Somalia Elephant Silver And Gold Coins Anyone?

Thanks. I think I want to stick with
Proof right now. I also like the gilded but best to limit myself.:) thanks for looking around. I'd really like the 2003 at least since it looks like the rest of the series as far as the design goes.

Do you also collect the Rwanda wildlife series? I really dig that series too.

silverleaf I almost forgot. The Rwanda series. I'm glad you mentioned it. I love that series. I was introduced to it recently by our friend in Germany. I currently have the Cheetah and Impala. I'm on the hunt for the best deal possible on the other coins so I can complete the series.

The Rwanda coins are very well done. Very beautiful and unique designs.

My only frustration is they come double sealed from the mint and breaking of any seal will lower their value. I really like holding raw coins in my hand and looking at them closely along with showing them to others. But I can get over it.

Do you have all the Rwanda coins? What do you think of them?

Oh and yes I had the urge to remove the Rwanda coins from the pouches but resisted. The detailing on them is quite nice and it doesn't magnify well through the plastic. Love the series. It was my favorite until the Somalia series. The zebra and the elephant I think are the nicest.

Yes, thank you yup.

Those gilded elephants do look very nice. Maybe in the new year I'll add them to my wish list. I just won't tell my wife.lol.

I'm not sure what's next for the Rwanda series. A hippo might be cool.

Hi guys..

Just had a few thoughts, ramblings, musings related to the Somalia elephant coins, and some of the other african wild life series.

I'd like to first thank everyone who has joined us on this thread and contributed and made this thread even bigger and better. When I first started this thread, there had been pot shots and snide remarks as to and challenging those who would want these coins and even if in fact they would be authentic or even be worthy to purchase for their silver content.

I, as a collector, just was and still drawn to the excellent workmanship in these coins. True, they are not perfect, but what coin is? This is still a very beautiful coin and show case a very impressive animal, the elephant. So again, I tip my hat for those of you who have joined us here and share the warmth and love of the Somalia elephant coins. Together we are covering a lot of ground and laying the ground work to educate future collectors who will come behind us and want to know more about these coins. I am proud of how this thread is coming along.

Furthermore, as in many things in life, the market place has spoken and shown the strength of this market and its collector base. I would NOT be surprised that many dealers such as APMEX read these forums looking to see what consumers want. I have a hunch that they are. Finally, if you have not yet joined the CCF forums, sign up and feel free to contribute or ask questions on this thread regarding the Somalian elephant series.


Ok,,,, so some thoughts-

I been looking at my collecting goals for 2014 and have narrowed my focus down.

Going forward, the Somalian elephant series is going to be my primary focus. My goal will be to collect everything Somalian elephant issued. I really like how diverse, as others have mentioned before, this series is. Many coins of different sizes and finishes.

I also think that with the current state of PM prices, where they are trending lower, this is the time to snatch up and get involved in auctions for Somalian coins. Lower PM prices have, to a certain degree brought prices lower. There are some other pieces that I want, such as the gold elephants, and kilo elephant coins, that I want, but better pries will be had by waiting patiently for prices to go lower.

BTW, did you guys notice that Gainsville has a kilo coin, that is boxed with COA. Thats a first for me seeing that, pretty neat stuff. I thought its also interesting that they are also carrying gold somalia elephants. Again, I would love to get gold pieces but I'd rather wait for lower prices as I think, based on price action, that gold will test the 1,000 area eventually. At that point I would really get serious about grabbing one.

I really like Yellow's thoughts on getting a whole roll at a time for future purchase of the elephants, that way you can get the best possible ones.

Zambia elephant series, boy now you guys have got my attention, I will have to start to research those, tho I want to first finish what I started with my somalian elephants, they look very nice tho!

You guys have mentioned the Rwanda series, that one is also a beauty. I have been picking off both the bullion coins AND proofs as they come to auction. This is also a series worth buying at current prices and as silver and gold prices slide. My favorite of the Rwanda series is the elephant one but they do look great!

Now,,,,, it appears we have an interest in these african wild life series coins. Are you guys aware of this series that features coins from Gabon, Congo (these coins, surprise surprise, are also minted in Germany) with animals such as elephants, rhinos, lions, baby lions etc? They even have a hippo now too.

They are done in what is called an antique finish,,, like a matte finish but the detail to the coin is just spectacular. These coins have dropped somewhat in price due to lower silver prices but they are worth it.

Yellow, thank you for sharing the pics, what beautiful coins those Somalian and Zambian coins are!


Check in later with you guys!

BTw- someone had suggested doing a group buy, or something like that. I think thats a great idea if we got our heads together and did something like that.

@Silver

Yes I have a few of those fractional sets, they are nice. They look identical to the bullion versions, however the sides (edges) of the coin are smooth on proof somalian coins.

If memory serves me right, I have seen gilded Rwanda silver coins... I believe once I saw up for auction an Rwanda elephant coin.

I guess as we have been saying, the hunt makes this interesting... and when you see them, you have to strike!

yup how far along are you with your current Somalia collection? Since we're all in a sharing mood today post a few pics of your favorites.

My 2 cents to anybody that asked would be to begin collecting the BU coins first. Then the colored, gilded and privy in no particular order. Next would be the high-relief coins and the proof sets. Followed soon after with the fractional gold coins. Last, the silver kilo coins and the higher denomination gold coins. In my zeal I may have left something out. Let me know if I did.

In my opinion this strategy will bring the most enjoyment for a collector of the series, you aren't going to lock yourself into needing just that one coin to complete your collection and overpaying, and finally no matter what spot silver and gold prices do you'll be least impacted.

Despite us seeing lower and lower spot metal prices the BU, gilded and colored coins have all continued to increase in value especially the older versions and the BU coins the most taking into account initial acquisition costs.

The larger gold coins and the silver kilo coins can be had anytime for not much above spot since their pricing essentially moves along with spot where the earlier years 1oz silver coins have held their numismatic premium.

In a way the decrease in spot silver has only really impacted the early buyers of the 2014s. As a percentage decrease they have suffered the worse. Buy at 30 and sell at 25? No fun. Happened to me. That's an almost 20% loss of investment capital in a relatively short period of time.

Whereas if you would have bought a 2005 BU coin and held it for the same amount of time you would have gained 20%. Also happened to me. Much more fun.

Minimize risk and maximize return. Especially if your overall enjoyment, health and well being is important to you or your wife and/or husband is like my significant other.

In the long run the lowered prices of the 2014s, which the decrease in spot silver prices has negatively impacted the most, will be a benefit to the series as a whole and will continue to fuel the price increases of earlier year coins.

The reasons are three-fold and very simple.

1. Lowered prices appeal to "silver stackers" and the retail bullion buyer thus causing the big online retailers to carry them. Now we have demand.
2. The big online retailers carry them they become more acceptable and no longer considered an "exotic mystery" as they were when yup bravely started this thread. Now we have supply.
3. Great exposure means more people will want them, more people learn about the series, the desire for all things Somalia coins becomes well entrenched for the long term.

Thus a winning capitalistic perpetual cycle is created.

Note: Supply and demand. Or demand and supply. I think demand came first. Sorry, I did really bad in school. I like to keep things simple.

I could also be very wrong about the whole thing and the above is just the demented ramblings of a mad man. It won't be the first or last time. I like my Elephants and I'll just keep them.

One last thing and I promise I'll stop until someone else posts something.

In all seriousness silverleaf the Somalia Series has way more diversity and depth ultimately leading to greater enjoyment and reward. Both as a collector and investor IMHO. There's also a greater opportunity to get the coins you want at a price you want to pay.

The pricing on the Zambia coins is very narrowly set and artificially set with but a few dealers and even less sellers and buyers. Any potential future price increases are already well built in to the current asking prices. The few dealers barely if ever get their asking prices and more often than not they can't sell the coins they have and are left with unmovable inventory but since it's a tiny percentage of what they sell they leave the prices where they are to one day hopefully realize their initial investment back. They just keep relisting the same coins which also creates a bit of an illusion that their inventory keeps rotating. Its not.

And finally, the Zambia Series was a failed series and it died after 5 short years. On the other hand the Somalia Series is very well done and has been going strong for a decade plus with no end in site. APMEX sells Somalia Elephants now. Who would have thought?