Silver Eagle Collectors or speculators

Touchdown

I just read the December article in Coin Values of John Mercanti the designer of the reverse of all Bullion Silver Eagles. He mentions he does not own one Silver Eagle and never has owned one to date. I really found this very odd, since there are alot of people who collect this series and sometimes pay a substancial premium for certain coins. This sculptor designed the coin 19 years ago and here we are today paying premiums for a coin who someone sculptored but he himself has no interest in. Does this seem odd? What if Victor D. Brenner, Saint Gaudens lived today and they wouldn't collect there own coins. Would we think twice about collecting their series?

JDelage

If he doesn't collect / hoard coins, it would be a little strange if he started collecting the ones he designed, no? I'd think that ridiculously pretentious. plus, as an artist he probably has a few issues with the way his design is used by the mint or how he had to compromise with the requirement, i.e., it may well be that *as an artist* he's not satisfied with the object.