Rare coin price increases were seen this week, but not across the board. While two of the most popular investment-grade rare gold coins showed a 3:1 profit over the pre-ounce gold bullion spot price, some specialty pieces lost substantial value in the aftermath of the somewhat disappointing Long Beach Coin Show.

Although some coins achieved more than their expected value at this recent show, which was highly anticipated by many of the world’s leading numismatists, the majority of pieces sold for less than their expected value and two traders I’ve spoken with mentioned that there was a visible lack of interest in specialty coins. The Long Beach Coin Show isn’t the first coin show that I’ve heard this about recently, but it actually seems to be more of a regular trend these days.

While certain coins have performed quite well under the duress of the current recession, values of other types of coins have been driven down almost as harshly as stock and real estate values. Collectors simply can’t afford to pay those ultra-high premiums for rare dates and specially minted coins right now. However, not all is lost. The current trends show that widely traded coins, such as common year American coins minted prior to 1933, have much more upside potential than any extremely rare pieces.

The latest rare coin price increases can be attributed to a drop, not only in the dollar but also in Americans’ confidence in our economy, and if you have long-term concerns about our nation’s financial welfare as well as your own then a rare coin investment may be wise. Call Rare-Coin.org or send us an email if you would like a free portfolio assessment as well as our award-winning investment brochure.

Investors are sometimes scared away from the rare coin market because of talk about dates, technical jargon (“What in the world is ‘numismatic?’“ is one I hear often), and the fear that some marketers build in people that “rare coins are not as liquid as the coins WE have, and the premiums are much too high on rare investment-grade coins.” The fact of the matter is that not all investors should buy rare gold coins for their portfolio, and some misguided individuals have lost a bundle by buying rare coins when they should have stuck with bullion.

However, there is a certain demographic that historically does better when they buy rare gold coins instead of gold bullion products. Before we talk about that demographic, though, we should discuss the term “rare” in reference to gold coin investing. A rare coin that collectors look for is different than a rare coin that investors look for, because rare dates and special mintages are more for the collector side of the market. An investment-grade rare coin tracks the price of gold bullion and moves in the same direction as the gold market spot price (found at www.COMEX.com), and the worth of a rare coin also tends to grow over time because it is an antique that is no longer produced.

Rare gold coins have higher cost association than regular bullion, and these costs tend to be overcome within the first 14 months of the holding period. Once the “break even” point is reached, certified rare gold coins tend to outperform raw bullion products anywhere from 1.38:1 to 4.57:1. Therefore, if you are looking for long-term safety then buying rare gold coins is probably going to end up better for you than buying bullion bars or coins. For more information on the risks and benefits of gold bullion and certified rare gold coins, stay tuned to this blog or contact us directly for the answers you seek.

Shawn Penny

I would not be so bold as to predict what effect our current recession’s effect on rare coins will be, but will instead encourage prospective rare coin investors to consider the crippling recession of the 1970s. During the 70s, and even into the 1980s, our nation’s economy was stifled by a stagnant Wall Street, long unemployment lines, mercilessly rising prices, and relentlessly climbing interest rates. Those trying times are still fresh in the mind of this web-logger, and it seems like the vast majority of U.S. citizens are about to endure the same types of hardships once more. Those who are fortunate enough to hold wealth naturally want to protect and grow it, and trend savvy investors plan on using their knowledge of the past, to help sustain and perpetuate their future.

The 1970s recession’s effect on rare coins was advantageous, to say the least. While traditional investments in stocks and bonds were drying up, investments in certain rare gold coins like Double Eagles appreciated by as much as nearly 1000%. Rare gold coins carry much higher premiums than regular bullion, because their numismatic value tends to appreciate over time. During long-term recessions, the price of commodities like gold historically tends to rise, as dollar values struggle, and gold coins with inherent numismatic value can appreciate exponentially.

Investors who would like to discuss the recession’s effect on rare coins are encouraged to contact one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on rare gold coins to household investors like you.

Shawn Penny

Holders of substantial, long-term wealth know that rare gold coin prices are so high, because they pay for more than just the value of their precious metal content. Rare gold coins are completely private, liquid assets, that have been used to store large sums of wealth for centuries, and their inherent numismatic value has enormous potential for dramatic appreciation, particularly during long-term economic recessions like our present one.

Modern nomenclature for rare coin investing means officially certifying the numismatic value of rare gold coins like Double Eagles, with “mint state grades”. These grades are based on a 70-point “Sheldon Scale”, with higher grades correlating with higher rare gold coin prices. Investment-quality coins typically carry mint state grades that range between 61, and 66, and buyers should only trust either PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), or the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation), for their rare coin certification.

The aforementioned Double Eagle coins are $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat gold coins, and are widely considered to be the ideal long-term investment for their rare gold coin prices. They contain nearly a full troy-ounce of pure gold, but their numismatic value is why trend savvy investors choose these coins for long-term wealth protection. Investors are encouraged to research websites like www.pcgs.com, or www.ngccoin.com, to better understand the benefits of numismatic certification.

Those who have completed their research are also encouraged to contact one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on Double Eagles, and many other gold coins to household investors like you.

Paul Mattias

Holders of real wealth know that rare coin investments are one of the most historically secure ways to protect, and even grow wealth throughout even the most adverse economic conditions. Gold in its’ elemental form is precious in and of itself, and its’ value historically increases during strenuous economic cycles, because it backs the value of all printed currency in existence (www.responsiblegold.org) This correlation is typically reflected in the gold “spot price”, which represents the cost of one troy-ounce of pure gold, and is also the financial “springboard” for rare coins investments.

Unlike bullion bars and coins, rare coin investments contain numismatic value, which substantially elevates their prices above the current gold spot price. This inherent value is historically apt to appreciate throughout long-term economic recessions, as certain rare gold coins appreciated by as much as nearly 1000%, during the recession of the 1970s. Many of today’s pragmatic investors are taking a page from history, and investing in certified rare gold coins, to assure a more sound financial future.

Two of the most widely purchased rare gold coins are $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat gold coins, and it advisable to only certify their numismatic value through either the PCGS, (Professional Coin Grading Service), or the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation). Smaller denominated rare gold coins include $10 “Eagles”, as well as $5 “Half-Eagles”, and $2.5 “Quarter-Eagles”, which can be used to round off various budgets.

Prospective buyers can avoid paying ridiculously high retail prices for their certified rare gold coins by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and other coins to household investors like you.

Paul Mattias

Since the philosophy behind investing in rare gold coins lies in capitalizing on long-term-appreciating numismatic value, it is advisable for investors to purchase PCGS certified gold coins for this purpose. The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) was incepted in 1986, to make rare gold coin trading more appealing, accessible, and practical for both corporate, and household investors. The PCGS has officially certified more than nineteen million rare coins since, and has also helped to virtually rid the industry of tampered coins, or counterfeits. For all of these reasons and more, PCGS certified gold coins are widely considered to be one of the most ideal long-term investments for financial protection, and safety.

PCGS certified gold coins undergo an individual examination by a group of rare coin experts, with decades of combined experienced in the coin trading industry. These experts search for imperfections like wear marks along various coins’ “high points”, mint marks, or date marks. Each coin is then assigned an official “mint state grade”, which is based on a 70-point “Sheldon Scale”, and is used to determine each coin’s respective numismatic value. The coins are then “slabbed”, which means that they are each sonically sealed in a tamper-resistant, plastic container called a slab, which comes equipped with its’ own serial number, and bar code, for positive identification.

Investors who complete their research, are encouraged to contact one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and many other rare gold coins to household investors like you.

Paul Mattias

Household investors who seek to solidify their long-term financial safety, are encouraged to research the benefits of owning certified, $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat rare gold coins. These coins are also commonly known as Double Eagles (along with rare, $20 Lady Liberty, 22-karat gold coins), and are among today’s highest regarded long-term, safe haven assets. They do command rather high premiums, but their .9675 troy-ounces of pure gold, and renowned numismatic value, make for a powerful investment combination.

The $20 Saint Gaudens design replaced the classic $20 Lady Liberty design, which was minted from 1850, to 1907. Saint Gaudens coins get their name after their designer, Augustus Saint Gaudens, a renowned sculptor who was commissioned by then President Theodore Roosevelt, to design a $20 gold coin that would rival the elegant beauty of ancient Greek coins. The new design was also expected to be equally representative of 20th Century coinage, so these coins carried remarkably high expectations. The famous artist delivered on his challenge with what remains today, as arguably one of the most beautiful coins ever minted.

The highly revered $20 Saint Gaudens coins were minted until 1933, when then President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Teddy’s cousin) ordered the vast majority of these coins to be confiscated, and melted into bullion bars. The gold was needed to thwart our nations’ economic emergency, and today, the surviving Saint Gaudens are considered to be rare collectables, and deemed to be irretrievable through a second possible bullion confiscation.

Investors who have completed their research, are encouraged to contact one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and many other gold coins to household investors like you.

Paul Mattias

It may be beneficial for prospective investors to research the benefits of certified rare gold coin investing, because rare coin forecasts are bullish. There have been some recent adjustments in the gold spot price (which represents the cost of one troy-ounce of pure gold), but many experts maintain that our nation’s economy is headed for more woes, as non-farm payroll data, and European Central Bank decisions on U.S. debt and spending are about to be released. The average personal savings of U.S. citizens in the early 1980’s was around 10%, and today, it is below zero. These types of economic symptoms are indicative of a long-term recession, which historically generates bullish rare coin forecasts. (Financialpost.com),(www.reuters.com).

According to John Embry, a chief strategist at Sprott Asset Management inc, gold spot prices could reach as high as $1350, to $1400 per troy-ounce by mid-spring, and although these may seem like lofty numbers to some, they are bullish rare coin forecasts for others.

Experienced investors know that gold prices historically move oppositely to the overall health of the nation’s economy, meaning that the gold spot price tends to rise, when dollar values become speculative. This inverse correlation is ringing truer with every passing moment, so trend savvy, long-term investors are protecting their wealth with purchases of PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), and/or NGC (Numismatic Certification Corporation)-certified, rare gold coins.

Those who have completed their research can avoid paying back breaking retail prices for their certified rare gold coins by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these coins to household investors like you.

Paul Mattias

Economic trends move in cycles, and some of these cycles contain elements like devalued printed currency, and overextended domestic, and foreign debt. Historically, more experienced, successful individuals recognize these “belt-tightening” trends when they occur, and capitalize on rising gold prices, while the reactionary masses clip coupons, and painfully await the advent of the next economic revival. (See you around the year 2020.Where did you leave the good scissors?)

A bit of fundamental research will reveal that rare coin investing is one of the most efficient ways to safely store large sums of wealth, while even possibly accumulating worth throughout stagnant economic cycles. Long-term rare coin investing can also prove to be prolific, because the numismatic value that rare coins possess has a propensity for dramatic appreciation during long-term recessions.

Investment-quality rare gold coins are generally certified with “mint state grades”, which designate their numismatic value, and investors should rely solely on either the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), or the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation), for official certification. Many of today’s serious long-term investors are purchasing Double Eagle coins, which are rare, $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat gold coins, minted from 1850 to 1907, and from 1907 to 1933, respectively. These coins not only contain almost a full troy-ounce of pure gold, their numismatic value makes them among the most widely sought rare coins in the industry.

Investors can avoid paying outrageously over marked retail prices for their PCGS, and NGC-certified rare gold coins by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and many other gold coins to household investors like you.

Paul Mattias

It’s certainly understandable why so many first-time rare coin buyers may feel overwhelmed by all of the options that are available to them, which is why it is critical for them to narrow down their search, through careful and thorough evaluation of their finances. This type of honest evaluation will help them to determine a feasible, long-term budget, as well as to pay average rare coin prices that are within their means.

Experienced investors know that typical, investment-quality, certified, rare gold coins like Double Eagles, usually carry official “mint state grades” that range between 61, and 66, out of a possible 70. Mint state grades designate a certified, rare gold coin’s numismatic value, and higher grades naturally mean higher rare coin prices. Higher-range certified coins are graded between 65, or 66, and average rare coin prices are generally mint state graded 62, through 64.

For optimally secure, long-term, rare coin investing, prospective buyers are advised to exclusively use either the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), or the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation), for their rare gold coin certification. Both of these companies maintain the global standard of excellence in rare coin assaying, and lesser-known certification companies may not fetch the same liquidation prices, when the time comes.

The aforementioned Double Eagles are rare, $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat gold coins, and investors are encouraged to research their long-term benefits. Those who have completed their research are encouraged to contact one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and many other gold coins to household investors like you.

Paul Mattias