State of the type coin market?

P0CKETCHANGE

How is the market for type coins doing, from your perspective?

I'll broadly define type coins as higher graded, common date examples within a series (ex., 1938-D Buffalo MS67+). Price range roughly $500-$1000 per coin for copper/silver and a bit higher for gold depending on the bullion value.

I was looking at the PCGS Indexes and noticed that the mint state type coin index is up 18% in the past three years, while the key dates & rarities index is up 41% (58% and 354%, respectively, over the past thirty years).

oldabeintx

Supply and demand.

BillJones

The expensive type coins in AU took a big dump right after I bought them circa 2012. Since then, they have been recovering. We are talking about coins which are the beyond the price range of many collectors with 5 figure price tags.

As for the key dates, I view that as a speculators market. I can't justify the overemphasis on some of them, but many collectors/ investor types only want them. They won't buy the common dates unless they are "condition rarities."

I have dabbled with Civil War tokens over the years. I have known collectors who will only buy the R-8s and higher pieces. I don't understand that at all. I have gotten great pleasure from the some of the common, but historic pieces.

winesteven

For the most part I completed my Dansco 7070 Type Set about five years ago (the hotlink below in my auto-signature line at the very bottom of my posts). My sense from periodically looking at the PCGS Price Guide weekly announcements of series price changes is that in general Type has increased a “noticeable” amount from then to now, but nowhere near Gold Type, nor as you say Key Dates. Your 18% figure for three years could indeed be a fair generalization. Keep in mind that certain Type (maybe Standing Lib Quarters) have done better than other Type (maybe Three Cent Nickels).

Steve

jmlanzaf

@winesteven said:
For the most part I completed my Dansco 7070 Type Set about five years ago (the hotlink below in my auto-signature line at the very bottom of my posts). My sense from periodically looking at the PCGS Price Guide weekly announcements of series price changes is that in general Type has increased a “noticeable” amount from then to now, but nowhere near Gold Type, nor as you say Key Dates. Your 18% figure for three years could indeed be a fair generalization. Keep in mind that certain Type (maybe Standing Lib Quarters) have done better than other Type (maybe Three Cent Nickels).

Steve

Oh my poor unloved 3 cent nickels...

Of course the ultimate unloved type coins are the classic commems...

winesteven

@jmlanzaf said:

@winesteven said:
For the most part I completed my Dansco 7070 Type Set about five years ago (the hotlink below in my auto-signature line at the very bottom of my posts). My sense from periodically looking at the PCGS Price Guide weekly announcements of series price changes is that in general Type has increased a “noticeable” amount from then to now, but nowhere near Gold Type, nor as you say Key Dates. Your 18% figure for three years could indeed be a fair generalization. Keep in mind that certain Type (maybe Standing Lib Quarters) have done better than other Type (maybe Three Cent Nickels).

Steve

Oh my poor unloved 3 cent nickels...

Of course the ultimate unloved type coins are the classic commems...

True, but…..

1. I, and a few other collectors, love the Classic Silver Commems, but maybe it’s “By Invitation Only”, lol?
2. Classic Silver Commems have also done “OK” over the past five years since I started putting my set together, with modest price increases.

Steve

P0CKETCHANGE

@jmlanzaf said:
Oh my poor unloved 3 cent nickels...

Haha, I like them, although I’m a sucker for the odd denominations. But yeah, I bought one in 2013 and sold it last year for…the same price. I replaced it with this 65CAM. An originally toned proof set of these would be neat.

jmlanzaf

@winesteven said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@winesteven said:
For the most part I completed my Dansco 7070 Type Set about five years ago (the hotlink below in my auto-signature line at the very bottom of my posts). My sense from periodically looking at the PCGS Price Guide weekly announcements of series price changes is that in general Type has increased a “noticeable” amount from then to now, but nowhere near Gold Type, nor as you say Key Dates. Your 18% figure for three years could indeed be a fair generalization. Keep in mind that certain Type (maybe Standing Lib Quarters) have done better than other Type (maybe Three Cent Nickels).

Steve

Oh my poor unloved 3 cent nickels...

Of course the ultimate unloved type coins are the classic commems...

True, but…..

1. I, and a few other collectors, love the Classic Silver Commems, but maybe it’s “By Invitation Only”, lol?
2. Classic Silver Commems have also done “OK” over the past five years since I started putting my set together, with modest price increases.

Steve

There are always a few afficionados. I think date/mm collecting is part of the problem. People don't want to put together the full set but they aren't prone to just buying a coin if it isn't filling a hole. There are so many interesting designs mixed into the set, there has to be a few that would appeal to most collectors.

@P0CKETCHANGE said:

@jmlanzaf said:
Oh my poor unloved 3 cent nickels...

Haha, I like them, although I’m a sucker for the odd denominations. But yeah, I bought one in 2013 and sold it last year for…the same price. I replaced it with this 65CAM. An originally toned proof set of these would be neat.

Nice coin. I started putting together a set of proofs at one point and then got distracted. They are an odd little coin and really reasonably priced for most of the proofs in gem grades. A lovely little neoclassical design.

Catbert

I dunno. Seems to me that quality coins still bring all the money in auctions, with few exceptions.

Eldorado9

I tend to follow toned proof type coins, from dimes up, in higher grades 66 and above and they are generally very hard to find, and when you do, expensive.

winesteven

@P0CKETCHANGE said:

@jmlanzaf said:
Oh my poor unloved 3 cent nickels...

Haha, I like them, although I’m a sucker for the odd denominations. But yeah, I bought one in 2013 and sold it last year for…the same price. I replaced it with this 65CAM. An originally toned proof set of these would be neat.

And as our late friend @ricko would have said (and I lean heavily this way too, lol), "An UNtoned proof set of these would be even neater!

Here's my one and only 3 Cent Nickel (unfortunately the luster does not show in this photo):

Steve

sellitstore

Both the 66 and 89 are some tasty eye candy.

Tyrock

I.ve been collecting for years and selling at shows since 2020. My type coins and Morgan dollars are slow sellers.

WCC

@jmlanzaf said:

There are always a few afficionados. I think date/mm collecting is part of the problem. People don't want to put together the full set but they aren't prone to just buying a coin if it isn't filling a hole. There are so many interesting designs mixed into the set, there has to be a few that would appeal to most collectors.

I suspect many collectors don't view classic commemoratives as equivalent to other US series. Same for modern commemoratives. It's also evident that most collectors don't really like most of the designs, which shouldn't be surprising either.

This also seems to apply to a point with type sets.