Sunday, August 21, 2011

Gold Panda Coin - Bling Bling to the max!

I finally collected my 1 oz Gold Panda coin from the Singapore Mint branch in Orchard Central 2 weeks ago. Before I show the awesome pictures, I will like to share my thoughts on gold.

Reasons to invest in gold:
  • The US is hovering near to a default. I know they managed to raise the debt ceiling this year (at the last freakin possible second!). But what about next year? And the year after next? The "debt ceiling debate" will rear its ugly head next year. Sadly, the America has a rather heavy debt burden. Some people say, technically, USA will not go bankrupt because they can print as much money as they need. However, this will further devalue the US dollar, leading to global inflation since most commodities are priced in US dollars.
  • The European nations are facing their own debt crisis too. Greece, Ireland and Portugal are old news. In fact, Greece is proof that whatever the EU did last summer, is not working. The focus now is on the supposedly stronger countries like Italy, Spain, France and even Germany! Looks like the dreaded domino effect is taking place. The debt contagion is spreading slowly but surely. Even if the government somehow managed to avert the crisis this year (which I think they won't), I am positive this debt fiasco will blow up again next summer in 2012. The riots in London just shows how deep the social malaise is in Europe. Youth unemployment is getting ridiculously high.
  • Basically, the Western World is "kicking the can down the road". This will not end well.
  • Volatile markets are pushing more investors worldwide to buy bonds and gold. Even central banks around the world are stockpiling gold reserves. The demand is strong. 
Alright then, enough with the financial jargon talk. It's time for some pictures!


Front: Mama Panda with Baby Panda living happily in the bamboo forest. ^^
Pandas are a prized national emblem, being uniquely native to China. 
History also associates them as royal pets of emperors. 
Back: The Prayer Hall for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven. This magnificent 15th century landmark in Beijing is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


In conclusion, I feel that in this uncertain and volatile world today, it is prudent to have a little gold in your portfolio. Of course, do not start selling your stocks and dump all your money into gold. Experts advise having 5% - 10% of one's portfolio in gold. Right now, my gold holdings is close to 5% of my portfolio. It is a comfortable allocation for me. But if gold is not the thing for you, it is fine. Just enjoy the pictures! ^^


Feel Free to leave your comments below!



Peace Out,
Dividends Warrior

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

how much did you pay for this?

AK71 said...

Hi DW,

Very nice! I buy physical gold too but I have kept my purchases to the boring 1oz Maple Leaf bullions. Zero numismatic value. Haha.. :)

FoodieFC said...

Hi

at last u updated =)

I was looking at this too, did not buy. Its sold out now. Nice!

Is the price the same at the retail VS online?

There is no certificate?

FoodieFC said...

btw what is Zero numismatic value?

Anonymous said...

i guess numismatic value refers to the collectors' value... that is on top of the gold value the coin commands...

JW said...

Wow nice pictures!

Anonymous said...

You paid cash right?

So, Singapore Mint has your cash.
My point is: If everyone buys gold, how do they pay for it?

Then, the seller of the gold is now holding cash.. silly to have sold it right? What and where do you think Singapore Mint parked the cash?

Buy CapitallMall Asia shares?
Buy Bonds?
Deposit it in OCBC?
Spend it on more Gold?

Dividend Tech Warrior said...

Hi AK71,

Mapleleaf gold coins are fantastic looking too!

Dividend Tech Warrior said...

Hi FoodieFC,

Yup. Really busy with my work and other stuff.

The price is the same as shown on Singapore Mint website.

No certificate provided though.

Dividend Tech Warrior said...

Hi JW,

Nice to see you again. ^^

Thanks for the compliment! :)

Dividend Tech Warrior said...

Hi Anonymous,

Thanks for visiting my blog.

I think Singapore Mint functions like a company, though it is not listed.

It still needs to pay the employees and pay rental for its offices.

Anonymous said...

Hi there.. great blog..

BTW do you know of any stocks that pays dividend for the rest of 2011 from sept onwards?

Appreciate the advise

Anonymous said...

Very nice coins.. I have a graded version on this... MS70... heheeh.. Please visit my blog
http://saveforabetterfuture.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

here
Your work article, blogs I mean over all contents is must read stuff.

Unknown said...

The Gold Panda coin looks amazing! The detail of the panda and Prayer Hall for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven engraving is very impressive. No wonder it has a high value! I am sure that it is a great addition to coin collectors everywhere. Also, I think investing in gold would be a good idea if you have enough resources and knowledge about it because it can be quite risky.

Lorita Littleton

Dolly & Zoopy said...

Hi,

I just bought a similar piece.

May I know whether the plastic case can be opened or is it meant to be permanently sealed? Mine seems to be sealed and cannot be opened.