PCS Stamps & Coins

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Coinfan, Feb 7, 2009.

  1. mkwelbornjr

    mkwelbornjr Junior Member

    Most of the medals, ingots, coins of the realm designed and manufactured by Franklin Mint back when they minted are far superior in every respect to the designs issued by the US Mint over time. Franklin Mint had a full in-house staff of the finest sculptors in the world...for coinage and 3-D work. And FM pioneered the cameo proof finish and the US mint learned the techniques from Franklin Mint. So they are definitly worthy pieces to collect. The stuff from PCS and Danbury Mint (same company) are simpler but unique as well.

     
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  3. Duke Kavanaugh

    Duke Kavanaugh The Big Coin Hunter

    Well you might just change my mind then.
    I thought you were talking about colorized quarters, coins with stickers on them, and fancy packaged junk.

    Can you post some pictures of what your talking about for us?
     
  4. blsmothermon

    blsmothermon Member

    PCS appears to be MBI's retail arm. Looking at MBI's products they are familiar to most of us. That is if you watch QVC, HSN, late-night infomercials, etc. In fact, I have a couple of their 24k Gold-plated stamps. They were free promos from the company years ago. My problem with comparing them to coin companies is, as mkwelbornjr says, it isn't about the coins it is the presentation. They are selling a folder, matte, nice printing, coin, etc as a package. Therefore, their business is not about coin collecting per se. It is a novelty company. They want you to collect their product, regardless of the coin itself. Littleton does sell some novelties too (colorized, stickered, and plated coins), but they also sell some decently priced collector coins. Most of their collector coins are overpriced and I would compare them to other coin dealers because they do sell product for coin collectors specifically. PCS, however, has nothing of interest to collectors, just people who have the money, and want something old, fancy, and overpriced to show to their friends. Just my POV.
     
  5. Ltrain

    Ltrain New Member

    I wasn't saying you're an owner, I was just sharing my opinion. We're all entitled to our own opinion, and I am entitled to the opinion that you are wasting your money. But hey, it's your money, not mine, and if you enjoy it, that's all that matters.
     
  6. mkwelbornjr

    mkwelbornjr Junior Member

    Sure I will post some pics tomorrow. Some colorized stuff is good too. Franklin Mint did a set of sterling ingots for great car insignias in the late 70's...each ingot was hand enammelled...yes by hand. Modern colorized coins use some type of decal fired on. Those HSN and TV marketers like Merrick Mint and others sell poorly designed colorized coins that make no logical sense and are tacky. PCS did one set of colorized Silver Eagles...National Park Panels. Each panel had a mint nat park stamp and a colorized eagle tastelfully designed. So there are many variations on the idea. Those panels BTW are a bargain now considering the price of silver alone...the panels are no longer for sale.

    MBI is the company and has 3 main divisions (Danbury Mint, Postal Commem. Society, Easton Press Leather Books) DM still does some medals and diecast cars which are outstanding. DM and PCS started in 1969. They have exceptional service..never an issue with them...ever. DM is doing a set of gold foil replicas of historic US currency...very well done...made in USA...http://www.danburymint.com/coins/pr...sic-U-S--Paper-Currency_9497-0019.aspx?c=HOME


    Collectors of exonumia collect these types of products...not to mention the casual collector that wants a nice set to show the kids. Diecast cars have a huge following from DM and many are worth a big premium on the secondary market once they are cancelled.
     
  7. chip

    chip Novice collector

    I have seen people bring in their platinum "layered" 24k gold Layered, silver "layered state quarter collections that they bought a while back and have seen them get upset that the local coin dealer does not recognize the amazing investment potential of the coins, I knew of one dealer who was paying 2 dollars per lens, and that was the highest that I have ever heard anyone paying for them.

    The people then think that the coin dealers are rip offs, and are trying to get their treasures on the cheap.

    A general rule of thumb is that when things are touted as collectables chances are they will never exceed their issue price.
     
  8. mkwelbornjr

    mkwelbornjr Junior Member

    There are exceptions when the products have a following and have real development R&D behind them. Sculpture, diecast cars, some privately made coins and medals by Franklin Mint...etc. A gold plated US coin has no value-added...other than for use in perhaps a panel presentation for aesthetics. Danbury Mint/PCS have VERY conservative direct mail advertising...never mentioning anything about investment.

    Sure people see ads for gold plated dollars and think wow great investment. These people are uninformed. Collect because you like and enjoy it...resale value should have nothing to do with it....you will always win that way.


     
  9. blsmothermon

    blsmothermon Member

    That's the problem with mixing "coins" and "collectibles". What I saw on PCS' website didn't look like anything that would damage the coins, it looks like they were well holdered and sound. However, the general public knows only one thing, coins have intrinsic value. They don't understand that once you "do" something to them (plated,colored,etc), they lose their coin-ness and become a manufactured collectible. They still see them as coins and they think that what they pay for them is close to value. Unfortunately, it is simply price and not value. Many are misinforming a gullible public and that has been the American way of doing big business for a long time.
     
  10. mkwelbornjr

    mkwelbornjr Junior Member

    This is what PCS does best...http://www.americasquarters.com/ I will post some other pics tomorrow. The PCS website is odd and was an experiment..it is not up to date...they have about 600 programs at one time.
     
  11. LostDutchman

    LostDutchman Under Staffed & Overly Motivated Supporter

    You have to admit tho that the percentage of people who go on to be successful collectors after an experience like this is very small... most never come back. People don't tend to become regular customers at my shop when I get done telling them how they were basically throwing their money away. There are however exceptions to the rule I do admit. The customer I have that really likes the monster stuff begun his experience in collecting by dealing with a company like this and then coming to the store to have his coins checked out. You may have seen a thread I posted a several days ago with the coins he and I own.

    http://www.cointalk.com/t127048/
     
  12. LostDutchman

    LostDutchman Under Staffed & Overly Motivated Supporter


    While I apprecieate what your saying about their other products if you go back and look at the original post you'll see that this was the link being discussed http://www.pcscoins.com/collectibles/category.asp?id=1

    These are collector coins being marketed at 2-4 times their actual value with monthly installment plans. Aside from all of their other products what are your thoughts on these particular items being offered for sale?
     
  13. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Yes, those were some incredible coins.

    I would just say that I still believe that most people who buy from these firms would never have gotten into numismatics if they had not been reached by the advertising of these large players. Most leave, you are right, but some do stay and become collectors like the one you deal with. I didn't start with Littleton, but they sent me my first catalog to look at. While I never bought from them, that catalog led me in a way to more advanced collecting when I was a kid. I have a dealer friend who started buying from Littleton and today is a pretty good dealer. Maybe he would have never even known about coins that you can buy without contacting them.

    So these firm burn some people? Financially maybe if you buy from them for years with the hopes of resellilng, but I still think there are so many blatant issues in this hobby that they are one of the last issues we should be worrying about right now.

    Think of it this way, if a non coin colelctor buys from these firms for years, has a nice hobby and enjoys himself, and his heirs sell his collection for only half of what he paid for it, isn't that family still better off than if he had another hobby that all the money was now gone? I am not saying it would not be better to be in the mainstream hobby, but many or most of these firms customers would be into stock car racing or sports memorabilia if they did not buy coins from these firms. These companies are not stealing customers from traditional dealers.
     
  14. LostDutchman

    LostDutchman Under Staffed & Overly Motivated Supporter


    We don't disagree on much here. I do agree that there are a lot of problems in this hobby today. I do agree that these firms expose a lot of non collectors to the hobby. What sticks in my craw is the fact that these companies are peoples first and last exposure to the hobby. They get people interested and they buy some pieces... and then as they want to learn more information they find a local coin dealer who breaks the news to them.. and for the majority of people that's the end of the road. They are mad or disillusioned or think that everyone who sells coins is crooked and never pick it up again.

    Personally that's not the exposure I like to see the hobby getting.
     
  15. mkwelbornjr

    mkwelbornjr Junior Member

    Thos particular coins are not what I would buy personally from PCS. I lean towards the stuff that has more to it thats a developed program...not just coins in fairly simple packaging. I enjoy the colorful coin covers, panels, etc. Here are some pics of some items from PCS and their sister division Danbury Mint. Danbury Mint is doing a cool set of 1 ounce silver Presidential Medals for the same price each as a US Mint Commem. The PCS coin replicas are pure silver or pure silver with gold plating. I tend to like any and all privately struck medals or coins of the realm.

    The last pics are recent Franklin Mint programs. The very last gold medal is a 24kt gold at 1.5 ounces struck at the Franklin Mint in the USA for their Japanese division honoring the Ann. of Dutch Exploration of Japan. Franklin Mint closed its minting facility in 2002...which had already been downsized over the years from the large 1970's operation.


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  16. mkwelbornjr

    mkwelbornjr Junior Member

    There are people dissapointed daily with anything that can be purchased. People have the wrong expectations. In the case of these coins the advertising may be very clear but you will be amazed how people ignore that and continue on with their misinformation. I have heard many in the general public who think the US Mint Golden Dollars are real gold...asking me how much gold is in there. Are we going to bash all the marketers because of these people. Lacking even the most simple knowledge that gold in a $1 coin that can be spent for $1 is insane...but even then they continue to think that. So if you can't read a PCS ad that states "Plated in gold to enhance the design to create a showpiece for your home" and see it for what it is...and is clearly described then its not the marketers problem.

     
  17. mkwelbornjr

    mkwelbornjr Junior Member

    I will post some FM minted item pics soon.

    As to the other discussions....coin collectors can be core..and they can be fringe. Both equally important..both have different interests. Then we have the completely misinformed.."I am going to buy state quarters as they come out in sets for $19.95 from PCS or even the US Mint (guess what ... they offer that stuff too)....and the "I can retire with this one day." Thats an issue with the person...one that should not be taken out on companies who sell and advertise a product they develop and create at a high R&D cost.


     
  18. Luna

    Luna New Member

    Hi Matt, I just joined this forum because I've been looking for information on my mother in law's PCS collection, and here I find this thread! Here's my dilemma: She got into the PCS collection very heavily (in addition to Danbury Mint and other "collectible" outfits).

    When she passed away, we found boxes and boxes of unopened items from PCS, plus numerous binders and display cases. I'm just overwhelmed with the scope of it all and have no desire whatsoever to open everything and try to sort it. I know it may not be worth much, but it might be worth something to someone who collects the stuff. I suppose I could try to unload it on Ebay, but I'm hoping for other suggestions too.

    I'd like to know if anyone has any suggestions on the best way to dispose of this huge collection without having to open it all and see what's there. Would a coin dealer or a pawn shop just laugh at me? Am I better off just hauling it all to Goodwill?

    Thanks so much!

    Nancy
     
  19. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Howdy Nancy -

    While it is pretty much a certainty that you will never recover what your mother paid, that does not mean that everything you have is worthless. Depending on what you have exactly and how much of it, the total sum might be substantial. Gold and silver alone are worth 5 to 6 times what they were worth just 10 years ago. Every silver dime is worth at least $2, a quarter $5, a half $10, and a dollar over $20. And many of them could well be worth more than that, depending on what they are. So no, it would not be a good idea to just chuck it all or give it away.

    Unfortunately the only way to find out what you have is to sort it all out and make a list. Once you have a list, then if you present that list here we can offer some help. You might need to even take pictures of some items, at our direction, so we can help you evaluate what you have and what it might be worth.

    Sounds like a daunting task I know, and yes it is a lot of work. But when you start thinking of it as throwing away hundred dollar bills by doing nothing - well, you get the idea.
     
  20. Luna

    Luna New Member

    Oh I know I'll never get anywhere near the money that my MIL paid, but I don't want to just give it away if there is at least some value. The coins come in fancy binders and panels such as "the Complete Collection of 1963. U.S. One Dollar Barr Notes" or the "US Silver Dollar Collection" or the "State Quarters Collection". I'm assuming that the only real value is in the metal content, so how do I know if there's actually real silver or gold in them?

    And do I have to take them all apart and remove the coins?

    Thanks!

    Nancy
    2012-06-20_14-31-58_653.jpg 2012-06-20_14-31-38_295.jpg 2012-06-20_14-33-26_938.jpg 2012-06-20_14-34-14_382.jpg
     
  21. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    As GDJMSP said, making a list would be a good start. The 23 Peace is silver while the NY quarters are clad (CN, not silver) and have no melt value. One thing to consider though is that some of this stuff may have novelty value. Not a lot, but possibly more than you would get by scraping it. I know a guy who sells such things in an antique mall and does rather well considering the product. Point is that the right person might be willing to pay somewhat of a premium above face for whatever has no real numismatic or melt value. While its highly doubtful you will recoup anywhere close to the initial investment, you might as well try to get as much as possible.

    Leave them in the packaging until the list is finished.
     
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