Gold Spouse Coins and their future

DuCrozat · February 8, 2011 10:42PM

A lot of commentary has recently been put forth about the Gold Spouse Coins and the future of the issues remaining. These issues will be forthcoming for years to come.

Here are some questions and topics of discussion that have been on my mind, prompted by comments on the Buchanan Liberty Proof thread.

-There is a certain number of issue collectors of these coins who will likely put together a complete set. This will almost guarantee that there will be a consistent minimum of sales as the issue progresses.

-Those coins that are now the lowest mintages are going to be part of a larger population of low mintage coins.

-Speculation will continue to be a driving factor in whether or not these issues to maintain sales levels.

-Are there any other possible sub-sets to put together, i.e., thematic elements which in conjunction with the Gold Dollar issues would be of future interest. One I put forth in another thread was a subset of four of the presidents wives who have had husbands assassinated. Morbid, I know, but collectors know no bounds.

I know some of these are no brainers to some degree, but there are some with the interest and proactivity to come up with some interesting theories as to how this series will play out.

Feel free to offer your own questions and topics of discussion.

Morganmanic · February 8, 2011 10:47PM

I am trying for the whole set but I think a cool sub set would spouse coins of presidents that have been in office while our country was at war either declared or non-declared.

Cliff

ricko · February 8, 2011 11:06PM

I see this series as a 'special interest' only. I do not believe they will ever have widespread interest. If one is looking at investment value, it will be bullion only. Cheers, RickO

kevinstang · February 8, 2011 11:13PM

How about the Roosevelt sub set? Teddy did remarry didn't he? And Eleanor should be popular by herself.

Sonorandesertrat · February 8, 2011 11:22PM

<< I see this series as a 'special interest' only. I do not believe they will ever have widespread interest. If one is looking at investment value, it will be bullion only. Cheers, RickO >>

TomB · February 8, 2011 11:48PM

<< How about the Roosevelt sub set? Teddy did remarry didn't he? And Eleanor should be popular by herself. >>

TR's first wife died many years before he was either Vice President or President.

291fifth · February 9, 2011 12:03AM

Bullion, nothing more.

Manorcourtman · February 9, 2011 12:23AM

<< Bullion, nothing more. >>

IrishMikey · February 9, 2011 12:53AM

Gold would have to drop below $500 for any of these to have much of a premium. If gold
goes to $2000 or more, they will all be melt value.

MsMorrisine · February 9, 2011 12:58AM

there is a premium shrinkage already.

as far as the number of collectors being consistent, I see some dropping out for various reasons and some dropping in due to the low mintage numbers.

jmski52 · February 9, 2011 1:13AM

I liken the Gold Spouses to the older classic Commemorative Halves, only a bit higher up the food chain. Special interest coins, to be sure. I think it will be decades before they arrive as a collectable series, but they most certainly will arrive.

The fact that they are bullion makes it easier to justify a purchase in troubling times of monetary uncertainty, and in the end - that fact will allow collections to be formed and a following to develop.

The usual disparaging comments account for those who, like myself at times get tired of the Mint's perpetual over-reaching for collector dollars and Congressional "pat-myself-on-the-back-with-a-coin-program" tendencies.

However, most folks who view Moderns and Modern Bullion simply as irritating siphons away from their own investments in classic coin series are avoiding the reality that life goes on, new designs become more popular, sunk costs in old series become less justifiable over time (as gradflation and subsequent re-valuation gets wearisome to most people), and that anything beyond 1946 or so can have any significance.

Myopic is the word that comes to mind.

ianrussell · February 9, 2011 1:27AM

I think there will be sleepers in the Spouse series. Only time will tell, but the mintages for both MS and Proofs are quite low, and we're already seeing nice premiums for some of the issues.

- Ian

Coinsponge · February 9, 2011 1:40AM

<< 

<< Bullion, nothing more. >>

>>

These are a terrible bullion item. The premiums are very high. So what is left? Numismatic value. I agree that there is limited interest now and that is why the sales are low but what about the future? I am no expert but show me any coins in the 3000 mintage range from the US Mint that is just worth the metal value. I just can't think of any.

GritsMan · February 9, 2011 2:05AM

I'll just come out and admit I have no idea what will happen to these in the future. Except for the Liberty subset, they hold only speculative interest for me, and not enough of that to buy more than one or two. I know some people are doing it, but it's really hard to imagine collecting such a large and expensive series when the designs are so ho hum. Even the gold American eagles are more interesting as a set and the proof plats look absolutely stellar by comparison. I DO know that I will enjoy seeing what happens from the sidelines.

Coinsponge · February 9, 2011 2:24AM

It is true that ugly coins don't usually get appreciated and ugly coins with high mintages are toast but ugly coins (I don't think they are that bad but some do) with low mintages are another thing IMO.

Coinsponge · February 9, 2011 2:41AM

Another "Ugly" collectable.

"Fifty years after its spectacular failure, the Edsel has become a highly collectible item among vintage car hobbyists. Fewer than 6,000 Edsels survive and are considered collectors’ items. A mint 1958 Citation convertible sometimes sells for over $100,000,[9] while rare models, like the 1960 convertible, may bring up to $200,000.

While the design was considered "ugly" fifty years ago, many other car manufacturers, such as Pontiac, Jaguar Cars and Alfa Romeo, have employed similar vertical grilles successfully in their car designs. Many of the Edsel's features, such as transmission lock on ignition, self-adjusting brakes, gear selection by steering wheel buttons, etc., which were considered "too impractical" in the late 1950s, are now standard features of sports cars."

Sometimes you do have to be patient.

PinkFloyd · February 9, 2011 4:05AM

<< 

<< 

<< Bullion, nothing more. >>

>>

These are a terrible bullion item. The premiums are very high. So what is left? Numismatic value. I agree that there is limited interest now and that is why the sales are low but what about the future? I am no expert but show me any coins in the 3000 mintage range from the US Mint that is just worth the metal value. I just can't think of any. >>

The sponge is right on the money. Are there any ~3000 mintage coins that sell for bullion?

The winners are going to be the Liberty subset pieces, and the other pieces that are aesthetically pleasing with low mintages (ie, JT!). The JT is a nice coin, low mintage aside. No bullion for her. And, of course, we'll have a winner if ANY spouse is minted super low, with some degree of differentiation from the rest.

I don't think we'll see any series' with pieces at these rock-bottom mintages anytime soon. Just isn't worth it. (Well, maybe Platinum.)

I don't think there are any other coherent subsets.

scottgardener · February 9, 2011 4:23AM

I agree that this series could be one of the long term collectables from modern mintages. It has the rarity. And, it has a lot of collectors today dismissing them. Collectors often dismiss in their time the things that become coveted later. Not that billion-mintage shield cents or "Return to Monticello" nickels have much of a chance, but some of the First Spouse coins are rarer than common date Saint Gaudens double eagles or Indian $10s. It will be interesting to see these discussions dug up from archives 50 or 100 years from now. (Gold by then might be $1,000,000 an ounce, quarters will have clickable links into 3D virtual Cyberspace, and coins will be minted strictly as souvenirs for nostalgic organic-brains who remember the old days?)

golden · February 9, 2011 5:31AM

Bullion, bullion, bullion and nothing but bullion.

pf70collector · February 9, 2011 5:35AM

I intended to collect the whole series when gold was $600 an ounce. Too cost prohibitive now. I sold all my first year spouses for near melt last year so made some profit on the melt value alone. I am collecting the Liberty Subset. Still need the Van Buren and Jackson's. I have the Van Buren in PCGS FS MS 70. So now only need 3 more to complete the set in MS and PF FS PCGS 70s. I totally ignored them when they came out in 08 since I was concentrating on other issues coming out that same year.

Coinsponge · February 9, 2011 5:54AM

<< Bullion, bullion, bullion and nothing but bullion. >>

So YOU say. Care to bloviate. Otherwise, it sounds like just a proclamation.

DuCrozat · February 9, 2011 6:05AM

When I bought these, I took in to account the possible low mintages, as well as the low downside risk, as opposed to non-bullion coins. Yes, they are overpriced related to bullion, but as gold, hopefully, rises, any speculative loss on rarity will be mitigated by intrinsic values of gold.
I really don't care to accumulate anything but gold or silver issues, except as a necessary purchase, for say a mint set.

66Tbird · February 10, 2011 9:37AM

i finally found a shop that buys them at spot. So I took an un-opened pr/ms set in to them. They were TJ's. The other places wanted 90-96% back of spot. Would of been a neat completable set at softer gold prices.