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Anyone see a Japan Amami Islands Commemorative live ?

Are they as nice as they look on "paper" ?
Seem like they have real potential, but the 180 from downies seems steep...

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  • http://https://www.downies.com/northamerica/store/product.asp?id=729

    I'm having trouble getting the "link", Hyperion. Is the URL correct?


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    imageimageNever figure without figures to figure.
  • HyperionHyperion Posts: 7,438 ✭✭✭
    corrected link... sry image
  • Thank you.

    While that is a beautiful coin I do think 180 smackaroos seems a bit steep. I'm going to poke around a bit here in Japan and see what folks say.

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    imageimageNever figure without figures to figure.
  • I guess I may be incorrect. It seems only 50,000 were minted and that sure isn't many. Same as the 5th Winter Asian Games commemmorative coin of the same year. Might do a comparison of prices for the two. It also has a nice color added design.

    Still, 180 dollars is equal to 20,000 yen and that is one heck of an appreciation in value in just 2 plus years.

    Thoughts anyone?


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    imageimageNever figure without figures to figure.
  • StorkStork Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I have to admit to ownership of one of these
    image

    My hubby got it for me for Christmas, so it would be tacky of me to ask how much he paid. I have to admit it's not exactly to my taste...but the guy gets kudos for trying. He knows I like Japanese coins after all. Now, if only I could get him to start shopping NEN or Steinbergs image.



    Cathy

  • HyperionHyperion Posts: 7,438 ✭✭✭
    thank you for your observation ! I will do a comparison. the only reason I would pay the premium is because it seems there's difficultly getting things directly
    from the jp mint (if you're not in japan itself image) at least the website for the mint doesn't allow for international orders... I started one for a non-coin item but balked at faxing
    my credit card number and signature example to a unfamiliar fax across the world !
  • HyperionHyperion Posts: 7,438 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I have to admit to ownership of one of these
    image

    My hubby got it for me for Christmas, so it would be tacky of me to ask how much he paid. I have to admit it's not exactly to my taste...but the guy gets kudos for trying. He knows I like Japanese coins after all. Now, if only I could get him to start shopping NEN or Steinbergs image.



    Cathy >>



    LOL ! nice. but that looks like a seriously nice coin !

    Is that some sort of a textured color pattern ?? I was interested in the jp mint section that they say they produce certain medals just to improve thier design/production techniques...
  • StorkStork Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes to some kind of texture, and it appears a bit raised as well. It looks a bit 'machined' to me for lack of a better work. I am a poor photographer, but maybe these will help.

    Cathy

    image

    image

    I don't think this is 'colorized' like many a painted silver eagle or state quarter though.

  • HyperionHyperion Posts: 7,438 ✭✭✭
    great images !!! VERY interesting coin !!!! thanks for posting !!!

    now, I just have to work up the courage to order the Kinkakuji eletrotype plaque ...


    image


    JP mint, Kinkakuji


  • << <i>My hubby got it for me for Christmas, so it would be tacky of me to ask how much he paid. I have to admit it's not exactly to my taste...but the guy gets kudos for trying. He knows I like Japanese coins after all. Now, if only I could get him to start shopping NEN or Steinbergs image.



    Cathy >>



    I love that, Cathy: "the guy gets kudos". That's cute.

    Listen, if anyone wants some assistance in getting things from the Japanese mint, I live here and can probably help. I don't suppose it's against the law for me to order for you and ship it to you. Is it? I suppose I can be trusted with anything up to about a million dollars. After that Tahiti or Nepal may begin to look tempting.

    But we'd want to check on the laws about this. I could always put on a customs declaration that it's an unsolicited gift.

    Just a thought.

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    imageimageNever figure without figures to figure.
  • Colored coins were introduced after the 2002 Korea-Japan world cup event and Japan unfortunately is always slow in coming up with new ideas. Korea first featured colored coins in 2002 and from the rumors I heard, the Japanese mint were heavily critized for being too unflexible with their design and policy.

    As such, perhaps the 180USD for an ounce of silver coin seems ridicious, but usually when they are up for sale, initial price is easily over 80USD and yet there is demand for such. To add to the woes, you MUST subsribe to the mint when ordering and demand for such is easily triple or actually 4 times the mintage, although it is diffcult to know if there are people who use multiple names just to subscribe. And of course, not everyone gets to be lucky. Ironically, although it is more expensive to buy it overseas, the Japanese mint has a tendency to send a few % abroad - I believe this is mandortory for all mints to set aside some to be sold abroad, but add to the joke, you have Japanese people buying them back because they cannot get it locally.

    And I must put this as a point, apart for the silver commemorative 100 and 1000 yen released in 1964 to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics, I don't believe there are other world silver that would dare to place such high usable denomination that grossly exaggerates the metal bullion content. What other country would dare to put 10,000 yen (85USD) on just a mere 20grams of silver (1986 - 60th anniversary of the Emperor in throne). If it was gold, I can understand but silver? Not that I know of.

    To illustrate the examples of this Amani Island commemorative coin, here is one in Yahoo Japan auctions: Link Such coins are still selling at 12,000 yen easily, which is over 100USD.

    Now what is rarer is the first colored coin minted in Japan, which is the Aomori - 5th Asian Winter Games. Although it was minted in the same year as the Amani Island coin, that is technially the first minted, and hence demand for such is too high. The last I saw one being sold was over 400USD, and nowadays are rarely sold any less. It seems that most sellers are asking 700USD, but I would be happier with an ounce of gold. Link2
    List of my partial coin list: My Coin List
  • HyperionHyperion Posts: 7,438 ✭✭✭
    good glimpse of the dynamics at work, and ManyQs thanks for the thought (and posts!)
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