An Interview with Coin Enthusiast Jim Anderson
PCGS_SocialMedia
Posts: 327 mod
Today, Sanjay Gandhi shared his interview with Jim Anderson on the Rise of 1980s Chinese Proof Sets. Below is an excerpt, be sure to follow the link below for more.
I had been chatting with Jim Anderson at the past 2021 American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money. He’s been in the coin business for several decades. Jim is also an auctioneer that calls lots for Stephen Album Rare Coins (SARC), which is in Santa Rosa, California. In addition to Jim’s full-time business, he’s been an active dealer as well when time permits and has been traveling back and forth to China for several decades from his home base in California. I’ve known Jim since 2013, and in 2018 we were randomly having a conversation about Chinese Proof Sets of the past, which we never got to finish.
The following conversation took place on August 13, 2021, which Jim allowed me to record and transcribe:
Sanjay: “Jim, one time we were at a show, and we were talking about 1980 or 1981 Proof Sets? I can’t remember...”
Jim: “Yep, there are several dates in the [19]80s.”
Sanjay: “They we’re trading for how much the last time we had spoken? $1,000?”
Jim: “It depends on which year. 1981 trades for around a $1,000.”
Sanjay: “At one time, you mentioned that you had several hundred sets in your possession. How did you come across them?”
Jim: “I had 500, 600 sets at one time. Well, I was traveling back and forth to Shanghai, and these sets were for sale in what were called the Friendship Stores. You could only buy things with hard currency. There was a separate currency called “FEC” which stands for Foreign Exchange Certificates that locals could not get. But, if you had FEC, you could buy Marlboro cigarettes, Budweiser beer, or some of the electronic goods or things that had to be imported with hard currency.”
Please visit this link for the full interview: https://www.pcgs.com/news/an-interview-with-jim-anderson
Want our top articles delivered to your e-mail inbox bi-weekly? Join our e-newsletter here: https://www.pcgs.com/newsletter