At the time of original publication, the article described the following: From time to time, Atlanta Gold & Coin examined the coin and bullion market to identify trends and assess which coins and bullion products were seeing strong demand and which appeared to be lagging. The market is dynamic: an item fashionable or popular in one month may not hold that position in the next, and the reverse can also occur. This brief article highlighted three categories that were in high demand at publication and two that had cooled in the preceding months. It suggested that investors pay attention to products that had been recently overlooked, since that condition could have created chances to buy at substantial discounts.
What’s Hot
At the time of original publication, the article described the following: American Silver Eagles – At publication, the original article found no apparent slowdown in demand for American Silver Eagles. 2013 had established an all-time sales high of just under 43 million ounces, and demand through 2014 appeared equally strong. January had begun somewhat slowly, mainly because of silver-blank supply problems and the coins’ late release, but February and March were running above the record-setting pace of 2013. The article expected demand to stay strong as long as silver remained near $20 per ounce.
Proof Gold Eagles – Although overall gold-bullion demand was not at a high point when the article appeared, many collectors and investors of proof Gold Eagles were gravitating toward these coins, raising premiums. Most proof Gold Eagles were common-date pieces, yet buyers were paying additional premiums for selected dates and denominations. Demand in this market historically moved in cycles. The original article stated that, for readers who had been considering a sale of proof Gold Eagles, the publication period might have been an opportunity to receive strong prices for their coins.
At the time of original publication, the article described the following: National Baseball Hall of Fame Coins – As discussed in a prior article, previous piece, the newly issued National Baseball Hall of Fame commemoratives had been a major success. The 50,000 gold allotment sold out on its first day, and Coin News reported that the silver-dollar allotment had also sold out just two days ago. At publication, the clad half dollars remained available. Because the gold and silver choices were no longer available then, the article anticipated rising demand for the half dollars and a possible third sellout. Secondary-market prices were well above issue prices, so the article suggested allowing that market to cool before entering it.
What’s Not Hot
Commemorative Silver Dollars – At publication, collector interest in commemorative silver dollars appeared to have a love-and-hate pattern, and the relationship seemed to be in a low-interest phase. There were exceptions, including the 2001 American Buffalo proof and uncirculated silver dollars, but many such coins were trading only slightly above melt value. In the wholesale market, the original article reported dealers were buying “caps only,” indicating that obtaining the original government packaging and paperwork, often bulky, was not worth the added time and effort. For people who liked commemorative silver dollars, the article presented that period as a possible opportunity to explore depressed prices.
Modern Silver Proof Sets – Like commemorative silver dollars, modern silver proof sets drew weak interest at the time this article was published. There were exceptions, such as the 1999 silver proof set, which was still a sought-after item, but premiums on most common-date sets had fallen sharply. Wholesale prices at publication were similar to offer prices for pre-1965 90% silver coins. Loose modern 90% silver coins were likewise selling slightly above melt. For those interested in building a modern silver proof-set collection beginning with the inaugural 1992 issue, the article recommended examining the market during that period.
Summary
The coin and bullion market is broad and varied, with many coin types experiencing differing levels of demand. This article’s purpose was to point out several commonly encountered items that Atlanta Gold & Coin was buying and selling when it was originally published. As noted throughout the article, coin and bullion markets changed continually, making it important to monitor developments. Atlanta Gold & Coin stated that it would periodically share a dealer’s perspective to help readers follow then-recent developments, and that it would try to report breaking news of interest to collectors and bullion investors.
