Why are world coins so cheap?

I'm listing some really old world coins on eBay. Some are from the early 1800s.

Thing is, a large copper US coin out of the early 1800s, in good condition brings $20 plus.

Yet, some world coins, that are large copper, and of the early 1800s, are worth much less.

Is there such a high demand for US coins, that it has inflated the price, or is there something else?

 

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I'm not sure but I think it has to do with the market and supply and demand. More people collect US coins than world coins.

 

Well, you are comparing coins of 1 country to coins from many countries. The U.S. mint was still pretty new at this time, but other countries had their coin making stuff established for years. What I'm trying to say is that U.S. coins from that time period are less common.

 

I mean..look at this!
An Austria coin from 1816, in fine condition, sold for about $5.50 out the door.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item4845385885&item=310398965893&nma=true&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&rt=nc&si=8zfrGf3eFX9yiMw7XE2NEdTfL%252B8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_500wt_1054

 

I actually just bought that exact same coin for 10 cents.

 

IMHO, the designs are inferior. Look at the example above. Basically only writing, no real artistic beauty. On a large cent or any equivalent, the United States was really trying to spread this whole idea of Freedom and Liberty. And it worked for over 100 years.

 

Read the listing: "Struck until 1852 with this date." Consider how many coins could have been made all with that date and how many people want a coin with a legend reverse and no special artistic merit or interest on the obverse. What would be the demand? I suspect that collectors interested in the coin already have a nice one.

 

I dunno, I've a lot of old french coppers 5¢-10¢, etc that cost me well, nickels & dimes. They're so beautiful the designs were imitated on at least 3 continents. Supply maybe, but it's exposure, demand, & patriotism or heritage that I believe push our prices past many european countries.

 

Often times, foreign coins are less expensive...but that is not always true. I have a WWII German coin that is quite valuable.

The reason they tend to be less expensive is simple economics. It's supply and demand. If the demand is lower (which it is for many types of foreign coins)...they will be easier to find and thus be less expensive.

 

I've traveled a lot around the world and it seems that the US has more coin collectors than other places. As such, there is more demand for US coins than other world coins. It is also interesting that many coin collectors from other countries collect US coins more than coins from other countries other than perhaps their own. The Chinese are starting to collect US coins in some numbers now. It is pushing some demand in US coins over the demand for say German, French, or Dutch coins.

 

Cheap? I'd say "No". I don't know about USA, but in Russia (and especially in Siberia) it is rather expensive. And, as for USA's coins: these coins very expensive too (in Russia). For example: "states" quarter-dollar coins (Cu-Ni) we have for 1 $ 30 cents for each.

 

US coins are the most overpriced, (by maybe a factor of 5) versus rarity in the world. World coins are not really undervalued, US coins are just overpriced.

 

Smart money for the future? Foreigns......that's if you've got an eye to the future. A lot of these coins were issued in smaller numbers when compared to US issues and they circulate, so pristine examples will be rare down the road. Just can't bring myself to do it though. Danged collector in me don't collect for profit but for some enterprising young lion?.........

 

Oh, yeah. And I don't know why! For example: circulations (mintages) of quarter-dollar coins are huge, but in Russia they cost much!

 

geography ... what's cheap in one place of the world is damn expensive in another

 

I wonder this a lot too, but it's not the same across the board. Some countries' coins seem to be hot now. If you look at the Krause, coins from some countries which are apparently cold sell for a fraction of their Krause value, and other hot countries sell for multiples of those values. It also depends if the seller is shipping internationally I think. I've noticed some sellers get bids that are several times higher than others, and I think it's because they ship internationally. Maybe there is pent up demand in other countries which are pushing these higher.

You can get a British penny or half penny with a fantastic design and great eye appeal from the 1800s for a dollar or two in many cases. In my opinion that's way underpriced. But I try to buy some New Zealand half crowns from the 1950s and 60s that Krause says are worth less than a dollar and the bidding goes up to $5, $6. Cayman Island coins have mintages of a few hundred thousand, but no one wants them. It doesn't always make sense.

 

Oh, my friend I must to pay (here in Siberia) a giant price for a World coins. For example: this British halfpenny I've got for 30 $! I'm sure that it's too expensive... but what can I do?...

 

This whole thread is a testament of why priceguides suck, coins are only worth what someone will pay....

 

Because who the heck wants to start a set of Yugoslavian or Cambodian coinage?! (I honestly don't if those countries even strike their own coins, but you get the point...)

It's all about demand. The demand there is for a certain country's coin(s), the more it will likely command on the market.

-Brian

 

it's all about geography, usa coins are in demand for collectors in the usa, whereas over here uk coins are the most popular coins to collect. i do not know any uk based collectors who exclusively collect usa coins, but i know quite a few who collect world and uk coins.......