This Battle of Gettysburg coin from Perth mint should be popular. Opinions?

greghansen

The last coin in a 5 coin series called 'Famous Battles in History'. Although the first two issues are technically 'sold out' they aren't exactly hard to get. But I've always suspected this final coin in the series might get sold out pretty quick and might do pretty well in the secondary market. Any opinions on this one.

Link to Perth Mint & Gettysburg Proof Coin page

Here is an image of the 1 oz. proof silver coin being issued.

StubbyMcNumbthumbs

As someone said earlier, Perth Mint stuff is kind of hit & miss. Personally, I have never been a fan of any "colorized" coins, whether done post-mint or at the mint.

I have bought and sold quite a bit of modern Aussie coins with much success, but about the best I've ever done with Perth mint items is break even.

I'd like it better if it were a striclty silver (no other colors) coin.

Just my opinion.

JaPa

<< <i> Personally, I have never been a fan of any "colorized" coins, whether done post-mint or at the mint.

Just my opinion. >>



DITTO!

coinpictures

Colorized = FAIL

Preussen

I'm a military history buff, and I wouldn't touch it. JMO -Preussen

ajaan

I kind of like it. To each his own I guess.

SaorAlba

<< <i>I'm a military history buff, and I wouldn't touch it. JMO -Preussen >>



I will add that I wouldn't buy one, even with your money

And I like the Civil War myself. Lots of ancestors fought in it, and I have researched it well.

coinkat

I guess this is will be exhibit A when my trial date for being accused of having no ability to adapt to technological advances in the production of coins - lets just fast forward this and I will plead guilty to spare the agony of reading further...

GritsMan

I find colorized coins entertaining, but can't imagine buying one. This one looks like a postcard!

Sapyx

I don;t object all that much to colorized coins, especially when done by the mint that struck them, but to me this coin fails on the count of relevance.

The coin was "issued" by Tuvalu, one of the Perth Mint's flags of convenience. Tuvalu did not take part in any of the battles depicted by this series of coins (the earlier coins depicted Thermopylae, Cannae and Hastings). Tuvalu has never even had a "battle" on it's soil; though it was close to the front line during WWII, the Japanese never came that far south.

Coins commemorating the American defence of the islands would be fair enough, or even a more general series on the Pacific war, but this series of coins is purely an attempt to market thematic coins to foreigners who neither know or care where Tuvalu is. No-one in Tuvalu cares about foreign wars that happened centuries ago; I doubt if a single one of these coins will ever be found there.

On that basis I would choose not to buy them.

Of course, if someone's giving away free samples, that's another matter...

Automan

Can't see myself ever collecting anything made expressly to be collected...

Auto

greghansen

Wow. Glad I asked. Brings me back to reality a bit. Didn't expect the mostly overwhelmingly negative opinion of these. I guess I will be the sucker on these and order a few. Issue price is about $75 each. I'll let you know how much money I lose. Most of their colorized thematic proof coins are big losers, but there have been a few exceptions. Most recently, the 'deadly and dangerous' series with the Redback Spider (now over $1,000), Shark, Octopus and Crocodile (all well over $100) have done well, but they are clearly the exception rather than the rule. Oh well, like I say, I don't mind being the guinea pig on this one.

GritsMan

Sometimes, you just gotta get what tickles your fancy, regardless of the appreciation potential. I know that I do.

I liked Sapyx's comments on relevance, though. I've often felt this way looking through Krause, for instance, when some far-flung country issues a coin to commemorate Yellowstone National Park or something like that. I think "Huh? Don't you have your own cool things to commemorate?" It does make the coin sound "mint-driven" instead of "country-driven".

determined

Ouch. It's always disappointing when you post a coin you like and you get no responses. Even worse when it's thoroughly disliked.

But that's OK. I'm glad to see you weren't bothered by it. (That says something about you.) Many of us have areas of collecting that hold absolutely no interest for others. Myself included.


Sorry to say that I feel the same as the majority. I personally wouldn't collect it. And I have an ancestor who was killed at Gettysburg. And he's buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

I just don't like colored coins. And some of the coins are attractive. And I would rather see a coin like that made in the US. But I see it's part of their Famous Battles in History series.


But always collect what YOU like. And more power to you.


There's something else to consider. Collect real coins connected with those times.

For example -

For Hannibal and the time of the Battle of Cannae 216 BC, I have a half-shekel that was minted in Southern Italy under the occupation of Hannibal during the Second Punic War.

For the time of the Battle of Thermopylae 480 BC, I have an archaic Athenian tetradrachm minted ca. 500 to 480 BC.

For the time of the Battle of Gettysburg 1863, I have some 1850's and 1860's seated coins.

etc.


Although the soldiers of the Civil War may not have used the specific individual seated coins that I have, they held coins exactly like it. Same with the other coins I listed above.

I like coins that have a historic wow factor to them.


I hope your Gettysburg coin becomes the Redback Spider of the series.

Preussen

My take on the OP (and I might be mistaken) was that there was no desire to "collect" the piece, only to "flip" it for a profit...two completely different things, at least in my small mind. I don't like colored "coins," I don't buy to flip, and I don't like stuff that is minted by governments / entities that had absolutely nothing to do with the event being "commemorated." It's just a cheesy marketing ploy that turns me off completely. Again, JMO. I apologize if this offends anyone who likes them....If you do, buy 'em and enjoy 'em. -Preussen

determined

<< <i>My take on the OP (and I might be mistaken) was that there was no desire to "collect" the piece, only to "flip" it for a profit...two completely different things, at least in my small mind. >>



I didn't realize that.

Preussen

<< <i>

<< <i>My take on the OP (and I might be mistaken) was that there was no desire to "collect" the piece, only to "flip" it for a profit...two completely different things, at least in my small mind. >>



I didn't realize that. >>

What; that I believe flipping for profit is not the same as collecting, or that I believe the OP merely had profit on his mind? Assuming you are referring to the latter, I based it on the OP's statement

<< <i>...I've always suspected this final coin in the series might get sold out pretty quick and might do pretty well in the secondary market. >>

-Preussen

Edited to add: It's certainly none of my business what the OP or anyone else does, whether buying, selling, collecting or flipping. My point was only that I didn't sense any love or appreciation for the coin in the OP's post, just a reference to possible profit.

WillieBoyd2

I didn't know that Gettysburg was in Australia!

Learn something new every day.

Walmann

<< <i>

<< <i> Personally, I have never been a fan of any "colorized" coins, whether done post-mint or at the mint.

Just my opinion. >>



DITTO! >>



Have to agree with this view.

Although I leave open the possiblity that at some future date colorization may be done in a manner that does add appeal to the coin in a manner similar to how toning may add attractiveness.

Currently the result of adding color to coins, in my view, lends a garish quality to coins.

A tad too gaudy for my taste.

HTubbs

A pretty cool looking coin if you ask me, of course I've always considered the life-like colorized coins much more appealing than say, this:

Walmann

What it comes down for me is that such colorization completely masks the sense,quality and feel of artistry via metal.

Fountainhead

In this price range, and with such a complicated design, I want a larger, 2oz coin. No sale.

greghansen

This post has already drawn more attention than I ever thought it would. I originally posted because of my intent to speculate in the coin and I was curious as to what others thought of that strategy for this coin. I am collecting one each of the 'Famous Battles in History' coins, but I figured I'd order more of this last one since I suspected it would be more popular than the others. I still stand by that opinion. After 5 days, I see it is no longer available on line from the Perth mint. That is, a very fast sell out for Perth Mint standards. I stepped up and put my money where my mouth (and numismatic judgment) was and ordered 25 of these. I don't think I'm going to lose money on them based on this rapid sell out. My apologies to those who just don't like colorized coins. They don't bother me if people will buy them. Thanks to everyone who posted their thoughts.

P.S. That Barbie coin is a good example of most Perth mint coins...a big fat LOSER! They way overestimated demand for those IMO.

LouisCamp

Hey, I actually have one of the Tuvalu Spider coins. Really worth a grand....sweet. Finally bought one that went up!

Lou

GritsMan

I gotta admit that Barbie coin is highly entertaining. How on earth did the Perth Mint talk Tuvalu into lending their name to this coin? Or do you think the King and Queen sat around and thought "What this island group needs is a really cool, pink, Barbie coin!"?

HTubbs

<< <i>I gotta admit that Barbie coin is highly entertaining. How on earth did the Perth Mint talk Tuvalu into lending their name to this coin? Or do you think the King and Queen sat around and thought "What this island group needs is a really cool, pink, Barbie coin!"? >>



Well I imagine Tuvalu got a portion of the sales, and with a national GDP estimate of only $14.94 million ($1600 per capita) the government is probably quick to welcome any chance for extra income.

GritsMan

<< <i>

<< <i>I gotta admit that Barbie coin is highly entertaining. How on earth did the Perth Mint talk Tuvalu into lending their name to this coin? Or do you think the King and Queen sat around and thought "What this island group needs is a really cool, pink, Barbie coin!"? >>



Well I imagine Tuvalu got a portion of the sales, and with a national GDP estimate of only $14.94 million ($1600 per capita) the government is probably quick to welcome any chance for extra income. >>



Let's hope they got SOMEthing out of it--especially free Barbies for all of the kiddies. Maybe the "SCUBA-diving Barbies" or the "Global Warming Barbies"?

danglen

I REALLY like colored coins . As for folks that would never collect any coins made specifically for collectors, I guess you might want to get rid of any proof sets you might have hanging around, whether US or Darkside. Just send all of those Darkside proof sets my way