Well, I have pretty well exhausted my coin fund for the foreseeable future, considering the family trip to see the Mouse next year. I think to get my fix, I'll buy a few copper rounds a month. There are some designs (Zombucks, SBSS non-Freedom Girl) that I kinda sorta like, but not enough to drop $30, $40, $50+ for the silver/proof versions. This will give me something to search for and get at less than $5 each. No real value as bullion or as coins, but collectible none the less. Here is the first: Of course, it's Freedom Girl. Seller pic.
I've got the zombuck in copper and silver now as well as others, I like the silver bullet/silver shield's offerings and love the one you posted (added to buy list) but you have to love the zombuck walker...
There's a lot of designs I'd love to own, but can't justify spending silver prices for them, or I'll spend too much on art rounds to have any left for coins, right? I'd love to have a $10k+ budget for coins each year, but alas... so I have to budget where I can.
Bought three more over the past couple of weeks: Seller pics, 2013 Year of the Snake round. Zombucks Round: And most recently a 2013 Bull & Bear round:
Pretty pleased with the strike of the Zombucks - the Year of the Snake was a little rough, but there's a lot of field/void for bag marks. I haven't received the Bull & Bear.
What I do is to buy the big English pennies in the coin shop's foreign coin bin. They contain about a half an ounce of copper and can be had for about 12 and a half cents each. They might even have some numismatic value eventually also.
I got myself a couple more Silver Bullet Silver Shield copper rounds - the Slave Queen and the Trivium. I have to say, although I think Chris Duane is a bit off his rocker, the quality of these copper rounds is phenomenal. I think I may put together the whole set. And poised to get the Zombuff when it hits...
While I like copper, I doubt copper rounds will ever be intrinsically worth the premiums you have to pay for them. However, if you like them, and want to collect them, good for you. I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically, I respect any collectors wishes on what makes him happy to own.
They probably won't get to the price of the metal making it worth more, but the collector base for copper rounds is huge. If you check ebay, the zombucks draw pertty strong money. Morgue Ann has 2 that closed under $1, (no clue what happened) and the rest are over $2, the Walkers are mostly in the $3 range. I have a bunch of copper rounds, hundreds of them. Zombucks, SBSS, Norfeds, I'm not 100% sure why, but I've always liked them and for $20 or less for a tube of 20, what the heck.
My thoughts exactly - if I bought all the silver rounds I wanted, I'd spend hundreds. I get the ones I really want, then get the ones I'm wishy washy about in copper. I don't plan to sell them or use them for bullion value. They just make nice, affordable collectibles. That and the kids (4 and 5) can hold them and I don't pucker up about them getting damaged like my more valuable coins.
More power to you like I said. I like copper rounds as well, my favorite is a sestertius of Trajan. I was not commenting on eithrr collectibility or worthiness to be collected, simply the "bullion" aspect of copper.
My favorite is the "slave queen" though the walker comes a close 2nd with the Morgue Anne. So far I have the series in both copper and silver and plan to continue
I am with you on this. As much as I like the collecting aspect, I could never buy bullion that is grossly overpriced. I'd rather keep the cash and not own bullion. Copper is about 21-22 cents an ounce right now (spot). I just don't get why someone would spend 10x the spot price. Especially when there are similar-priced alternatives that have much more profit potential (from a numismatic aspect). With that said, if you really really enjoy buying/collecting overpriced bullion, then by all means do what makes you happy. I just can't see myself doing it. I think it's one of the biggest ripoffs going on right now.
If you want copper just hoard nickels or pre-82 penny's. Doing anything else and your just ...what was it P.T. Barnum said? "Thre's one born every minute" or something like that.
I get more enjoyment from showing those overpriced bullion pieces to friends that might have no other interest in coins. They still like and think they are "cool". Their low price, and presently popular motif's make them collectables rather then bullion in my eyes. This is a case more of "tokens" then bullion as for value, is smile worth 1,2 or 3 dollars? How about dozens of smiles each? Collecting is about enjoying what you collect, not how much the bottom line adds up to. If you want to invest there are much easier and profitable methods as few coin collectors ever really see a profit in their lifetimes.
That's where the difference lies. I getter a bigger smile out of not overpaying for bullion. I realize not everyone is like me though.
I guess maybe I don't collect these copper rounds as bullion. If I wanted copper, I'd buy #1 Scrap Copper and keep it in a box in the garage. These I collect more as exonumia. Tokens, art rounds, etc. And really, one of the cheaper ways to hoard copper is in 95% cents. You basically pay, what, 30-50% of melt value?
