Question for all the dealers.

DesertLizard

Dealers have a unique perspective. They do for a living what we do as a hobby. I doubt they rush home and want to read more about coins! Despite my jabs at dealers I feel dealers provide a valuable function in the hobby. They educate [some], provide a level of liquidity and are always good for a tale or two!

What would you call the best value in coins today? Excluding what's in your inventory Please state a series or a specific date. Also maybe a low end, mid range and high end coin / series.

To even things out, what would you consider a "avoid at all costs series / coin"?

Thanks!

LucyBop

Sorry to hijack this post as I am not a dealer, but the series to avoid at all cost is the Franklin half. In fact Lucy is trying to get them all in order to do my part in removing these eyesores from the market. I wouldn't want new collectors to get out of the hobby once they see these ghastly coins.

Russ

Don't listen to Lucy. The coin to avoid is proof Kennedy's from 1964 to 1970. Don't waste any money on them.

Russ, NCNE

tompkins

<< <i>Don't listen to Lucy. The coin to avoid is proof Kennedy's from 1964 to 1970. Don't waste any money on them. >>


Especially the high quality accent hair 1964's! They should be treated as toxic waste when you first spot (as a service, you can just send them my way and I'll make sure they get to an appropriate disposal site).

Pete

nucklehead

Another coin to avoid is any O mint Morgan dollars,rumor has it the mint just found a wherehouse filled to the ceiling with these coins and plans to sell them to collectors who missed out on the initial offering one hundred years ago.

tjkillian

Another especially bad series are the Liberty Seated coins from half dime through silver dollar. No one really collects them and they are too old to even spend. Something like Lincoln cents are popular and you should collect those.

Tom

coinguy1

DesertLizard,

Before I answer (and I assure you, I do have answers, as I think about this often) I must note the following disclaimers:

1) Pinnacle Rarities rarely handles modern (post 1950) coinage so I am not addressing those areas.

2) Currently, there are the type of coins I will mention in our inventory - in your post you said " Excluding what's in your inventory". But, we deal in coins we like and feel are good values. I will not be mentioning many other coins which are in our inventory.

3) I never recommend coins as an investment, no matter how much I like them or how reasonable/cheap prices might seem at a given point in time because I realize how volatile prices can be and I don't claim to know the future.

4) These are my personal opinions only and should not be taken as anything more or less.


With that said, I currently like the following coin types for value:


Choice AU and better Draped Bust Half Cents and Large Cents

MS64RD and 65RD Classic and Braided Half Cents and Coronet and Braided Large cents - they need to be truly RD and have minimal or no carbon. Many I see in RD holders are RB in my opinion and/or have unsightly carbon spots.

MS65 and MS66 Three Cent Nickels (I would mention MS65 and MS66 Liberty Nickels, but thy have caught fire recently and don't seem ass reasonable as they were only months ago)

Choice AU and better Draped Bust Half Dimes, Dimes and Quarters.

MS64 and better Trade Dollars and Seated Dollars

Choice EF and better early (pre 1839) gold type coins

Attractive Silver Commemoratives (not modern ones) graded MS65 and MS66 - they are beautiful, relatively inexpensive and make great sets.

On a broader note, I really like attractively toned mint state Silver Type Coins graded MS64 and higher. For one thing, they are often rarer than their proof counterparts but less expensive (or at least not as expensive as they should be based on the rarity disparities). I probably buy 20 great proof Silver Type coins for every mint state piece I purchase. The Mint State pieces are simply much tougher to find with great eye-appeal. I purposely mentioned "attractively toned" examples. Currently, the fad is untoned/white (often dipped) coins. But, historically, preferences between untoned and toned coins have gone back and forth. When the trend again moves back to attractive, original toned coins, the supply will be very small and there wont be many to scoop up because so many will have been dipped.

With a bit more time to think about it, I might have a few other ideas, but I believe I have taken up enough space for one night.

Clankeye

Mark--
Thanks for giving Desertlizard a good response. I want to make one comment... I always keep my eye open for really nice MS64 classic commemoratives. I think they are a good value, can have great eye-appeal and always have a solid collector base. You mentioned 65's and 66's... but I also love a great 64.

coinguy1

Clankeye - I agree with you about the MS64 commemoratives but I see so few of them I like, that I didn't include them.

DesertLizard

Thanks Mark Feld!

As usual your answers are direct and straight forward. I appreciate your candor and insights.

dl

coinguy1

DesertLizard - you are most welcome. I'm curious, how would you answer your own question?

ANACONDA

Best value - uncirculated colonials. It's like getting a copy of the Declaration of Independance for 10K.

Worst value - ugly coins. And anything graded Proof 70 made within the past 20 years.

adrian

DesertLizard

Mark,

I am no expert nor do I follow the "market" but I go by what dealers are asking me to sell to them! Right now they love Commemoratives and toned coins. I feel both are overpriced and fadish. What is also overpriced are moderns in MS/PR68+, when it ends many collectors will be bitter, having lost alot of money and leave collecting as a result.

What I do like are type coins pre-1900 in AU50-MS62. The registry effect has caused many MS64+ and pop top coins to be over priced so the lower level coins are a bargain right now.

My disclaimer, I now "collect" more and "invest" less. Ironically, my collect coins are now worth more than the ones I bought as an investment!

EVillageProwler

Best value - uncirculated colonials. It's like getting a copy of the Declaration of Independance for 10K.

Hmmm... What a curiously delightful response. I have a degree in History (specialized in Med. European), and a comment like this has special resonance with me. I've often felt that collecting Anglo-Saxon and Celtic coinage would give me another opportunity to imagine myself living during those times. Sorta like getting my hands on the Doomsday Book!

I'll have to think more about Colonials...

EVP

[Edited to add: Sorry for the off-topic commentary!]

coinguy1

DesertLizard,

I think that "reasonably priced," attractively toned older commems and type coins are fine values, even if they are in demand. I know plenty of dealers who want to purchase "white" coins, too.

We don't deal in the modern coinage you mentioned, but the levels scare me (maybe they should be included in Clankeye's current "Good Morning Class" episode!).

I agree with you, somewhat, about the "Registry effect" but still feel that there are a lot of higher grade, legititimately rare/scarce coins which have escaped the attention they deserve.

Lastly, your comment "Ironically, my collect coins are now worth more than the ones I bought as an investment!" does not surprise me at all. Often "collectors" fare better than "investors", for a number of reasons, which, unfortunately, I can't go into right now.

UncleJoe

I think DesertLizard hit it on the head as far as my observation with the statement:

"My disclaimer, I now "collect" more and "invest" less. Ironically, my collect coins are now worth more than the ones I bought as an investment!"

Collectible coins (define that) will almost always surpass fad/investment coins (define that) in the long run.

IMHO. Joe.