what are the best deals in numismatics today? (any price)

Gold coins. And I don't mean modern bullion rounds. Numismatic gold is suprisingly cheap. You can pick up untold numbers of 100+ year old gold coins for practically spot. Thats a lot of history. And with mintages on most that make modern coins (ie 1909 s vdb Lincolns, ect..) look downright over-produced.
Guy~

 

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Have you tried to buy any gold coins recently for "practically spot"? If so, please share your buy price and date.

FWIW, recently there has been a huge divergence between the "spot" price and "street" price for gold coins. Don't believe me? Call any large retail or wholesale dealer of these coins and ask, or just look on eBay for what these coins have been going for recently.

Respectfully...Mike

 

THanks for your response!

I tend to agree with you about a number of the clad coins you bring up. They certainly seem to be undervalued, and should appreciate over time. The question in my mind is WHEN, and my sense is that it will be many years before many of the clad sleepers catch up to their rarity. But if (when) they do, watch out.

However, the examples I put forth are likely to have a much more predictable path upwards.

Both, however, have room for price appreciation going forward, in my opinion.

Thanks again for your thoughtful response...Mike

p.s. you also make a very good distinction between sleepers and stores of value.

 

Conditional rarity based on an arbitrary strike characteristic on 1% of the coin is not real rarity -- in my humble opinion....Mike

 

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Silver Eagles. Beautiful coin, very affordable. Future rise in price....probably not. West Point MM are pricey but a full set is attainable.

 

I'm getting confused by all of these similar threads... I made a point in a different one which bring pointing out here.

You're entirely right... There has to be an event which occurs which causes the spike to happen... Knowing WHEN these spikes are going to occur is of course impossible. But knowing that they WILL occur can sometimes be determined.

I strongly suspect that we're seeing the last days of the Jefferson nickel. The base metals are too expensive to continue producing them with their current composition. The U.S. Mint WILL be changing the planchet. I don't know when, but I suspect it isn't too far in the distant future. Now what does will this event have in regards to the collectability of the series? More than likely not much long term, BUT I suspect in the short term after the event you'll see a substantial price run up on the upper end coins of the series (Well struck MS examples with mintages of under 10 million is where I'm buying (and right now they're super cheap)).

One last point FS is not an "arbitrary strike characteristic". It is how the coin was designed to be minted. Well struck early examples are very tough to find. I've attempted a FS set and it is in total disarray. I think of arbitrary strike characteristics as being die cracks and the like (which I don't actively collect... If I run across one roll searching I keep them and then sell them on eBay.)

 

The point I was trying (and apparently failed) to make was that the FS label is granted based on an arbitrary detail comprising 1% of the coin yet it is the focus of a huge increase in price (just like FH or FBL or FT). To wit, the obverse or dome or other feature of Monticello can be weak yet if the steps are there it is an FS coin --- to me that's arbitrary. Again to me, this is a type conditional rarity, and not a true rarity. That's not to say that FS coins aren't rare, nor that they don't deserve a premium, but rather that a single (arbitrary) detail was chosen and a huge premium attached to this detail being fully struck...Mike

 

Help, I searched but could not find your albums. How do I find it? Thanks!

 

OK... I understand what you're getting at now. You're entirely correct. In general a coin with FS will exhibit a strong strike on other facets, but if it doesn't than the FS is without meaning. This is one of those times when Buying the coin and not the slab (or 2x2 or whatever it's being held in) is worth it's price in gold ( or nickel as the case may be).

 

Your Great Brittains are truly beautiful , the mundry coins are super sweet , weren't they given to the poor or for some reason .
rzage

 

what about early commens? they're down a little these days, and collectors have respect fot that series...

 

hmm I rest my case

 

I disagree with this. The current economic situation has driven the premium over melt on these coins to unheard of highs ($400-$500 over melt right now). 4 months ago the premium was about $50-$100 over melt for these same coins.

Right now I think junk silver and scrap gold are good buys, just don't pay any premium over melt

 

Actually, yes I have. People are so caught up in buying bullion gold, they overlook real gold coins (numismatic gold). Every coin shop in my area has a lot of gold in non bullion form, and everyone seems to avoid it. And yes, it is selling for about 5% over spot.
Guy~

 

Same at my shop, and yes I've got my eye on a bunch of it.

 

Low mintage, yet low price... due to low demand.

So the question is... why would demand suddenly pick up for certain series ? They've been out a long time.

I think some "sleepers" are gonna sleep a really long time.