Hi all, Buying unc. Kennedy;s from the mint and sitting on them, good or bad??? Or do the dealers and vest pocket guys have a huge stock of them. Thanks Tony
I hope you aren't going to really sit on them IMO it would depened on the date...if you pick 1964 then yes the dealer most of the time have lots...but if you pick 1987 or 1970-D or 1982 or 1983....then that would be something else. Speedy
What years are you buying? I'd think anything 2002 and newer could have potential because so few were minted and they are hardly ever seen in circulation.
Right, but I was thinking 2002 more because production of the Kennedy half was seriously curtailed in 2002, to about 1/3 or less of previous yearly average totals. 2002-present might not have been released for general circulation, but someone is spending them. I've gotten a 2002-D, a couple of 2003-Ds and 2003-Ps, and a 2004-D from banks, in change, etc. I actually spent a couple of the 2003s, a decision I now regret- should have kept 'em! I checked the mint's Web site and it only lists rolls of 2001s and 2005s as being available.
I would never suggest anyone buy any coin for investment or speculation. Kennedys do make an interesting speculation since demand is continuing to grow and some are in fairly short supply. This doesn't mean that one can rush out and buy a lot of BU rolls with a reasonable expectation of making windfall profits though. Such an endeavor would likely net a lot of fairly common rolls and picked over coins from collectors. There were substantial numbers of most dates saved so price increases on these will be dependent on large growth in demand. Demand has been fairly strong for these right from the start so there are old collections around and there are coins that are being held back for higher prices. If you must speculate in these coins the best bet is probably to set aside nice choice uncs and proofs. There are very few Kennedy dates that aren't fairly abundant in low grade unc but taking a flyer on some of these might prove profitable. Check mint sets to see what the nice specimens look like and if you can find good quality in rolls then save them. Watch the varieties as well; some of these are underappreciated. Modern coins have been getting a lot more attention and Kennedys have always enjoyed good demand. This may prove to be one of their greatest assets or greatest liabilities. Time will tell.
Yes Yes, I am talking about bags from the mint, since they have not been released for circ. I am not saying that I want to buy them by the thousands, just a couple bags, few rolls. Thanks Tony
Just because the MINT didn't release them to Circ doesn't make much matter...I have gotten lots of halves and a few dollars dated after 2000 in change. That also doesn't mean that they didn't mint millions. I wouls suggest looking into some of the harder dates that I posted in my first post. Speedy
Setting aside current year coins has always been a good idea but you should be prepared to dump them into circulation when it becomes apparent they were a mistake. With the new halfs this would be an expensive proposition. Most of the other coins will be heavily saved so will require huge demand to be profitable. You might consider dimes. Always try to save a few of the nicest coins if you're dumping them in circulation.
I like the reverse design on the Kennedy halves a lot. I consider it the overall nicest coin produced by the mint since the end of silver coinage, but I don't know if they will ever become especially valuable in any grade.
well I look at it this way, if they increase in value good, if not they are never worth less than face. My kids and gradkids will have a few bags of new halves to keep that's all. Tony
Hi, There are a few ways of looking at this. I fall on the side of NOt getting them for this reason alone. Your speculation depends upon the fact that collectors will want them. If there isn't a huge demand by now, I think it is unlikely that there will be later. These dates were available to collectors so the supply already met most of the demand. Also, they don't circulate so it doesnt matter if there are some scarce dates, so to speak since noone wants them. The supply will probably always exceed the demand. One good thing about grabbing them, if you still decide to do it is that it would be a bag or two that will be ouit of circulation for awhile. That will stop the guys on TV from hyping and inflating them up to $19.95 per coin. They still won't be worth more than 50 cents each. Just don't sue me if you decide NOT to get any they become worth a fortune Anything can happen so the choice is yours Have Fun, Bill
This is a logical viewpoint but there is a different way of looking at this whole thing. Kennedys are really unique among moderns in that they have always had some popularity. Much of this popularity has not been in the hobby mainstream but among the general population. These "collectors" are simply not well-versed in caring for coins or in identifying which coins might have the most potential to future collectors. Many times these collectors do not even have a formal collection but a shoebox or accumulation of Kennedys. I doubt I need to tell you of the deplorable state of the Kennedys that one finds at the bank. Despite the fact that these never truly circulated and haven't circulated at all since the mid-'80's the coins are in horrid condition. This is from the handling by "collectors" and their various trips through the counting machines after they are let go. Yes. There is an "adequate" supply of unc coins but this is only because the demand still lies largely outside of the mainstream. This supply tends to be BU rolls of coins and coins cut from mint sets but generally these coins are going to be unattractive specimens because these coins simply tend to be poorly made and marked up when they leave the mint. One can get some kind of idea of true demand by looking at the real supply. Pick a date like 1977 where there aren't any really nice coins in rolls and look at the mint sets where about 5% of the coins were issued as nice gems and a few of these as superb gems. Over the years there has been very little change in these percentages. Today most of these mint sets are gone forever due to the ravages of time but still nearly 5% of the survivors are nice gems!! (though many of these are tarnished now). This is even true for the bicentennial coin which was a one year type coin!!! While grass roots demand is growing and in danger of causing a real shortage in the raw coins in the near future there is still a growing demand by more advanced collectors in and out of the hobby for the scarce varieties and the scarcer high grade coins. Even among the MS-60 coins there are several dates which are much tougher than one would expect and would not be sufficient to supply a mass market were one to develop. It might also be noted that regular mintages of many dates were quite low by modern standards so even the beat up coins in circulation could be mostly consumed if the public became interested in these coins.
Hi, I agree, if the public became interested in these coins the scenario may make sense. There are some tough ones to find in nice shape. It will be a supply and demand thing so the idea may have some merit. I just remember the same logic applying to Bicentennial Halves and Quarters. People are still sitting on those waiting for them to be worth a "fortune" . I think inflation rates today resulting in a lower buying power for the coins probably caused a real decrease in their worth with respect to buying power over the years. I don't think the numismatic value will out pace inflation on that type of coin. This is not to say that gorgeous high grade examples of even common dates won't have numismatic value. I think they will. An MS-69 1986 P or D Kennedy would be a rarity. Have Fun, Bill
Every indication is that the public is becoming interested in modern coins. Mint sets have always accumulated in dealer stock and been destroyed enmass to form the date/ mint mark sets or to spend as the sets commanded very low prices. Now these sets are selling at very high prices to the public at many dozens of venues. Dealers rarely have much stock any more and prices are substantially higher than a few years back. Yet, still, there are increasing numbers of places that these sets are sold. When those retailing them need more stock they will bid up the prices on these sets. More interestingly is what will happen to the single coin prices when the mint sets are "gone". Right now if someone wants a '77 half in nice choice unc all he needs to do is go out and look at four ot five '77 mint sets and pick the nicest one. This will be far more difficult when the mint sets are hard to find and this will force many buyers to seek the coin from dealer lists. Dealers do not have large stocks of such material and most replenish from mint sets.
