Looking at some slabbed early half dollars. One slab has 0-107 on it. What is that? If it can be either, is it good or bad? I googled it and didnt see any clear cut explanations. secondarily... (Instead of starting a new thread, Id also like youre input on investing in a extra leaf vairety 2004 d Wisconsin State quarter. I looked at its (at various grades, but especially MS64-67) performance according to NGC and over the last about 6 yrs, its had a big early drop and then a flatening out and now has a slight rise. I personally think the chances of it being worth more in 20 yrs than now, adjusting for inflation, is 50/50. But I also think it has a decent chance of having a big payoff and spending $1000 on a few of them is worth it. Theres one guy selling them at a VERY reasonable price compared to others and its price history. Hes from Arizona and doesnt seem to knowledgeable on coins. Im figuring he got several from the bank and racked up! )
The O.107 Refers to the Overton Variety. Al C. Overton's United States Early Half Dollar Die Varieties is the most widely used reference of Early Half dollars. Some die pairings are much rarer than others. What year was the half?
Maybe the guy from Arizona is more realistic? Be careful when investing in coins my friend, for most assuredly you will be disappointed in the long run. Coin collecting is a hobby, not an investment strategy.........
The guy in Arizona probably paid 5c for them and then whatever it costs to have them graded. If I invested that little and the payoff for a $30 investment was $300, I'd sell them too. Maybe keep back a handful btw, Im not going crazy and investing big bucks in this stuff. Ive bought and bought and bought silver bullion and Im bored. I want to buy a few numismatics. As long as I keep the numis venture to less than 10% of my bullion I'm fine.
1822 O.107 is R2 (Rarity) 500-1000 known. Semi uncommon, but according to Overton the only variety in the series with a button on the front fold on Liberty's cap.
I know this is woefully simplistic and of course you can lose money investing in coins, but coins from 200 yrs ago that are mint condition are worth a fortune. Obviously, you cant invest in a coin and then hold it for 200 yrs, but you can see that they do indeed appreciate. The error coin I mentioned above may be a bad example, since it has so quickly reached a high price and its questionable whether the error will be of significance in the future. Personally, it seems to me that the state quarter program brought in a lot of new collectors. The vast majority very casual, non-investors, but Im sure it introduced many people that will do it life-long and become hardcore. That this coin, so far as I know, stands out among all of them, insofar as current interest and errors, seems to me a very promising position for it to be in. The downer IMO is the number that have been certified, though the total number of existing coins is very low. I also know that being educated can give you an advantage. Im reading The Expert's Guide by Bowers. Its a beautiful hardcover that I snagged off ebay for less than $9 delivered! I'm having fun with it and I'm hoping my interest doesn't wane and I continue to learn and can use it to my advantage. Really wish I had a local coin dealer. grrr. Next week maybe I'll take 1/2 the day to drive to the next city and visit a few.
My suggestion sir is to wait and educate yourself more before spening too much on coins. "Investment" and collectible coins are two terms that really should not be uttered in the same breath. Yes, you are likely to not lose all of your money in coin collecting, but investing is investing, collecting is collecting. TBH, the best advice is to collect what you love. The best returns in coins usually comes from someone truly loving the series they collect, therefor recognizing the best values out there. If you told me you had collected high grade clad coins for a decade and thought that particular coin has all of the makings of appreciating, I would STILL say to not to "invest" in coins, but would feel much more comfortable about your decision. Just my opinion sir. I simply have seen too many "movers and shakers" get burned in coins over the last 35 years of collecting. Always remember the only reason a coin is ever worth more than melt is due to collectors desiring it. Since this is partly a function of psychology, there are no guarantees. I could write a list on all of the series people thought were "hot" and lost their shirts on. TBH, most minor varieties like you list have their highest prices ever the first day, and go down from there. Comparing early american coinage where they had tiny mintages and 99.99% of the coins were lost since almost no one collected for 70 years, to high grade modern coins with tens of thousands slabbed the moment they leave the mint, is a stretch to say the least.
And how do you plan on liquidating the coins? Buying is a lot easier than selling. I would recommend investing the same amount of money in a mutual fund. Then compare the two in 10 years and 20 years. And remember selling is not so easy. Even selling on ebay you will not be guaranteed breaking even or making money.
I believe that there is great potential in coins. To me they are a preserved piece of American History. This history will never go away. I believe there is huge potential in certain toned (slabbed) coinage as well as other niches in the market. When I study numismatic price guides and adjust them to inflation, the price of coins only rises. Yes in 2009 the price dropped out, but so did everything else. Furthermore the value of coins dropped months after the stock market crashed. (No doubt people needed to free up money). With that being said I believe the next 20 years will be a buyers market compared to what is to follow.
Well, maybe thats what Ill do in my early retirment yrs, if Im still into it. Does it take much to do the occasional coin show? Might be fun if nothing else. Id assume one would come thru once or twice a yr to the larger city about 50 miles from here.
