Topic: Kirin silver dragon

[pandamonium]

I do not know much about the early year Kirin silver dragons (copper too) but there is a book that was published about 8 yrs ago and i do not have it.    Just observations on ebay sales.    Few are graded.     Many very low grades.     Due to small numbers and the demand for Vintage, at some point most collectors will want to own a Kirin, even low grade.     First year could be 1884 to 1908?
If you have any info on the Kirins please post.  NGC pop numbers are low, they are also graded by PCGS, ANACS & ICG.

Photos of 2 sales on ebay recently ANACS graded...
1898 10C VG 8     about $55
1908 20C VF 20 Details cleaned   about $100

Not the most attractive low grade silver dragons on ebay but they all seem to sell....

[pandamonium]

Here are some currently listed on ebay....

1898 10C VF 35    -start bid  $150-
1898 10C VF Details   $150
1909 20C Genuine not gradable   $175   17 watchers    2 photos

1898 10C MS 62  $20,000    28 watchers       very rare MS grade and big price

[pandamonium]

Screenshot of some NGC graded pop numbers.    Could not fit them all into the photos so you may want to look up NGC pop.   Small numbers so that gives us a idea of the rarity of the Kirin.      The low grades can be somewhat ugly but better then nothing.......

[panda]

There are SO MANY varieties of Kirin provice coinage, that's why worth writing a book :)

People prefer to buy gradable (NOT details) coins, especially like the crown sized $1 dollar coin.

[pandamonium]

No wonder NGC has so many different Kirin listed, due to many varieties.     The high grades & 1 oz are too expensive for my collector friends and newbies.    Due to price and graded pop i recommend the Details.     The Kirin 10C has 110 graded which is a high number in comparison to the others.    (The 1890 - 1908 20C Kwangtung silver dragon has 990 NGC graded pop as a example.)     Better to own the Details then none as the low NGC numbers could mean price increase too.     Collectors would want to own a Kirin silver dragon at some point.    Gamble, yes, but many love to gamble and it seems to be a safe bet...


jsminset   Bill Holter  "Get out now before total system collapse"..
credit market, China's gold, COMEX, etc.....

[pandamonium]

The 1909 20C Genuine not gradable    $175   SOLD    photos above...

1904 50C AU Details cleaned    see photo   $700 bids Sold     Good price it seems for Details cleaned.   NGC has 14 pop

2 more small Kirin ANACS low grades listed on ebay..

N/D 5C G6 Kirin      -start bid-   $100        NGC has 17 pop for L&M 520 or 6 pop or less.    What variety is it?    see photo..

1909 20C VF 20 Details    -start bid  $850-   NGC has 8 or 9 pop

Have no clue to pricing or which variety is favored.    Kirin silver dragons have many varieties and low NGC pop.    MS are expensive but even the low grade/Details sell.....

[pandamonium]

The 1909 -start bid $850- was removed from ebay as seller changed mind...

See photo of page from Kirin book on ebay...

Manual casting coinage to Industrial machines to mint coinage.   Kirin official Bureau of Machines struck first year 1884 Chang -Ping which is forefather of China's machine struck coinage.....

The Kirin is FIRST machine struck silver dragon.    Many varieties due to many errors?   
Very confusing segment of the market but I like the challenge.     From my limited knowledge it seems to me that any collector of Vintage silver dragons would want a first year Kirin silver dragon no matter the size or grade as long as it is genuine.    Pop is low for most all of them.    Will the Kirin silver dragons see demand/price in the future?  It makes sense to me so i told my friends to buy....

[pandamonium]

See photos above..
1898 10C VF 35    $150 SOLD
ND 5C  G 8  ANACS  $50 SOLD

Note the center of the reverse of 3 Kirin.
First w/ circle is Kirin Chinese character.   Second is Yin Yang?   Third is Flower Pot.      Interesting...

Ebay listed another 4 silver dragons mostly low grade, one AU.

I have none for sale, watched them for a few years so had a curiosity.    The page from book makes sense that the Kirin is the first Vintage silver dragon...

[pandamonium]

Couple more sales, Kirin are moving up in price...   All SOLD on bids..   Ebay seller 2007chun sold most of them..

1898 10C VF Details Cleaned    $87    bidders missed this one...

1910 20C XF Details Cleaned    $451

1907 20C AU 55   hi grade       $535

1902 10C AU 58   hi grade       $1,301

1898 10C XF 40                       $315

[pandamonium]

More Kirin sales, bids....

1909 20C XF Details Environmental Damage     $262  SOLD     Ebay aigz888

50C
1905 50C AU Detail Cleaned    $756.89             2007 Chuan
1905 50C XF Detail Harshly Cleaned  $320              "
1898 50C VF Detail Scratch     $285                        "

1890-05 50C XF Detail Tooled  Kwangtung dragon    $1,293

For you new collectors the cheapest Vintage maybe the French Indo China...Sold bids
1945 10C MS 63  FI China aluminum  $16.54 total       Ebay classycoins
1937 20C MS 64  FI China  silver        $37.75 total                   "
Could these FI China be worth $ hundreds someday?   Probably a safe gamble...

[Anthony H]

Good to be back on the forum---after a hiatus. I have been coin collecting still and with firm interest! Never giving up! Just submitted 15 coins to ANACS and PCGS today---will keep you updated.

Nonetheless, I have two uncertified Kirin Province coins. One is a 5 Cent and the other is a 20 Cent.

[pandamonium]

More get listed and sold.    Interest for Kirin have moved up.    Photo of recent 50C sold.    The large silvers are not cheap...

[pandamonium]

Oops that was a dollar not 50 C .   Coffee has not kicked in yet....

This AU details is a high grade for small kirin and sold for very reasonable price....