I was selling some coins I didn't want for my collection on eBay and had a 1936 Iraq fils. I don't see a lot of Iraqi coins so I looked at some completed auctions first. Even though my 2008 Krause only lists the price at $1.25 in F and $4 in VF, completed auctions were a lot higher so I decided to do an auction instead of buy it now. Well, the auction just ended and the coin sold for $38! I did not see that coming. And the coin isn't exactly in uncirculated condition either. It makes me wonder if there's a hidden demand for coins from Iraq? Here's my listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/265037163173?transid=0&ul_noapp=true And here's the coin.
That's interesting. According to the 2 people bidding on it..... was an obvious bidding war. 1 person had to have it no matter the price.
Yeah, but four people were bidding on it and seven were watching it. Certainly more than I expect for what seems to be an unremarkable coin.
I suspect this is a US phenomenon - similar coins sell for very little in the UK, if at all. Were Iraqi coins banned on Ebay like Cuban coins at some stage?
I thought about this too. I suspect they were when Hussein was in power but that was a long time ago now.
Folks seem to be girding themselves against inflation by gravitating towards hard assets. I suspect the number of numismatic newcomers may be increasing.
The 1943 Faisal II as a Regent always go for way over the listed price. Must be something unusual about the 1936 coin. Although the mintages listed for the 1936 and 1938 are the same, the completed items history on ebay shows the 1936 is always high. I have an uncirculated 1938 purchased for under $10.00 within the last year or so.
Sure. It's not my dog, I stole the image of of the web. On another site, I use different dog avatar. Folks in that forum have dubbed him "Buzz". I can't imagine why. Sorry to get off topic.
Looking at Numista the mintage on the 1936 is 3 million. The 1938 is 36 million. I misread KM. That might explain it as a key date in the series.
My coin sales on eBay have been better than ever the past few months, but there's so many potential factors that it's hard to say what the reason might be.
Iraqi coins have been going for strong money. I have an uncirculated 1959 set on eBay right now, so the trend will probably end before next Sunday. HaHaHaHa
Yes, 1936 is a scarcer date and seems to command a premium well over cat value. Definitely something worth trying to cherry pick if you are ever sorting through random bins at a dealer or show.
