debatable, but you have a number of older examples to guide you.

Profile picture with thanks to Carl Vernon

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21 hours ago, Numistacker said:

 


Really all coins are numismatic
We just invented semi numismatic as we often take pride in being cheap and not as nerdy as true collectors.

But really semi-numi doesn't make a lot of sense. In our world read Bullion value based investment.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Bulk silver minted in tens of thousands or even more is not numismatic 

 

i mean eagles and maples are not even semi numismatics 

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It's the invention of the "semi-numismatic" classification that is used to justify asking price of 50% over spot for rubbish like the Queen's Beast - a series:

- with proven no history
- from a mint that is notorious for producing coins that milkspot
- new design every 6 months to encourage you into buying the set

F&&* me. It's JUST silver. The risk/reward on these from a stacking POV is terrible. There's nothing special at all about this series, except in the mind of those prepared to pay the extortionate premium. You are far better off buying something low premium that doesn't pretend to be what its not. 

Got a couple of them myself, but won't be making that mistake again.

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On 2/13/2017 at 12:40, Kevin said:

Hello everyone, 

I'm pretty much a newbie here with silver and I'd appreciate some help from you guys :D

Ok so I got just two questions for now:

1. I'm looking for new series of semi-numismatic coins. For example, I wish I had known last year that the Queen's Beasts was announced/launched, or the Predator Series. Do you have any idea where can I see when new semi-numismatic coins are announced and/or released?

2. How do I find out if a silver coin is semi-numismatic, numismatic or bullion? I know the numismatic ones got a huge price over spot silver, but what about semi-numismatic and bullion? As far as I know, semi-numismatic coins are those that were produced in a smaller number (e.g. 100.000) and are changing the face of the coin every year (for example, the Panda, the Lunar Series, the Kookaburra are semi-numismatic because their face is changed every year, while Maple Leaf and Kangaroo are billions because they keep the same face every year). Am I wrong? 

Sorry for my poor English.. :D I hope you will have a great day, thank you very much for the help!! 

I've thought about your question and wanted to give some numbers and examples. Many consider the American Silver Eagle (ASE) and the Canadian Maple Leaf (CML) bullion coins with little to no numismatic value, while something like the Chinese Silver Pandas or the Australian Silver Kangaroo at the very least a semi-numismatic coin. Here are some numbers and practical comparisons.

In 2014 the U.S. Mint struck 44,006,000 ASEs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Silver_Eagle

In 2014 the Royal Canadian Mint struck 29,245,000 CMLs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Silver_Maple_Leaf

It is fairly difficult to see a modern coin, never meant for circulation, with only a nominal currency denomination attributed to it, with a design that never changes, and minted in the tens of millions, becoming a collectible (or numismatic coin to use the jargon). So let's call the ASE and CML bullion.

In 2014 there were 8,000,000 Pandas minted https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Silver_Panda

In 2014 there were 20,000 Kangaroos minted https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Silver_Kangaroo

Now, eight million is still a significant quantity (and that means tens of thousands graded MS 69 or MS 70), but the Panda does change its design every year without fail AND there are varieties in the early years such as small and large date versions which gets collectors excited. The Kangaroo with only 20,000 minted and a design change every year seems like a perfect example of a collectible coin, but maybe doesn't quite get the attention of commemorative or proof coins since it is legal tender in Australia and has a frosty finish.

I have two conclusions for you: 1. The term semi-numismatic to me is like someone who is an antique dealer trying to identify what will be a sought after antique in the future. Maybe we need a term for this in the coin world, but not with other collectibles. Better yet, maybe numismatists consider themselves too sophisticated to call a current running coin series a collectible. Finally, it is also just as likely the term itself is a gimmick to attract collectors to buy an item that no one has any way of predicting will be sought after in the future. 2. If the ASE and CML are bullion and are produced in vast quantities, why would someone buy them like a collectible coin? Maybe people assume a certain quantity will be melted down every so often due to spot prices of silver fluctuating. Maybe the fact it is a "coin" (it has a denomination on it like $1) and not a simple round makes people think it is worth more inherently. Or, it is simply a marketing gimmick. If I take something that is shiny and new and slap a fancy case around it and call it a "perfect" example I can charge more and convince people it is worth more.

You decide. 

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