Finally got an online link to the 2002 version of World Cup mint set from CStamps (not in stock at the store though). What I would like to understand is why is the second link below being quoted for twice the price, when it has one less medal and the other coins are the same. Is it only because of the packaging? Or is there a fundamental difference?
http://www.cstamp.co.kr/shop/goods/goods_view.php?&goodsno=12805&category=031003
http://www.cstamp.co.kr/shop/goods/goods_view.php?&goodsno=12812&category=031003
EDIT: Forgot to add there is another 2002 version as I had written in the previous post (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Korea-South-2002-Coins-of-Mint-Set-/230770842778), which is what I bought for 20K. Again the same set of coins but significantl cheaper than the original mint set (70K).
Hey Gaurav,
If you haven't already, I would suggest that you purchase the Dae Gwang-sa "Korean Coins and Banknotes Catalogue" for this year. I purchase mine in the Hoehyeon Arcade from Woo Jeong Sa (우정사), which is at location LA-17 in the arcade (check my Coin Stores in Korea webpage). Don't get the "Oh-Sung K & C" catalogue, as the info is not as good, I think; but having BOTH would not be a bad idea. Another GREAT book (but in the Korean language) is "Korean Commemorative Coins" by Jo Byung-soo. That was actually published by Oh-Sung K & C in 2006. Lots of info about Korean coins, not just commems.
Like with any "catalogue," you cannot exactly rely on the prices quoted in the Dae Gwang-sa book (they quote much higher than market), but they do have the mintages for coins and sets listed in them, as well as all of the banknotes. Unless the collecting community in Korea creates something akin to the US "greysheet" price-guides, you'll just have to check the "sold" listing (in Advance Search) at Ebay and other online auction sites, and compare them with selling prices in Korea (brick-and-mortar and internet retailers) to gauge the current market prices. Generally, Korean coins sold in North America go for less or much less than Korean coins sold in Korea (unless the US seller is a Korean!). Also, check Sujipbank and Sujipmol websites.
About the 2001 and 2002 mintsets:
One way that I have determined the TOTAL mintage of the 2001/2 mint sets (the special sets made for the world cup by BOK and KOMSCO, the red and blue "Wedding Gift" sets made that year, and the "official" 2001/2 mint sets) is by looking at the mintages for the 5 Won and 1 Won coins, which ONLY appear in mint sets. The mintage for both of those coins is the same: 130,000 coins for 2001 and 122,000 coins for 2002. Previous-year mintages were only 15,000 (1995 to 1997) and 30,000 for the year 2000.
Clearly the huge increase in 1 Won and 5 Won coins was due to the special mint sets they made. Now, the "official" (and expensive) 2001 and 2002 mint sets, the ones with the stylized crane motifs on the covers, only had a production of
30,000 for 2001 (5,000 "matte" proof sets, and 25,000 regular-strike sets), and
26,500 for 2002 (3,500 "matte" proof sets, and 23,000 regular-stike sets). That would account for the difference. ...And the fact that they are the "official" mint sets.
Those World Cup and other non-official mint sets are actually a little collectible, only because they haven't made special sets like that every single year since then. Really only in 2000, 2001 and 2002. I don't collect them myself (due to the high mintages), but I have bought them because they have VERY cleanly-struck, and sometimes beautifully-mint, coins in them. I bought those to break out and put in my coin albums, which you can see at the bottom of my main Korean coins webpage:
http://www.dokdo-research.com/koreancoins.htmlNOTE: If you see mint sets in Korea or online that do NOT have the CURRENT-YEAR 1 Won or 5 Won coins in them, then they are NOT made by KOMSCO or the BOK. Curio and tchotchke sellers assemble them and try to pass them off to foreigners as "valuable treasures" at stupid prices. Not collectible, not worth it.
Let me know if you have any more questions about Korean coins...