First Spouse gold...Are they Bullion or Collectibles??

Congrats!! :hail:

I think they call them "bullion" due to the purity, only. Title 31 refers to them as "Numismatic Items"...therefore, would never be sold via the Mint's Authorized Purchasers (AP) program.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

The "they" that call them bullion includes PCGS and NGC. If they're basing it on purity only, won't they have to stop calling Eagles bullion?

PS: I think the rest of the "they" call them bullion because they're not interested in collecting them! Of course that definition might make a lot of the Mint's numismatic offerings bullion...

 

I was referring to the US Mint (US Government). First Spouse coins are legally classified as "Numismatic Items" (which have different legal status than bullion coins) therefore, by definition, are not bullion. I think the Mint called them "bullion" to appeal to bullion investors.

Take AGEs, for instance...there are bullion AGE coins (sold by APs) and Numismatic AGEs (sold by the Mint). They all have the same PM purity, but they're not both "bullion" from a legal perspective...they're made differently. The Mint should have never referred to First Spouse coins as "bullion"...it just confuses the conversation.

 

I was kinda directing my first post to the OP's question.

(Edit: this one was @ you, yakpoo!) When did the Mint refer to them as bullion?

I liked it better when NGC had them in their own category under Modern Commemoratives. Now I have to navigate to the bottom of the Gold Bullion pile...

 

Ooops...sorry.

Just in case you don't get a response...it was Congress who referred to them as "bullion" in the original legislation. If you scroll down to section (o), you'll see that the title is..."First Spouse Bullion Coin Program". They're called "bullion" all through the section. The last paragraph (Para. 10) states...

This is the confusing part...Sections 5134 and 5136 refer to the "US Mint Public Enterprise Fund" which seems to be a separate accounting mechanism for Mint's "Franklin Mint" operations.

I've read where the term "Numismatic Item" has a legal connotation for things like taxes, confiscation, etc. If First Spouse coins are only Numismatic Items for purposes of accounting...but really "bullion", that would be a nice factoid to nail down.

 

I agree with green18 the Jefferson Liberty is a beautiful coin. I've been buying Mint gold coins and graded gold coins from other sources for several years.
However I was underwhelmed with the first spouse gold coins 'til just now checking out the Jefferson Liberty First Spouse. Got to pick up one of those.
Are there other FS coins that are stand outs?

What is the diameter of the FS coins?

http://www.firstspousecoins.us/home/jeffersons-liberty-first-spouse-gold-coins/

 

Thanks yakpoo, I didn't know that. Very interesting. Take a look how I edited my previous post!

 

This is a nice subset to compile...



First Spouse Gold Coin Specifications
Conditions: Proof or Uncirculated
Date: [Year of coin]
Mint: West Point
Mint Mark: "W"
Diameter: 1.043 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)
Composition: .9999 Fine Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554g) (min.)


EDIT: When I gaze upon my Liberty subset, I feel like the "Fifth Element". (it's a movie...Bruce Willis?)

 

I get it now...:bangg: (thanks, btw...I've been trying to find a use for each of the new emoticons and I hadn't used that one, yet)

 

Very very nice subset. When was it issued? Sorry I missed that one. I think i can identify jefferson, van buren & jackson. what is the fourth coin?

 

I put mine in the same box, in the same order! (cracked them out of NGC 69s)

PS: the 4th is Buchanan

 

Cool. Where did you get the box?

a quick google search turned a lot of the coins.

 

James Buchanan was the fourth...designed after the Liberty Head Gold Eagle of the time. It came out in 2010...just before the Mary Lincoln, but had an early sellout.

 

The box is an '07 four-coin box that is no longer available from the Mint. Can probably find it on feeBay.

 

A fellow CT First Spouse lover sold me both the Proof and Unc boxes. The first year the coins were issued (2007), the Mint sold a four (4) coin multi-coin display boxes; one for the Uncs and a different one for the Proofs. The problem was that you still got the individual boxes and had to buy the multi-coin display boxes separately...they weren't cheap.

Most folks were sending their coins to be graded and didn't even want the single boxes they came in. Net result...very few of the multi-coin display boxes were ever sold and they were discontinued after the first year. The multi-coin boxes are more rare than the coins themselves! The Mint changed the size of the plastic holders in 2008 so later coins don't even fit in the multi-coin display boxes...unless you transfer them to 2007 holders.

I think the Liberty subset looks really nice in the multi-coin boxes. I see them come up for sale on eBay once in a very long while. I always keep my eyes peeled for more.

 

Why say it in one line when you can stretch it out to three paragraphs?

 

You're very lucky to have that box/set. Sorry I missed that one. I'll probably wind up buying the four coins starting w/ the jefferson FS.

 

Yes, the Liberty set look great in box, I am missing Jackson, had to sell my Jefferson Unc to buy the 2011 spouse..

 

I was looking at my Liberty sub-set again earlier this week when I was at the bank and I still can't decide whether I like the proofs or the uncircuateds better... glad I got them both!!!

And I think they look just fine as is, no need for a special box I know I've posted the pic before, but it can't hurt to do so again!!!!

 

I didn't start buying gold coins until a year or so after the FS coins were released. Some of them are selling for big premiums. The four coins in the Liberty sub set are my favorites so far.

Yes, they look great even without the box.