Medals Collection (2): Medals worth to play?

If you've read on the previous article, Medals Collection (1): What is a medal? I believe you should have some understanding of medals. With the basic understanding of medals, and certainly we may have a question in mind, medals worth to play?

To answer this question, we should have the mutual agreement on how to define the terminology of  "worth to play". If you preferred to view the issue with exactly pure for collection perspective , medals collection will undoubtedly have brought many people to an alternative option. It is very subjective and personal hobby, thus I choose not to talk more in this respect.

On the other hand, if you are from the collection and investment point of view, then the entire plan analysis is inseparable from some objective factors.

Medals production methodology is complex and its subject themes are dazzling, but it is also reflecting the coin casting technology in the respective country. At present, medal collections trend has not yet up in Malaysia, insofar I haven't notice any reputable collectors attempt to sort up the different medals varieties systematically, the market shortfall leads to a number of early varieties have no way to grab the attention. Basically, our medal under general can be divided into several categories:

1. Official and public issue: issued by official bodies, on sale to the public, such as the recent installation of Sultan Johor medals may belong to this category.
2. Private and public issue: issued by private institutions or companies, publicly offered to the public。
3. Official and internal issue: official release but only for sale to the interior or participants. It is quite common trend in 20-30 years ago.
4. Private and internal issue: issued by private institutions or companies, issuance objects are internal staff or project participants, such as anniversary medals banks may belong to this category.

Figure 1: Medallion of Coronation of Sultan Johor

My personal objective view, the official cast should having higher collectible value than private issuance. Basically some of the old, rare but well reserved medals which bathed with the historical background are extremely hard to grab. For instance, some medals during the years of warlord leaders of the Republic of China is not lagging behind the old commemorative coin from the same time. For instance,  Tianjin  Bureaucratic Systems Silver Medal has been hammered at USD 17,000 + 20% in Stack's Bowers Auction at 24/08/2015. Thus the unspoken rules of medals and coin collections are the same, it is highly pegged to its rarity, historical background, technology, as well as historical era.

Figure 2: Tianjin Bureaucratic Systems Silver Medal

However, I did not find the similar class of medals in our country, most of the medals belong to Modern issues. However, because of such collection has yet be populated especially the door gift medals given by authorities in old time has been dumped due to less collectible value in long term of time. If the price is not expensive in the premise, why not we just take them as collectible items? Perhaps one day, when they hasten up, you catch it finally!

Meanwhile, collectible members should understand and figure out its collection risks too. Strictly speaking, the medal itself is not legally binding, the Mint can increases its mintage anytime, in order to obtain economic benefits. At the same time when the prices up, rampant fraud is unavoidably, so the collectible members have to analysis and judge before commit to such collection.

Numis Galleries House

26/08/2015