"Kung ikaw ay mapag akusa, need mo ng PROOF!".
When I started collecting coins, my first commemorative coin was sold to me by my co-worker. I asked him why he was selling his commemorative coins, and he said he wanted to focus on collecting coin sets. At first, I didn't get what he meant by coin sets. During that time, I had no idea what coin sets were, and my only focus was collecting silver coins.
When I had the 2nd opportunity to go to the U.S., I hit the jackpot. On eBay, I saw one seller selling six pieces of a 1975 Proof Coin Set in one listing for charity. I got curious about this 1975 Proof Coin Set and started searching eBay and the web for additional information. I found the price at a bargain, and would you believe I purchased all six pieces for only 14000 PHP?
So when I got my 1975 Proof Coin Set, I fell in love with its beauty. I instantly got hooked, so I want to collect all available Proof Coin Sets in the Philippines. Like other collectors, I only bought silver coins. But one of the beauties of collecting Proof Sets is that all the coins are there, from the sterling silver coin to the lowest non-silver denomination. The coins are sealed and have a box and COA(Certificate of Authenticity), which makes them more valuable.
I did some searching and found there are only 10 Proof Sets in the Philippines. When I say sets, these are the complete set of coins that includes all denominations because other Proof Sets only have the silver coins.
Below is the list of the 10 Philippine Commemorative Coins - Proof Sets:
Pilipino Series: 1974 - known mintage 10k
Philippine Commemorative Coins - ABL Series:
1975 - known mintage 36,516
1976 - known mintage 9,901
1977 - known mintage 4,822
1978 - known mintage 4,792
1979 - known mintage 3,645
1980 - known mintage 3,133
1981 - known mintage 1,795
1982 - known mintage NA
Philippine Commemorative Coins - Flora and Fauna Series: 1983 - known mintage 750
[mintage values references are from https://en.numista.com/ and https://www.numismatics.ph/]
For more details on these Commemorative Coin Sets: https://www.numismatics.ph/coins/coin-set/
Speaking of mintage, we can safely assume that these mintage values are no longer accurate. I have seen sellers cut the coins on these Proof Sets and sell them separately. They say they can earn more, probably because most collectors are only after the silver coins, and only a few want the whole set. Some owners remove these coins from their original packing to have them graded or put them in their preferred storage.
So there are only a few of these Philippine Commemorative Coins Proof Sets that survived and are available out there, and they are not easy to come by, even the 1974 Proof Coin Set with no silver coin. You can see these on eBay, but it's expensive. On rare occasions, you can buy them at a fair price.
From the ABL series, the most common you can see for sale are the 1975 and 1976 sets with a price range from 7000 to 10000 PHP. From 1977 to 1979, I consider this semi-hard to find, and you don't see them often for sale. The price range for these sets can be around 11000 to 16000 PHP. In my experience, the most challenging to find and the most expensive are 1980, from 16000 to 20000 PHP, 1981, from 30000 to 40000 PHP, and 1982 from 40000 to 50000 PHP. I once saw bidding on eBay for 1981, which sold for $1000 and $650 with no COA, tax not included.
But nothing beats 1983, with only 750 mintage in the world. It is the most expensive of all the 10 Proof Set and the hardest to find, and you are lucky if someone will sell you this from 45000 to 55000 PHP.
Philippine Commemorative Coins - Proof Sets
For serious collectors, having a Philippine Commemorative Coins Proof Set in your collection is fulfilling. With their low mintages, you are one of the lucky ones in the world to have it in your collection.
In my collection, the sets that were challenging to find are from 1979 to 1983. It will help if you have a trusted seller who will find and offer these Proof Sets to you without the worry that other interested collectors out there will purchase them before you do.
From what I have seen, these sets are highly in demand, so expect the prices of these Proof Sets to go higher in the future. And if you notice any of these for sale, don't think twice, or else you won't get another chance. I often see this phrase online from other collectors, "It's not expensive, you just can't afford it!" I found this funny, but this is also true. So, If you are into collecting Philippine Proof Sets, be ready with your budget.
Alright!!! How about you? How is your Philippine Commemorative Coins Proof Set Collection?
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