Littleton Coin prices are mind boggling!

A few days ago I got a 2026 Littleton catalog in the mail. I get one every year to annually ''awaken'' my interest in coin collecting. I opened the first page and could not believe the prices this year. I had to go back to previous copies of bygone years to clarify what I was seeing. I have decided to create a list on the differences for fun. Enjoy!
All ''actual current prices'' are estimated and subject to coin value changes or error.

2026 American $50 Gold Eagles (91.67% purity)
2026:$5985
2024:$2910
Actual current value:$4629.34 (+$1355.67)

American Silver Eagles
2026:$99
2025:$49.95
2024:$45.95
Actual current value:$81 (+$18)

Lincoln Cent
2025 Cent:$3.95
2024 Cent:$0.25
Actual value: 1 cent

1908-1932 MS63 St. Gaudens $20 Eagle
2026:$6125
2024:$4100
Actual current value:$4545-$4900 (+1500+)

Roosevelt Dimes:
2025:$2.95
2024:$0.95
Actual value: 10 cents

50 coin tube of 2024-D LIncoln Cents
$12.50 (25 x face value)

Buffalo Nickel 1935-1937 Avg. circ.
2026:$6.50-$6.75
2025:$6.25
2024:$7.25
Actual current value:$1

Jefferson silver nickels 1942-1945 Avg. circ.
2026:$16.25
2025:$11.75
2024:$11.75
Actual current value:$5.40 (+$10.85)

Mercury silver dimes 1940-1945 Avg. circ.
2026:$21.50-$22.95
2025:$15.50-$16.25
2024:$15.50-$16.25
Actual current value:$7.56 (+$15.39)

1964 Kennedy Half dollar - Uncirculated
2026:$81.95
2025:$56.50
2024:$49.95
Actual current value:$40-$50

Eisenhower dollars 1976 Variety 2 - Unc.
2026:$17
2025:$14.25
2024:$14.25
Actual current value:$5

Also, can someone tell me what's up with the massive increase of silver spot price?
This chart is in no way is in no way for the purpose of bashing Littleton, it's just a little outrageous. Theyhave given me a lot of the knowledge of coins I have today.

 

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Well, a 2026 edition of the book would have been sent to print in Sept or Oct of 2025 so the prices published were accurate up to that time. Gold and silver did not skyrocket until later. There are no coin books that can anticipate the future.

 

Unless..... You have crystal ball or an 8 ball. Remember those things?

 

I was hoping you were here to tell us the reason for the massive increase of silver spot price.

Actually it's a combination of factors with no one thing doing it on it's own. The dollar losing value, economic uncertainty, World affairs, industrial demand, expected lower interest rates. Also, unprecedented demand for physical delivery from the Comex which at current rates will not be able to cover deliveries by March or April. The registered piles for delivery will be exhausted and they will be settling in cash at some point this year and we don't know what happens after that.

China banned export of silver starting Jan. 1st, 2026. And then.... you have all the hoarders on this forum that won't sell any of it back for the little guys. lol

 

I have bitten the Littleton bullet at times when I needed a single coin to complete a set of Native American or Innovation dollar coins that I couldn't find in roll searches. I did pay up for them but knew what I was paying for, which was mostly my time and effort in searching.

 

I'll jut say this. I would wager that Littleton introduced more new collectors to this hobby than anyone else. And when I was overseas in the Army long before anyone ever heard of an internet, their "coins on approval" envelopes helped keep my numismatic fires burning. Yes, their prices are high. But quite simply, we do not have to buy from them.

 

This caught my eye. I probably have 10 of them in my piggy bank. I kept getting them from the beer store over the past few months. Guess I should dig them out and put them on ebay for $100 each.

 

The cost of silver is going up in my opinion because of the digital age we are in. Silver is needed to create electronics (phones, tablets, laptops, ect.) that are constantly in high demand. Electric vehicles, which weren't too common 10 years ago, but now in great demand, require a good amount of silver to make them. Why? Pure Silver is the best known conductor of heat and electricity at stable temperatures. This ability that silver has is a valuable component in most electronics. The continued demand for EV's and smart phones I predict will drive up silver costs and demand. Major companies are considering mass producing robots to replace workers, When they make these, they will inevitably need silver. Now is the time to buy silver bullion before the tech companies drive up the prices like crazy, buying up all the available stocks.

I am also not a Littleton hater. Heck, I would not be posting on Cointalk if it was not for them. 4 years ago, I responded to an offer in the mail for a free Kennedy half dollar. With that came an evelope of coins to buy, and a catalog. That moment kickstarted the love of coins in a 13 year old boy who knew nothing about coins before. I'm now 17 and have quite a large collection. The chart I was making was mostly educational. Littleton's catalogs are very beautiful and colorful, and filled with so much information, that it's like a free version of Redbook.

Also, yes the price of Buffalo nickels did go down this year from 2024, but I think Littleton is making so much extra money from silver sales, that they believe that they can lower it slightly without large losses of revenue. Besides all of that, Littleton has just a large amount of great options for a coin company, even if the prices leave your wallet reeling.

 

It is so good to hear a younger voice here, and you have a great story. You should show us the chart you made.

 

Unfortunately your comparison does not include the price of PM’s, gold and silver, etc. Nor does it include the dates of those prices. You must take into account those things, along with how long it takes to have a price list printed and distributed. I have a dealer that had to scrape his list as prices changed too fast to keep up with what was current.

 

They do buy at strong prices - not because they need the items, but because they pay so much, dealers have no problem if they are picky.

I received a job offer from them for the buying department - and I was impressed with the facilities and the ambiance there. I spent the day working (unpaid LOL) as part of my interview process going through Morgan bags and grading coins of all denominations including gold.

Since metals went crazy, they had been revising buy and sell prices daily so they didn't have time to get in touch with me quickly, which I understand.

In that interim time, I secured a job at the coin shop I started my passion for numismatics at, and they gave me a very strong deal with a nice bonus structure - so, I told Littleton it was "not a never, but a not now"

So, I can say my dealings with them as both a wholesaler and as a applicant were positive.

That being said - 300+ employees gets costly, and the incredibly large warehouse and offices they have provide extra cost.