I Like Chinese

American coins and banknotes.

I believe bullion is the best but I have a feeling it may help to have some Chinese money in the future for more than collecting?

The problem for any of you is that you can't get it in the USA OR the west. It's not a freely traded currency so you can't just go to the bank and order a few hundred.

But, for me, who came to the states in the 1st grade, and many other first gen immigrants, we have a bunch so when we go back, we would already have money to spend. My pic on my profile shows a bit of what I have.

But, in an financial perspective, the PBC - People's Bank of China, will not allow the RMB to fluctuate. China still needs the cheap RMB to supply its growth. So, if you get any, it would be a few years until you see it really grow (2004 it was $1 = RMB 8.27, now it's $1 to RMB 6.82), but that was only until the central bank allowed it to start floating.

But if you ever go to China, you will see and hear that "Wow! Everything is so cheap!" That's because on parity of wages and spending, about 2.5 RMB has about the same purchasing power as $1. Will it ever get to $1 = 2.5 RMB? Not really considering the status quo, but if and only if the world stops keeping USD as a reserve will that happen. (And that's going to take a lot of grease to happen. I can say 90% of the world is still dependent on the USD and the fact that the US has the most robust economy in the world and the runner up, Germany, has been sucked into the now-cracking Eurozone.)

So... there's my thoughts.

I have to disagree with the points above. Let's take it into the other perspective and a good example is Russian coins. In the past, collectors would be like bah hambug or boycotted anything that was commie. Sure not a problem - there wasn't much demand overseas back then and the general Russian population either didn't care or weren't encouraged to collect (perhaps people looked at you strangely back then).

When prices crashed during 1990s, some collectors took advantage of it and bought what was cheap. 20 years down the road, prices of many coins are outrageously expensive in their own home country and many buyers tend to buy them back from us. For instance, 1970-2 mint sets, 1957, 1961 cardboard mint set, pattern coins and a lot of the gold and platinum Tsarist coins. Doing a quick price comparison in auction houses will help to illustrate my point.

Back to the Chinese coinages, I guess it depends on how "patriotic" Chinese collectors will become and that will determine how fast the price rise. Counterfeits just add to a big challenge to it - if you really own a genuine coin, I don't see how flooding counterfeits undermine the prices of rarities. For the general public, yes but for serious collectors, it has a thrill factor.

In short, I think Chinese coinages are still underrated. However don't take my word for it - try looking up some Chinese mint sets struck back in 1980s, especially proof mint sets. Prices may shock you.

I would like to completely disagree with everyone. I suspect that all monitary items are soon going to be collectables only. By that I mean I really don't see a future for our US coins or anyone elses either. Same with currency. Maybe not right now but very, very soon money as we all know it will slowly vanish. Many people even now do not carry money. My Son is an example. He neve carries money. He does have some change in his car just in case, but his system is 99% plastic. I've seen him just wave his card at a gas pump. In restaurants, grocery stores, general stores, anywhere, plastic is taking over.
Trade between different countries is becoming so common that a universal type of monitary system will soon be a necessity, not a possibility. And that system will be electronic. No more trying to figure out how much something costs in Turkey, Germany, China, Brasil, etc. Just show your plastic card and the computer will take care of how much things costs.
Even now Europe is attempting to standarize a monitary system but that too will soon be outdated. Why have numerous monitary systems when a computer will transpose all transactions.
I really believe that our so called monitary systems are on their way out. Just watch what goes on at any store today. \
Someday soon a kid will be saying, "Hey Gramps, what was that stuff you people used to use and collect called money?"

Japan possibly, but in HK and mainland, it's cash all the way!

(Maybe that's why there are HKD1000 notes)

Maybe not now but soon enough people everywhere will just have to change. People are already a little nutty when trying to purchase something in another country and have no idea how much it costs. Soon this will be true of people everywhere. Why should there be someone standing in a store trying to figure out how much something costs. No, the computerized monitary system is the only way to standardize all monitary systems. You purchase something for some unknown amount in some oddball country, insert your card, it tells you that item costs xxx of your total amount available. You do not learn a monitary system, you only learn quantities available and amounts of that used for a sale. You pay check goes into that account electronically and you go to your computer and it tells you you know have xxxxx for usage. No dollars, no peso, no arguments about a cent vs a penny. Everything is just amounts.
Notice even now how many companies want you to have your pay check sent electronically? Ever notice how many companies want you to pay on line? Ever notice how many stock brokers want you to accept an electronic statement? Everything will soon enough be electronic.
Notice how many toll roads are now electronic and fewer and fewer toll booths? Notice how many cameras are going up to catch traffic violators and the fine is sent out to you and your requested to pay electronically.
Keep watching. I'll bet soon a kid will have to have a credit card for a gum ball machine. Or are there some already?