Coin Pricing ... US Coins vs. World Coins

C0inCollect0r

Hello folks,

As a relatively recent "convert" to collecting world coins, I am just curious as to how to accurately assess values (or reasonable amounts to bid) on specific PCGS graded coins. In the case of US Coins, I suppose I have used the PCGS Price Guide and Greysheet to get an idea of price, but I am not aware of a reliable Price Guide for World Coins that would offer accurate values for specific PCGS Graded Coins (PCGS MS64, MS65, MS66 etc.). I have been trying to look up recent "closing prices" on eBay as a reference but I suppose the difficulty with this has been simply finding a very similar coin that has ended recently.

How exactly do you guys assess the values of these pieces?

As always any advice is much appreciated.

spinaker2000

strong the force is in this one.

OchoReales

To be honest with you, within the realm of World Coins, it's not so easy. It takes becoming somewhat of an expert in a particular country(ies). Also, knowing how a particular series within a country was struck, how many have survived and what is the demand for that particular country(ies). That knowledge does not come about over night. In the meantime, I'd say, utilize the PCGS and NGC Pop Reports and, if you don't have access to any World dealers (to acquire that knowedge), keep track of prices on Ebay and through auctions records (heritage, Stacks and Bowers and Merena to name a few).

ajaan

Which country(s) are you interested in?

theboz11

I agree with Ocho with my input added FYI


As yet the grades in plastic handed out for most world coins has no affect on price PER GRADE, more like Circ or Unc, Brilliant Unc, It means a little in the world collecting community, but It is still primarily a US rage. World Coin/Britain grading you will find differs from US grading. An Brilliant UNC world coin is a 65. XF covers a large area, from 50 to 63. You will find this system in Krause World Coins Catalog. A must for collectors A GUIDE, and a great book to have.


Great part about world coins is beauty and Value, You can by Gold Coins with 1/5 the mintage of a 1911-D Indians 2 1/2 for melt.

JCMhouston

What everyone else said. You can use Krause for a general guide, or numismaster online, but it's really a relative guide to rarity rather than absolute pricing. For example I just sold a $15 price guide proof set for over $450, just because when one country gets hot an annual price guide can't hope to keep up. For high grade coins you have to check auction prices to see what is currently happening, Heritage has a very decent set of auction records online.

For real rarities or extremely high grade popular 17th - 19th C. then none of the guides/auction results work at all. You just pick a really big number out of a hat and hope for the best.

coinkat

good question... with no easy answers

IloiloKano

C0inCollect0r,

Though I can't fully answer your question, I can offer a a couple bits of advice that few in this forum are likely to argue against.

1. Pick a well-defined collectable area and seek to thoroughly know it before expanding your scope.

2. After choosing your collectable area, post a request for experts in that area to identify themselves and ask some specific questions.

3. Ask for advice, and frequently. You'll usually get lots of it, and often.

I believe you'll find Dark Siders, nearly without exception, are a friendly helpful lot.

Good Luck,
Steve

C0inCollect0r

Thank you for all of the helpful advice and insight everyone - I very much appreciate it and have alot to learn.

krueger

Try Karl Stephens long time world coin dealer in california. http://www.karlstephensinc.com/

For the last 25 years I have saved all of his lists in several large notebooks. He has handled most everything of every country.

Great resource to use to research present and past retail pricing. He knows the world coin market.


Good luck

Krueger

Gazza

I would forget pop reports as they are only an indication of how many of a particular coin have been sladded and are likely to be inversely proportional to the number of coins in existance, common coins on the whole don't get slabbed anywhere near as regularly as rare coins.

RobP

<< <i>I would forget pop reports as they are only an indication of how many of a particular coin have been sladded and are likely to be inversely proportional to the number of coins in existance, common coins on the whole don't get slabbed anywhere near as regularly as rare coins. >>


Additionally coins get removed from slabs because high end pieces are desirable to collectors who keep their collections in cabinets too, so even then the pop reports can be misleading. There are more than a few best knowns which will never resurface in a slab for that reason.

marcmoish

In addition to the helpful comments posted already by others above you might want to try the Heritage Auction Archives since they have sold so many coins over the past decade. But of course one needs to know the series/country well to determine true value and scarcity.

Gazza

Another word of caution. You need to find out the rareity of the coins of interest in their respective countries not their rareity in the US.

lordmarcovan

My advice would be to enjoy yourself and just learn as you go. Sometimes it just takes time to absorb a feel for a specific area of collecting, or for world coins in a very general sense. Read as much as you can, check closed auctions as you have done, and before long you'll probably be an authority in whatever thing it is you choose to collect. Enthusiasm feeds learning.

You'll also find that getting an instinct for the price (and grade) of stuff that isn't totally familiar to you will actually make you better at US coins. Before I came over to world coins, I was much more chained to the books in the US coins- for example, I wouldn't grade a coin without the ANA grading standards book in my hand. But now that I've dabbled in a little bit of everything, I am more confident in grading US coins "on the fly".

Most of my knowledge of world history, Latin-based languages, art, and culture also came as a byproduct of my coin collection.

As Spinaker2000 said, I think the Force is strong in you.

Bjorn

I have to second LordM's advice here - as you buy, sell, look at and read up on world coins you begin to garner knowledge useful both to specific series as well as more general knowledge. Grading is one such skill - there are not many 'Red Book' grading guides for most of these coins, so you begin to develop a general ability to grade any coin based on past examples, auction catalogs, online dealer sites, b&m dealers, etc. Also, you begin to get an idea of what items Krause undervalues and overvalues, but as one poster said, it is a good reference for relatives rarities within a series. I certainly derive some enjoyment from the actual ownership of the coins I have had, but have also derived pleasure from buying, selling, researching and in general learning about their history, their origin and so on. Hope this rambling reply has helped!

--Bjorn