The same commemorative coins made of precious metals can be bought on the official website of the NBU and “from hand” from resellers at different prices. At the same time, it is more profitable to buy some coins at the National Bank, while others at online auctions. The Ministry of Finance figured out why this is happening and decided to speculate with coins itself.
New trading rules
This year, the National Bank launched a new website through which you can order commemorative and investment coins. Previously, it was possible to purchase Ukrainian collectible coins in distribution banks (now they are Oschadbank, Ukrgazbank, Redbank and Taskombank). However.
as numismatists explain, not all coins appeared in the branches of financial institutions, and the ordering procedure was inconvenient. It was also possible to buy coins by subscription at the Kiev Club of Numismatists, but this is an option for those who are professional collectors and at least know about the existence of such a club.
According to collectors, part of the circulation was immediately bought up by resellers and then resold. Therefore, many numismatists had to overpay for the desired coins.
Selling through the new site should not only simplify the purchase of coins, but also limit the activities of resellers. If everyone can add to their collection without unnecessary difficulties, the prospects for making money on resale are significantly reduced.
What can you buy right now
The site presents both new coins that were minted this year, and old ones, the stocks of which have not yet been sold.
For example, there are 14 types of gold coins now. The most expensive of them is “Granting the Tomes of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine” weighing 1 troy ounce (31.1 g). The coin was issued in 2019, it can be purchased for UAH 66.878 thousand.
Most of the coins presented on the site were minted before 2010, and some have not been sold since the 90s. The cheapest gold coins weigh only 2 g and cost UAH 3,259.
The choice of silver coins is smaller – only 8 types, but among them there are more newer ones. In particular, this year the coin “To the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lesia Ukrainian” was minted, and from last year’s reserves there were those dedicated to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Vydubitsky Monastery and the Zolotov Castle. Most silver coins are 1 ounce, although there are ones that are twice as heavy and lighter. The minimum price of silver coins is 999 UAH.
Presented on the site and coins made of base metals. They are, of course, cheaper: the price ranges from 10 to 55 UAH.
What coins are expected
In a separate section on the site, you can get acquainted with the coins that the NBU plans to issue this year. The regulator indicates in which month they should appear on sale, what metal they will be made of and what circulation is planned.
This year, one new type of gold coins is expected – “To the 30th anniversary of the independence of Ukraine” weighing 2 troy ounces. Its estimated price has not yet been indicated, but it can be expected that it will be high due to the limited edition of up to 400 copies. The coin “25 Years of Independence of Ukraine”, issued in the same circulation and of the same weight, is estimated at UAH 298,000 at auctions.
Also on sale will be 10 new commemorative silver coins. But especially rare among them is not expected, the circulation of each is from 2 to 4 thousand copies.
First you need to register on the site, and after that you can select the desired product by pressing the “buy” button. The selected coins go to the “basket” when the order is formed – it can be placed.
Payment is made directly on the site. There is no possibility to pay after receiving the coins. 2 delivery options are offered: Ukrposhta and “Nova Posta”. You can also get coins at the self-delivery point in Kyiv on Kontraktova Square. There are no such places in other cities.
Among the shortcomings, the editors found only the absence of coins in the description of their weight. Although, for example, the diameter is indicated everywhere. When the journalist of the Ministry of Finance shared this observation with one of the collectors, he did not understand what the problem was, they say, and so it should be clear which of the coins weighs how much. Although for people far from numismatics, this information would not hurt to add.
Also somewhat difficult communication with consultants. If you need to clarify information about a particular coin, you need to write an e-mail. The Ministry of Finance tested how consultants work – we received an answer to the question in about 3 hours.
What did the Ministry of Finance buy?
The editors decided to purchase a silver coin “To the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lesha Ukrainian”. Its cost on the website is indicated together with the case, on the day of purchase it was UAH 3,896. Without the case, the coin would have cost UAH 3,788. The weight of the coin is 2 troy ounces.
Before making a purchase, “Minim” consulted with collectors. They drew our attention to several factors that should contribute to the rise in price of this coin in the future.
1) A circulation of 2,500 coins is considered small, so it will most likely be sold out in a few months.
2) Quite often, the NBU issues coins dedicated to personalities or places about which it is difficult to say anything without looking at Wikipedia. Here the situation is the opposite – Lesia Ukrainian is a well-known person, and the anniversary received media resonance.
3) The coin looks aesthetically pleasing. Of course, this is a matter of taste, but both the experts with whom we spoke and the editors agreed that the design was successful
