Collectible Bullion? Is it an Oxymoron?

Discussion in 'Bullion Investing' started by Good Cents, Jan 20, 2019.

  1. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    So, I know that there are coins with numismatic value, and then there is bullion. But what about a cross between the two? Can it exist? Does it make any sense? Does it have to be either/or? One or the other?

    This question stemmed from my indecision about breaking seals on full tubes of Canadian Silver 1oz 2016 Superman Shields. (It's a beautiful coin, btw.) I bought 4 tubes from one of the big dealers at the same cost as what I would have paid for 1oz current year Silver Maple Leaf. Are they worth the same? Are they worth more? And if I would break the seals on the tubes would they be worth less? My reason for wanting to break the seals on the tubes is because like the Canadian Silver Leaf they are not packed tightly in the tubes and there is empty space on top where they shift when I move the box holding them. I want to put something there to keep them from moving around. But if I break the seals will they be worth less? I would think that eventually the seals would need to be broken because neither I nor my family in 100 years from now would be able to sell them without the buyer breaking the seals to examine them. Besides, the "seals" are nothing very special, they are a simple sticker with "Superman" written in the Superman font and colors (attached a picture). The full tube of I have of Australian Silver Koalas has a more official looking seal with a holographic design (attached pic) and I would imagine that keeping that sealed makes a difference. Though who would ever, ever buy it without examining the contents? Would be interested in any thoughts you have on this.

    Then I have a couple of 1oz gold coins that I think may be collectible, which I bought at a low % over spot, similar as I would have paid for current year Gold Eagle or Gold Maple Leaf. One is a 1oz Gold Britannia with Oriental Border, another is a 1oz Great Britain Two Dragons. Nice looking coins. Is there more value to them than bullion? I would like to stick to only buying the Gold Maple Leaf for 1oz coins because of the security features. But are counterfeiters really going to bother with a coin of 5k mintage?
     

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  3. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    This is what happens when you open up a sealed tube of Superman Bullion!
    super.gif
     
  4. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    First, welcome to the neighborhood, GC!

    Of course, there are two schools of thought regarding your dilemma:

    A coin collector would be most interested in the condition of each coin as it pertains to value when it is graded. Naturally, they would be more apt to break open the roll to find, either, the best specimens for grading or possible errors which may carry a premium.

    A bullion collector doesn't care about the value of any individual coin based on condition. They only care about their value as the price of the precious metal rises and falls.

    The way I see it, the tube and the seal, thereon, are meaningless in both cases. That is, unless you consider the third school of thought....which would be the fool who believes that the seal and the tube are the only things that affect the value of the "bullion coins".

    Chris
     
  5. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    Hi Chris.

    Thank you for the welcome!

    And thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm relatively new to bullion and coin collecting, though I've been stamp collecting since I was a kid.

    Are there really errors in today's bullion? I would think there wouldn't be any errors in the past 3 years as so much is computerized now and computers don't fall asleep on the job or check their text messages as the coins roll by for inspection.

    I don't know much about sending coins in for grading or what makes one coin "more perfect" than the next. Seems like an expensive gamble to me with not enough reward to balance out all the failures and time. Does anyone make money on it or just break even after all the money spent on the duds?
     
  6. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    Great! Haven't seen that since the 80's! Gene Hackman did a great job as Lex Luthor! And who can forget Christopher Reeves?! I wonder how his kids are doing, his wife died shortly after he did. Tragedy multiplied.
     
    paddyman98 likes this.
  7. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    It is possible to find errors. Computers don't control everything. Machines are still needed to turn the planchets into coins, and sometimes those machines can break down.

    Submitting coins for grading becomes easier as you learn more about those coins and the grading system, but that doesn't happen overnight. It takes years of study and learning about grading and how it is applied by a particular grading service.

    Chris
     
  8. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    Interesting. It didn't even occur to me to look through the coins for errors. I'll give a look after I (YIKES!) break the seals!

    Thanks for the info!
     
  9. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    Just make sure you handle the coins carefully so as not to damage them when taking them out of the tube. You may even want to buy a few pairs of the cotton gloves that are available at coin supply stores online.

    Chris
     
  10. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    Yes, I have cotton gloves and will do that. Thank you. I have a feeling they were more damaged by all the jostling due to their not being packed tightly into their tubes by the Canadian Royal Mint than anything I would do to them. (CRM needs to revamp their tubes so that there is no space between the top silver coins and the lid.) I bought them for the cost of bullion, so whatever it may be, I'm fine with it.
     
  11. abuckmaster147

    abuckmaster147 Well-Known Member

    Just wondering if you did a E bay search for already sold items? On the sealed compared to open?
     
  12. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    I didn't think of that. I just did a search and there is really only one seller - Bullion Exchanges - that sells and has sold the full tubes of 25. They sell them sealed. I'm not sure it matters, so, I'm going to break the seals.

    If a genie pops out I'll let ya'll know! :)
     
    abuckmaster147 likes this.
  13. Ana Silverbell

    Ana Silverbell Well-Known Member

    The price of unopened rolls (25 coins) is cheaper per coin than the price of single Superman coins, so an argument can be made that they are worth more opened. Superman coins will never be worth enough to make a person wealthy even if the person buys them at a competitive price.

    For me, the place where bullion and numismatic coin collecting overlap is the enjoyment experienced by a collector when he holds a coin and studies it. On the rare occasion that I buy a bullion coin, I buy it because I like the design and it is fun for me to look at the coin. I get little or no enjoyment from a sealed bullion roll.
     
    Seattlite86, Good Cents and CasualAg$ like this.
  14. juris klavins

    juris klavins Well-Known Member

    I'm sure there are some eBay sellers who make a modest profit selling single bullion coins from full tubes - they pay $17+ each in tubes of 25 (RCM), sell for $22-23 each as singles minus seller fees.
     
    Good Cents likes this.
  15. mpcusa

    mpcusa "Official C.T. TROLL SWEEPER"

    The topic of graded bullion comes up from time to time in this forum
    But i really have to shake my head on why anybody would want to
    Grade a bullion coin, most are B/U so why should anybody seek out
    a higher grade for something you want to make money on ?
    The premiums are ridiculous and most of the time you wont get that
    Premium back !
     
  16. CasualAg$

    CasualAg$ Corvid Minions Collecting

    There are many types of bullion collectors. Art bar collectors, Engelhard collectors, rounds, various series (e.g. religious, political, Zombucks). Collectible is in the eye of the beholder.

    So, not an oxymoron.
     
    kaparthy, JPeace$ and Good Cents like this.
  17. mpcusa

    mpcusa "Official C.T. TROLL SWEEPER"

    Huge difference from being a collector or an Investor its called making money !
     
    Good Cents likes this.
  18. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    That's a good point. The collector is willing to spend money on his collection simply to enjoy it, whether or not he is ever able to sell it or make money on it. The investor is interested on turning a profit of some sort either for himself or for those who inherit his assets down the line.
     
    mpcusa likes this.
  19. Good Cents

    Good Cents Well-Known Member

    Sometimes I buy both, like I did with the Superman coins. I bought a few sealed tubes, as well as a lose coin for display because it's a nice coin. I got it all at a great price so I'm glad I did that. The tubes are the investment, the single lose coin is for my collection. This is not a big investment, to be sure, it's just a good example of my question about the subject.
     
  20. TheFinn

    TheFinn Well-Known Member

    I want to see what I'm buying. If I'm going to gamble, I'll bid on one of those rolls of cents with a dime on the end.
     
    slackaction1 likes this.
  21. mpcusa

    mpcusa "Official C.T. TROLL SWEEPER"

    I couldnt have said in better :)
     
    Good Cents likes this.
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