[meteorite-list] (AD) Republic of Palau Nantan Coin

From: MexicoDoug <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:16:33 -0600
Message-ID: <00a901c72356$c3f93fc0$98cf5ec8_at_0019110394>

Hello Dirk,

Thanks for clarification of the German private mint run, and mintage, not to
mention the denomination (though denomination is totally a moot point for a
coin that is not intended for general circulation unless someone intends on
spending theirs in Palau).

I hadn't followed this until the last post and what really prompted my
thoughts after hearing the idea being kicked around possibly in jest, that
Palau somehow making the coins - when in fact I doubt most of them will ever
see the daylight there. There are Buy-it-nows on eBay for $57.50 for this
coin, and as is typical auctions where people pay more (currently at $62).
Curiously it is being shipped out of: China.

I am sure this is a beautiful coin for those who can afford it, and it's
silver, so that should add at least $5 of bullion value plus whatever is the
collector's premium, independent of the denomination.

Me, I'll stick with the Palau mermaid from outer space marine conservation
series where no meteorites have been forced to sniff glue and incur the ire
of us PETA meteorite types. (This is a joke - To each his own).

Congratulations on the errors you found and good luck. Definitely worth
having for the affluent part of the meteorite community, and a proof made of
sterling silver always is quite eyecatching.

Best wishes, Doug
----- Original Message -----
From: "drtanuki" <drtanuki at yahoo.com>
To: "MexicoDoug" <MexicoDoug at aim.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 3:56 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] (AD) Republic of Palau Nantan Coin


> Dear List,
> The Palau $5 Nantan coins were minted in Bavaria,
> Germany by the Mayer Mint under contract from the Coin
> Invest Trust of Liechtenstein. The total mintage of
> the coin was 2,500 pieces.
> I have located four coins with mint errors (two
> within my collection). I have one that I would be
> willing to sell. I was able to track down about 1/2 of
> the mintage to check for the same error.
> One problem that is common with the coin is super
> glue droplets that have corroded the proof surface due
> to a chemical reaction between super glue and silver.
> So, I suggest that before you purchase one of the
> coins to look it over carefully for corrosion spots.
> The "glue" problem will become a bigger problem once
> the coins start to age and a tone develops. The
> meteorite is not likely to cause a problem because
> only iron shale was used and iron rust is not very
> reactive as it has already been oxidized.
> The coin has a few design problems that I will not
> discuss in detail.
> Overall a nice coin to add to your collection. Of
> the 20+ dealers that I checked with the price is
> between 50-125$ per coin.
> Best Regards, Dirk Ross...Tokyo
>
>
> --- MexicoDoug <MexicoDoug at aim.com> wrote:
>
> > Hello listees, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to
> > everyone,
> >
> > If you really want to keep abreast of the Palau
> > coins, there is a quite
> > beautiful series I'd like to recommend. The
> > particular 1993 kicked off the
> > series (well there was an uglier one in '92) with a
> > sexy and nice outer
> > space conservation theme (a cool color coin):
> >
> > http://www.numis-gallery.com/images/PALAU-93-NEW.jpg
> >
> > Palau, a small country between the Philippines and
> > Hawai'i with an area
> > smaller than Los Angeles has just over 20,000
> > inhabitants who depend
> > principally on tourism and subsistence agriculture.
> > While the country is on
> > the US dollar standard, I would be interested in
> > knowing whether the $1
> > meteorite coins ever even passed through any of the
> > Palau islands, or if
> > they are the product of a continental
> > entrepreneurial Asian mint gift shop?
> > Most of the coins can be found for $30 to $35
> > retail, as proof coins and
> > commemorative uncirculated coins are generally not
> > introduced into
> > circulation. As you can see, on eBay, they can go
> > for $20-$25 or Buy-It-Now
> > for around $27.50, though some are now unavailable
> > from the original
> > distributors with the Palau concession.
> >
> http://cgi.ebay.com/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280052767328
> >
> > For the quality and the reputation of Palau as a
> > purveyor of fine metals, I
> > would suspect that you will have good long term
> > results - provided they were
> > made through the entrepreneurial venture of coin
> > dealer Martin Weiss' Los
> > Angeles based PandaAmerica company which is
> > basically an aggressive (and
> > quite successful) marketing company setting up the
> > production and handling
> > the marketing of these never-intended for
> > circulation 'on request' souvenir
> > projects.
> >
> > Weiss' company deals with the China mint and Asian
> > private mints to makes
> > award medals, and commemorative coins in hope of
> > eking out greater profit
> > margins over bullion value or making it pretty
> > enough to convince gift shop
> > clientelle to splurge for an attractive product. (A
> > plain and simple
> > collectible, in the latter case)
> >
> > I'm thinking the Nantan coin would have a run of
> > 20,000-50,000, which is
> > typical for the Palau/PandaAmerica production runs.
> > It is quite possible
> > that the coin was minted in China under good QC
> > standards with freshly dug
> > Nantan, and then shipped to Los Angeles. That would
> > be an interesting
> > connection on why this particular meteorite was used
> > instead of one enjoying
> > greater collector stability acceptance. If anyone
> > knows about this on the
> > list I'd appreciate the inside story.
> >
> > Weiss's company might give some wholesale pricing on
> > these coins for anyone
> > so inclined. If you don't like Nantans, I foresee a
> > future of Harvey Awards
> > struck on meteoritical metal. Everything is done at
> > reasonable price, just
> > email Peter for a quote at PandaAmerica.com.
> >
> > For the collectors among us, you might also
> > complement your enjoyment by
> > checking out some nice mint stamps, which are
> > definitely stable unless you
> > lick them - and have very pretty meteorite themes.
> > Like the comet crashing
> > into Jupiter, AH meteorite, or the Jilin meteorite
> > shower. These can be had
> > for a fraction of the cost of coins and are very
> > nice, and you can even have
> > fun checking for mistakes. Check out this link, for
> > example (I don't know
> > what regular postage costs). For under a dollar
> > plus postage you can get a
> > great AH stamp issue, and there are plenty other
> > economical options. They
> > are all suitable for framing and arty for the
> > holidays!
> >
> http://store.coolstamps.com/endeavor/search?s_q=meteorite&quick=1
> >
> > Philatelica-numismatically yours,
> > Doug
> > PS Many of Palau's commemorative coin sales support
> > token contributions to
> > natural conservation themes to help justify buying
> > them at over 30 times
> > their face value. Does anyone know how much, if any
> > is being offered to
> > what charity or fund, for sales of these meteorite
> > coins?
> > PPS Please buy Dave's Palau-Nantan conservation kit
> > at $29.95 and support
> > the meteorite community:-) I have to admit, I liked
> > Hans' $5 Campo Sky
> > coins better and they were carved from 100% etched
> > meteorite. I believe
> > Dave's kit is potentially useful with them, too.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dave Carothers" <david.carothers at verizon.net>
> > To: "Thomas Webb" <webbth1 at yahoo.com>;
> > <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 11:37 PM
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] (AD) Republic of Palau
> > Nantan Coin
> >
> >
> > > Let me be the first to say that I will be offering
> > for sale, a Republic of
> > > Palau Nantan Coin Repair Kit.
> > >
> > > Te kit will contain several fragments of the
> > nantans meteorite and a tube
> > of
> > > Super Glue. Cost is only $29.95. Shipping is
> > extra.
> > >
> > > Dave
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Thomas Webb" <webbth1 at yahoo.com>
> > > To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> > > Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 11:33 PM
> > > Subject: [meteorite-list] Republic of Palau Nantan
> > Coin
> > >
> > >
> > > > Dear List,
> > > > Given the proclivity for rusting in Nantans,
> > what is
> > > > the likelihood of the Nantans in the Palau coins
> > > > deteriorating?
> > > > Thomas
> > > >
Received on Tue 19 Dec 2006 05:16:33 AM PST