2015 Chinese Panda Silver and Gold Coins No Longer Display Weight

Commencing from 2015, according to the People’s Republic of China national’s “Measurement Law” and the People’s Bank of China’s requirement, the gold and silver coins will be issued under the legal measurement of Metric System, i.e. grams, Kilogram and etc. 

The issuance of the gold and silver coins under the measurement of the Imperial System “Ounce” will be discontinued. Furthermore, from 2015 onward, the weight of the Chinese Panda Gold coins will no longer be stated on the coins. 

This has made the 2014 Chinese Panda Gold Coins with “Ounce” to be even more significant for collection.

Since Bank of China (Malaysia) Berhad’s announcement for the pre-booking on 21 May 2014, the Chinese Panda Gold Coins was overwhelmed by the market, registration has been increased rapidly. 

In order to fulfill customers’ needs, Bank of China (Malaysia) Berhad has made a soft launching on 6 June 2014 for the registered customers. And now, the Bank is proud to announce the official launch for the 2014 Chinese Panda Gold Coins to the public. 

 

The Chinese Panda Gold Coin is a legal tender Coin issued by the People’s Bank of China for 33 years continuously. It has the investment and memorable value, and potentially high collectible value. 

Being very unique in the coins mintage world, it has been awarded both locally and overseas recurrently and appreciated by the collectors from all the countries. The theme of the Chinese Panda Gold Coins is the national treasure of the People’s Republic of China, setting the bamboo as the background well demonstrated the harmonious and happy life.

2015 Panda Changes - Summary:

2015 Gold / Silver Pandas will no longer have the weight stamped on the reverse. It will be Panda motive as it is currently but without stating its weight.

The China Mint will be marketing the Panda Bullion Coins in grams and kilos (Kilograms) instead of ounces. 

At this stage it is unknown if they will introduce new sizes such as 25/50/100/1000 gram or stay with the current 3.1, 31.1g, 155.5g, 311g 

In order to better reveal the lively and playful character and the black and white colour of the panda, designers using the white and black effects that generated from the glossy and dark appearance of the gold refraction and reflection to invent the intaglio refraction method, at the same time using the drum opposite sandblasting technology to make the black and white colour of the panda become more three-dimensional.

Welcome all to visit any of Bank of China (Malaysia) Berhad branches to place your order.

2015 Canadian Maple Leaf Redesigned with Advanced Security Features

Canadian Maple Leaf Redesigned with Advanced Security Features 

All One Ounce (1oz) 99.99% pure Canadian Maple Leaf Bullion coins produced for 2014 and beyond will have two new and unique features for enhanced security. 

The new finish is formed of complex radial lines and a micro-engraved laser mark. The radial lines have been precisely machined to within microns on the master tooling to ensure consistent die production and coin striking. 

The specific width and pitch of the lines radiating from the coin’s central maple leaf design create a light-diffracting pattern which is unique to the Mint’s “next generation” SML and unmatched by both competing bullion products and, we would assume, counterfeiters.

With the addition of a laser-produced micro-engraving of a textured maple leaf incorporating the numeral “14” to denote the coin’s year of issue – a technology also found on the Mint’s Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin and its award-winning 2012 $1 and $2 circulation coins

First hitting the market in 1988, the Royal Canadian Mint's iconic Silver Maple Leaf 10z bullion coin has been a huge hit with equally huge sales, second only the the American Silver Eagle. In it’s first 25 years of being on sale, the design has remained the same, except for the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse which is on it’s third incarnation. 

The Canadian Maple Leaf is minted with one troy ounce (31.11 grams) of 9999 fine silver, and has a face value of $5, the highest face value on the market for any comparable silver bullion coin. Now, they’ve totally redesigned the reverse with added security features and it’s a huge improvement in our opinion.

Visit the Royal Canadian Mint

Australia Silver: Donald Duck 2014 1oz Silver Proof Coin – Disney Mickey & Friends

The loveable show-off known for his short temper, Donald Fauntleroy Duck, is one of Disney’s most beloved characters and features on this iconic silver release.

PROOF QUALITY 99.9% PURE SILVER

Each coin is meticulously struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.

ICONIC DONALD DUCK REVERSE DESIGN

The coin’s reverse portrays a contemporary colour image of Donald Duck wearing his signature blue sailor suit with a bow tie, set against a film reel background. The design includes the inscription DONALD DUCK.

NIUE LEGAL TENDER

Issued as legal tender under the Pacific isle of Niue, the obverse of the coin features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, and the 2014 year-date.

OFFICIAL LICENSED PRODUCT

Under official license of Disney, the Mickey & Friends – Donald Duck 1oz Silver Proof Coin is issued by New Zealand Mint.

LIMITED MINTAGE

No more than 10,000 of the Mickey & Friends – Donald Duck 1oz Silver Proof Coin will be released.

NUMBERED CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY

Each coin is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

NOVEL PRESENTATION PACKAGING

The coin is housed in a modern perspex case allowing 360 degree presentation. The coin case is surrounded by film-themed outer packaging illustrating the history of Donald Duck.

SIX-COIN PACK NOW AVAILABLE!

The iconic Mickey & Friends characters – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto can now be purchased in a Six-Coin Pack at a special price!

Disney Mickey & Friends – Donald Duck 2014 1oz Silver Proof Coin at The Perth Mint, featuring:

• Proof Quality 99.9% Pure Silver
• Iconic Donald Duck Reverse Design
• Limited Mintage – 10,000
• Official Licensed Product
• Modern Perspex Presentation Packaging
• Numbered Certificate of Authenticity

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Silver Content (Troy oz)	1
Monetary Denomination (NIUE)	2
Fineness (% purity)	99.9
Minimum Gross Weight (g)	31.135
Maximum Diameter (mm)	40.60
Maximum Thickness (mm)	4.00
Maximum Mintage	10,000

Australia Gold: At Australian Mint, History Thwarts a Golden Opportunity

Greg Cooke knows where gold worth hundreds of thousands of dollars is hidden. But like many people in this mining city, his problem isn't finding the precious metal; it is being able to recover it.

That's because the gold is in the form of dust that has accumulated in the brickwork of the old Perth Mint since its founding in the 1890s at the height of one of the world's great gold rushes. Decades of refining resulted in tiny fragments of gold embedding themselves in the fabric of the mint's historic melting house. To paraphrase a well-known bit of mining lore, there's gold in them thar walls!

"The gold in the walls isn't visible. You can't see it," said Mr. Cooke, a gold pourer at the mint. "But the moment you point it out to people, you see their eyes darting around the room with excitement."

Security is unobtrusive in the melting house, which was decommissioned in 1990. On any given day, tourists seeking a fix of Australia's gold rush history wander around the room pretty much undisturbed though they are within spitting distance of the secret hoard.

"I'd love to have a scrape," said Sacha Hibbitt, a 19-year-old student from England who was visiting Australia with a friend. "I like gold, and it would be nice to sell to pay for our trip."

It is a different story at the mint's current gold-refining hub near Perth airport, 10 miles away. There, the mint doesn't allow visitors and all employees must be vetted by the police's Gold-Stealing Detection Unit—nicknamed the "gold squad." To get to work requires passing through something like airport security, including metal detectors, while employees' every move is captured by cameras.

In 2011, the Perth Mint produced the world's largest gold bullion coin, weighing one ton and worth about US$50 million. The coin had its own security detail on a recent roadshow around Europe and Asia, even though it takes heavy-lifting equipment to move it around.

When 14 of the 15 old furnaces in the Perth Mint's melting house were scrapped, they were crushed and around 18 kilograms of gold was recovered, worth around US$800,000 at today's prices. That inspired management to look a little higher, sending a young worker up for days to scrape the ceiling for gold.

"It is one of those old corrugated roofs, so we got a young kid on a cherry picker, hoisted him up with a wire brush and told him to start scraping," said Mr. Cooke. He recovered an extra 1.5 kilograms.

Around the time the mint was founded in the 1890s, thousands of people were working on gold deposits in Western Australia. Among them was a young American engineer named Herbert Hoover, who managed the Sons of Gwalia mine for a year before returning to America. He became the 31st president of the U.S. in 1929.

Nuggets unearthed in the red clay of the Outback were brought to Perth to be melted down into gold bars or coins.

How the gold came to end up in the mint's walls is explained by the old technology. For decades, gold was refined using charcoal and coke, which were variable in temperature. When the furnaces got too hot, sometimes reaching 1,700 degrees Celsius (3,092 Fahrenheit), it caused the gold to vaporize and lodge itself in the brickwork.

In the 1950s, officials became so worried by the scale of the losses that they installed a device in the mint's main smokestack to catch gold dust.

Mr. Cooke believes there is still more gold in the walls of the mint. "All I want to know is who does the cleaning?" said Julie Bitton, 48, who was visiting the mint from New South Wales with her 14-year-old daughter, Marley.

Still, harvesting the precious metal isn't likely to happen soon, if at all. Gold's appeal cuts little ice with Western Australia's heritage officers who demand the walls remain untouched because of the building's heritage listing. This year's massive renovation of the old mint, which stands on the same site where it was established, excluded the melting house.

"It is important that works to heritage places are undertaken with care to try to protect the elements that tell the individual stories of a place," said State Heritage Office Executive Director Graeme Gammie. That includes protecting old woodwork and even original paint.

Disappointed prospectors should draw comfort from the fact that gold is found in plenty of unusual places—from termite mounds to the human body.

Last year, Australian scientists found that eucalyptus trees in the Outback were drawing gold particles up from the soil via the trees' root system and depositing them in their leaves and branches. Alas, these nuggets are only about one-fifth the diameter of a human hair.

Back at the old mint, Mr. Cooke says the brick walls aren't the only hidden store of gold. Officials carry out nearly 50 gold-pouring demonstrations for tour groups each week, and residue of the precious metal that remains in the clay-and-graphite pots needs to be recovered. Every two weeks, the pots are crushed to recover gold worth as much as US$200 apiece.

"We lose a gram of gold a day in the furnace or the pots or from spilling," Mr. Cooke said. "That is an ounce a month and might not sound like a lot, but it is a lot for our accountants."

2013 LUNAR SNAKE SILVER 1oz 999 Gainesville Coins Bullion Round

2013 LUNAR SNAKE SILVER 1oz 999 Gainesville Coins Bullion Round - Brilliant proof like strike

The 2013 1 oz Silver Year of the Snake Round is made of .999 fine silver and is 1 troy oz in weight. The silver Year of the Snake bullion round is one of the many privately minted products we offer here at Gainesville Coins. 

This silver round is Made in the U.S.A. and has a proof-like finish. Although this is not a legal tender coin, it is made of one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver. Buy silver rounds for their unique design and their low premium over spot compared to nationally minted coins.

This round was created to celebrate the Chinese Zodiac 2013 Year of the Snake, as each year associated with the snake has a different symbol. 

The Years of the Snake include: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, and 2013. Those born in the Year of the Snake have a strong sense of morality and wisdom, and are considered exceptionally mysterious.

The obverse of the round depicts the image of a coiled snake amidst a forest of bamboo, as well as the Chinese symbol for "snake." 

The reverse of the coin bears a centered inscription of, "2013 Year of the Snake," along with the weight and fineness of the silver round, "One Troy Ounce, .999 Fine Silver," and once again the Chinese symbol for "snake."

Royal Canadian Mint Launches New Birds of Prey Silver Bullion Coin Celebrating the Bald Eagle

The Royal Canadian Mint today launched the newest release from its Canadian Birds of Prey 99.99% pure silver bullion coin series with a majestic tribute to the Bald Eagle. 

This iconic ruler of North American skies is dramatically portrayed on a 1oz bullion coin that is sure to appeal to a wide range of customers for both its theme and signature purity. It is now shipping to the Mint's network of official bullion distributors as online dealers begin accepting orders today.

"The Royal Canadian Mint is committed to remaining a leader in the precious metal market by offering investors a continually evolving suite of bullion products crafted with exceptional attention to quality and purity," said Marc Brûlé, Interim President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "The Birds of Prey - Bald Eagle 99.99% pure silver bullion coin has a theme whose appeal and relevance transcends borders and we expect it will shine a new light on the diversity of our investment products."

The 2014-dated, "Bald Eagle" 99.99% pure silver bullion coin is the second of four coins in the Mint's exciting biannual bullion series featuring Canadian birds of prey. Its reverse design features a captivating illustration by acclaimed Canadian illustrator Emily Damstra of a Bald Eagle in full flight clutching a fish in its powerful talons. 

 This 99.99% pure silver coin is crafted with the Mint's signature bullion finish is limited to only one million coins world-wide. A numismatic version with a proof finish, limited only 7,500 examples, has also been produced and can be ordered on www.mint.ca as of today.

The first coin in this series, featuring the Peregrine Falcon and launched in February 2014, is now approaching a sell-out of its mintage of one million coins.