gxseries Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 One thing that I don't really get is how St. Petersburg and Moscow mint are currently marketing their coins both in their own home country and abroad. Previously Mezhnumizmatika used to market coins overseas but I don't see anything from them these days (did they just dissolve over one night?) As far as I am aware, commemorative coins can be bought at Bank Russia but I really doubt that all coins would sit in any bank vaults? Taking for example of a recent release of a 3 kilo gold coin, http://www.cbr.ru/eng/bank-notes_coins/Bas...t_num=5225-0001 Just where do you expect to find them supposedly if you have the money to do so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tane Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 Just where do you expect to find them supposedly if you have the money to do so? As far as I know, the commemorative coins can be bought from some banks, and in Saint Petersburg from the numismatic salon of the mint. About buying coins from abroad, no idea BTW, can anybody recommend any coin shops in Piter, besides the numismatic salon? I'm about to move there in couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altyn Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 This summer I visited Moscow and could see that the demand for silver and gold coins, "investment" or commemorative, was high there. That was reflected in coin prices set by banks or a few existing coin shops. For instance, 50 rouble 2008 St. George (supposedly an investment coin) was being sold for ~9000 roubles by Sberbank and that was a few times higher than the spot price. A one ounce silver 3 rouble Sobol' was on sale for 750-800 roubles (~$30). I assume there were buyers. If demand for gold and silver remains that high there is absolutely no need in any marketing policy for international buyers. Everything is sold at home effort-free and for a higher price than abroad. Well, let's see what the future holds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gxseries Posted October 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 altyn, you see the situation was quite different back in 2002 when I last left Moscow. I am sure after 6 years, there would be a lot of changes. At the time when I left Sheremetyevo airport, I remember there is a Sherbank and it happened to be selling Soviet gold coins This made me question how marketing is done by the mints which I assume almost very little promotion is done. Moscow mint's website is STILL not accessible The only poster / pamphlet that I have are the Mezhnumizmatika posters released back in 1989: http://www.gxseries.com/numis/rus_new_type...iet_posters.htm It's not only that. For instance if you want modern Russian coins with certificates and the original boxes, it seems to be very uncommon. I could easily say that over 90% of the coins that I see on ebay rarely include the certificates and the boxes. What's up with that? Modern coin mintage remains unreported as far as I have been looking (seems to be classified information) yet the number of commemorative coins are listed. I just don't see any logic behind this. It just seems to me that the mints just strike whatever amount of coins that seems to be "right" and whatever that remains stockpiled will stay in the banks or possibly get back sent as scrap. From what I read, that's what happened with many of the world's Olympic coin programs in the 80s- too many were struck and the mints were forced to buy them back. Just where else do you find information other than the cbr.ru website?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lithuania Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Russian and ex-USSR coins are very popular in Lithuania. There is a huge need of these coins, so there is and supply. There are several dealers who buy coins in Russia and sell it in Lithuania. I have no idea what the prices are over there and over here, but most (80%) of the coins they sell are with certificates and boxes. Coins with boxes are more expensive then the ones without it, but Lithuanians love it, so they get it IMHO, international dealers want to get coins as cheap as possible and do not buy boxes. Box usually cost from $10 to $30.. Let's imagine the listing of a modern russian commemoratives on ebay. There are 4 the same coins from 4 different dealers, three are priced at $50 and one is being sold for $70. I hardly believe that anyone will click on the one that costs $70. I'd call this MARKETING On the other hand, paying $20 for a box, when coin is worth $30 or $50 is a nonsense. I believe people often buy Russian coins as an investment, but it is the coin that is the investment not a box. So why should anyone pay double price for a coin with a box, if it is bought for investment only? Collectors usually need a coin, not a box. I am a coin collector not a collector of boxes. So if there are very few collectors all over the world that are searching for coins with boxes, why should dealers risk and search for buyers if they can easily sell the coin without it.. PS. Certificate question is a total mystery for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altyn Posted October 13, 2008 Report Share Posted October 13, 2008 Just where else do you find information other than the cbr.ru website?! I have found that the Spb mint web site is functional. It is not very informative, but a coin price list is posted: http://www.mintspb.ru/shop_about.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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