Undervalued world rarities

As a primarily US collector, it's hard to find any true rarities that are somewhat affordable. What coins do you know of that are rare (say, less than 1000 estimated to exist, or URS-6), yet affordable (even if they don't come to market frequently)?

 

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Can you define what you mean by "affordable" -- that word can mean very different things to different people.

 

Good point.

Basically, I mean affordable relative to US coins. Consider the 1895 Morgan proof, mintage 880. This is a $40K+ coin in PF63. Or, a less extreme example, an 1861 seated dollar, mintage 1000. This coin will run you $3.5-5k in PF63.

I'm betting there are quite a few world coins with similar mintages that run half that or less.

 

There are plenty of modern non-circulating coins from obscure countries that have mintages that may be that low, but perhaps that's because hardly anyone wants them to begin with...

I do know that some of the coins minted by Canadian provinces such as Newfoundland offer a lot of "bang for the buck" in terms of rarity.

This would be true even for some of the less collected US series' such as half cents.

 

While not specific, this article may be interesting: http://www.coinweek.com/featured-ne...n-collecting-strategies-low-mintage-sleepers/ If you have a Krause world coins book, it will give you mintage figures.

 

Were you replying to my thread about carbon spots or this one about world coinage?

 

Alas, I was!

 

less than a 1,000 bring crazy money. do you have a specific country in mind ?

 

There are plenty of US coins with less than 1000 examples known for less than $1000. There are plenty of proof mintages for US coins in that range in the 1800's and even pattern coins in MS/PR grades that can be had for less than $1500. You just have to keep an eye out.

 

Rarities in world coins are not undervalued, more like US rare coins are overvalued.
On a world stage US coin production is relatively new.
At coin shows and antique fairs in the UK and Europe visitors attend from all over the world buying up coins produced before the US existed.
I don`t know of any dealers or collectors from overseas attending US coin shows and antique fairs to buy up US coins.
The grading and slabbing companies have inflated the prices of US coins and the US public are being conned.

 

I think there are still plenty of modern world coins that are grossly undervalued. Most of these have very high mintages and very low survival rates. Some rarities can be picked up for pennies but it's hard work separating the wheat from the chaffe.

 

I have on occasion picked up a low mintage (<10,000) commem for less than $100.

Just gotta keep your eyes open.

 

Well...something could be said about pricing of some world coins in the US. I have picked up both older & rare European coins in the US that would sell for 10-40X in their domestic collector markets. It's because US dealers don't know what they are and their premium. It's much harder to find these sort of deals in US coins--far less falls through the cracks.

 

I agree. I've had some pretty scarce world coins before that dealers here won't pay much for in the US because they don't sell well here. Just as US coins don't sell great in in other countries. It's all about markets and supply and demand.

 

h the release last year of the first "Magnificent Seven" Mexico Libertad Proof Set, and, the excitement for BU coins entering the market in 2 weeks, I'm banking on LIBERTADS...most of my funds will be into PROOF GOLD, and, some Proof Silver, and BU Silver...super low mintages, and a LOT of interest rght now(I'm DONE with 5 Oz ATB's, and swapping to Libertads)
http://world.mintnewsblog.com/2012/04/mexican-silver-libertad-bullion-and-proof-coins/
>

 

A few years ago I picked up an 1883 100 reis from Brazil, with a mintage of 2,700, for like $7. A little later I saw another one for sale and bid on it just because it was rare and cheap, and didn't win, but it also sold for less than $20.

Similarly, most early British Honduras coins have a mintage of between 10,000 and 40,000, but you can find them for $5-$10 mostly. There are also coins from Caribbean islands like Bermuda and Barbados from the 1970s with 4-digit mintage totals and they go pretty cheap (under $10).

 

Australian proof coins from 1955 - 1961 have mintages of around 1000 and most dates can be had in PR64-65 for $100 - $300.

 

Great article...thanks for the link.

 

classic usa commem halves have reached bargain prices i would think. as for non usa, i would focus on countries with strong growing economies and populations, and spend some time researching Krause values. like all speculations, values can and do get way too high or way too low. know where you are in the price cycle so you can buy low and sell high.