Does anyone collect foreign gold .1867's?

Discussion in 'Bullion Investing' started by andrew289, Aug 7, 2009.

  1. andrew289

    andrew289 Senior Analyst

    Does anyone collect or hoard the Swiss 20 Francs or French Roosters?

    Do you just buy then for portability and cashability in the event of total economic collapse or is anyone actually trying to assemble a date set.

    One dealer says that most of the "ends of days" doomsday folks buy them like candy. He said when the economy collapses, try buying groceries with a 1 oz gold eagle. Those would be for huge purchase but for food and water folks would need a stash of 1/10, 1/5, 1/2, coins for commerce.

    At about the size of a nickel, that are kinda cool to stack.
     
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  3. Fullmoonkid

    Fullmoonkid Member

    Why collect foreign when the problem as supposed would be easily overcome with Silver rosies,mercs,barbers etc any size you like right up to morgans.
    Quarter eagle,half eagle,lots of small gold too,then theres bullion.I dont know many coin collecters that dont also have a handsome stash of bullion.
     
  4. John the Jute

    John the Jute Collector of Sovereigns

    Hi Andrew,

    Yes, people collect them, and yes, people hoard them.

    The hoarders I've known tend to be people who fear a massive crisis for the US dollar; not, perhaps, a return to the stone age, but certainly hyperinflation. And, as your dealer friend says, selling a 20 franc coin would enable you to buy a week's groceries.

    In the 1930s, when things were nearly this bad, the government called in privately owned gold, but exempted pre-1933 gold coins. Hoarders who fear this happening again often choose coins like the Swiss 20 franc Vrenelli, which are available at a modest premium over metal value.

    Other hoarders, who agree about the possibility of economic meltdown, think these folk are mistaken about a government call-in. They think it more important in the US to have legends in English and weights in ounces. So they hoard quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce US gold Eagles.

    Collecting 0.1867 ounce coins is, I think, rather different. These coins have considerable historical interest; they are part of the fabric of the 19th century. They started as French 20 franc coins when Napoleon Bonaparte was consul of the French Republic, before he became emperor. They then spread across Europe through the Napoleonic Empire and the Latin Monetary Union, and were minted in Belgium, Italy, Austria, Finland, Russia, and many other places.

    I suspect that most serious collectors are French speaking. But there will be US collectors too.

    Later,

    John
     
  5. andrew289

    andrew289 Senior Analyst

    Thanks for the info.

    There are also tax benefits from buying foreign coins as they are not reportable to the IRS. All american eagles bullion sales get reported to the IRS buy sellers like Apmex and other bullion wholesalers. I like the fact that big brother won't know I have 50 swiss 20 francs.
     
  6. danisanub

    danisanub Finance Major

    That's why I use ebay, big brother can't see my hidden buyers name! ;)
     
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