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Mexican minors are really cheap now!

pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,322 ✭✭✭✭✭

In watching the various auctions, including today's SB auction, I've noticed that Mexican minor coins (1/2R, 1R, 2R, 4R, 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 25c, and 50c) are languishing in price. I believe this to be because former "big" collectors of these are out of the hobby with some actively selling or having sold their collections. And few really know their true rarity since there is little information published.

If someone is looking for a cost-effective collecting area, you might want to pick some subset of these and start collecting them. Or even (shishhhh) investing some of the better ones...... Prices are as low as I think they are going to get and rare coins can be had on sale, unlike other parts of the market.

A little knowledge in this area, and some selective buying, could well pay big dividends down the road.

My 2 centavos.

Comments

  • AbueloAbuelo Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Agree. And some can be found in spectacular condition.

  • ELuisELuis Posts: 828 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Can you guys share the url lik to that SB (guess it is Stack's Bowers), for those non-fmiliar with auctions (like me). Maybe a sample to compare, what any of those coins was (value) in the past versus nowadays?

    Thank you.

  • ELuisELuis Posts: 828 ✭✭✭✭✭

    ^Got it - Wow, I can tell that I have sold in way similar condition (raw), for 50 to 100 bucks, that happens when you do not know :-( maybe a year ago. Slap to my face...

  • pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,322 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Well of course a raw coin will sell cheaper because then the buyer assumes the risk of a fake or cleaned coin. If the buyer is knowledgeable, then the risk is minimal to him, but it's still present.

    Slabbing the coin transfers the risk to a third-party, for which the seller pays the fee to hopefully gain a higher price on the sale.

  • pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,322 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 24, 2021 7:34PM

    OK, so there were a bunch of 2 Reales in tonight's Heritage weekly sale.
    I guess my theory isn't always accurate..... I was going to show this one, but it ended up disproving my theory.

    (For those that don't know, the 1841-MoML 2R is a pretty rare coin but not cataloged such in Krause. Not as rare as the 1842, but probably at least as rare as the 1840.) Heritage had no idea of its rarity as it didn't mention it in the description.

    Tonight's HA Sale 1841-MoML 2R in NGC64 (and ugly in my opinion):
    https://coins.ha.com/itm/mexico/mexico-republic-2-reales-1841-mo-ml-ms64-ngc-/a/232125-64637.s

    My (March 2011) 1841-MoML 2R in NGC63 (and undergraded by at least a "+" in my opinion):
    https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-20IAL/mexico-mexico-city-2-reales-1841-moml

    I paid $900 for mine (direct from the consignor after it failed to meet reserve) and the buyer paid $1200 for tonight's coin. So in this case, I think prices are following current trend and are not undervalued.

  • WCCWCC Posts: 2,365 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I am only interested in the pillars and Lion & Castle 1/4R but allocate my budget entirely to the other pillar mints. Stacks and Sedwick have had some nice pillar minors a few years ago but very little recently.

    From Cap& Ray, I am most interested in the 4R. I only own one (an MS-61) but my interest has decreased noticeably as the TPG populations have increased, which it has a lot since I bought my coin in 2005. Individual dates are rare in better grades but the numbers aren't that low as a type coin.

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,936 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pruebas said:
    In watching the various auctions, including today's SB auction, I've noticed that Mexican minor coins (1/2R, 1R, 2R, 4R, 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 25c, and 50c) are languishing in price. I believe this to be because former "big" collectors of these are out of the hobby with some actively selling or having sold their collections. And few really know their true rarity since there is little information published.

    If someone is looking for a cost-effective collecting area, you might want to pick some subset of these and start collecting them. Or even (shishhhh) investing some of the better ones...... Prices are as low as I think they are going to get and rare coins can be had on sale, unlike other parts of the market.

    A little knowledge in this area, and some selective buying, could well pay big dividends down the road.

    My 2 centavos.

    Good advice for someone who is young and can take advantage of a period of low interest in coins that are actually scarce!

    All glory is fleeting.
  • realeswatcherrealeswatcher Posts: 358 ✭✭✭
    edited June 26, 2021 1:31PM

    Seems like anything and everything in the Heritage weekly world aucs brings insane money now...

    You know, it was a bit of time ago now (2 years??), but Rick Ponterio's pretty decent collection of some Mexican Rep. minor real coinage didn't blow the doors off compared to some results of past years. And pruebas, I am thinking in particular of the 2011 Ponterio auction that your 1841Mo 2R came from which had a fairly comprehensive run of 1st Republic minor reales.

    Either way, really nice Republic minor reales are SUPER hard to find. Those of us who regularly troll eBay know NOTHING good ever gets listed (whereas decent 8R do). I would agree they might present a good investment opportunity. I would especially focus on "rather scarce" dates/mints, as opposed to the obvious rarities like EoMo and Ce (the latter of which have brought amazing prices despite the crush hitting the market the past two years).

    PS - the one grouping in the Stack's auction I peeked at was the run of 2nd Rep. 50c. I didn't love a few of those pieces. This, for example... is that baking soda and Jeweluster I smell?

    https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-ROZXS/mexico-50-centavos-1878-zs-s-zacatecas-mint-ngc-au-58

  • TwoKopeikiTwoKopeiki Posts: 9,537 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hey, I'm about to list some portrait 1/2 Reales on eBay - hope you're right :)

  • realeswatcherrealeswatcher Posts: 358 ✭✭✭

    (For those that don't know, the 1841-MoML 2R is a pretty rare coin but not cataloged such in Krause. Not as rare as the 1842, but probably at least as rare as the 1840.) Heritage had no idea of its rarity as it didn't mention it in the description.

    Krause erroneously has a number of dates considered "rare" listed as common (Go and Mo mints)... and then one date off the top of my head (1863Pi 2R) priced WAY over what it should be based on availability.

    I think for those dates/mints in question, one has to tread with caution and take auction results with a grain of salt.

  • realeswatcherrealeswatcher Posts: 358 ✭✭✭
    edited June 26, 2021 1:37PM

    Does anyone closely follow Duane Douglas auctions, etc.? What kind of prices do "better" minors bring in the home country??

  • bidaskbidask Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not Mexico but I bought this one today ....decent price :)

    I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
    I give away money. I collect money.
    I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.




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