Keqin Sun: Monthly Report of Modern Chinese Circulating Coins

Keqin Sun

In sweltering July, a temporary break in the markets of stamps, coins and cards is a common annual phenomenon. There is an overall pullback observed in the numismatic market of China. Due to the influence of this market circumstance, it is improbable for the circulating coin section to be unaffected. Circulating coins that are represented by the Great Wall designs have shown around 20% pullback. The value of circulating commemorative coins represented by the Proof coins remains stable.

Among the circulating coin market of this month, the price of rarity coins is firm and relatively stable in retaining its value. The expert teams of NGC and Coin001 have worked jointly to evaluate the coins and received great feedback from collectors.

The hammer prices of NGC-graded coins under representative categories are listed below:

China 1969 5 Fen Mao Zedong - Aluminum Pattern, Zunyi Conference graded NGC MS 66. This lot is the finest example graded by NGC. The coin’s condition is considered outstanding among its type. This lot realized 357,500 CNY (about $50,000), and it is the pinnacle record among the entire set.

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China 1987 Yuan 40^th Anniversary of the Inner Mongolian Autonomy Region graded NGC PF 68★ Ultra Cameo. It is rare to see an example that receives NGC’s Star designation, but this lot displays elegant toning. This issue has earned a great reputation among the modern Chinese circulating coins and is considered outstanding out of the early Proof coins. This type of rarity was used as a gift coin by the People’s Republic of China and the Head Office of the People's Bank of China. This lot realized 302,500 CNY (about $42,000), and it is the pinnacle record among the same type of coins that receive this grade.

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The NGC special label for original condition coin submissions has been popular among collectors since its launch. The numbers of submissions increased substantially, and the price remained firm this past month. We love coins in their original condition. It matches with the gentle personality of Chinese people.

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Meanwhile, some rarities among modern Chinese circulating coins were submitted to NGC for the original condition grading service this past month. We are delighted and gratified to see these extremely high-quality rarities with original condition being preserved in a new method.

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This month, the “Standard Catalog of Modern Chinese Circulating Coins” (4th Edition), which I edited, has entered the pre-order phase. We are about to see a classic book with its new appearance after a gap of four years. The layout has been greatly modified, and the images and prices are collated. The descriptions of the modern Chinese circulating coins are mainly based on a historical monetary perspective. It also includes new coin types and varieties that have been issued or discovered in recent years.

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The thoughts and opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Certified Collectibles Group.