From time to time, Atlanta Gold & Coin stepped back to look at the coin and bullion business from the 30,000 level, helping put the industry’s stronger and weaker areas into perspective. The numismatic market is notably fluid: an item attracting attention at one point can fall out of favor later that same year. When this article was originally published, it reviewed products experiencing the greatest demand at that time alongside products that were less favored. The purpose was to give readers context about coins they might have considered pursuing or selling during the following several months, based on the market conditions described in this 2015 article.
Hot
- Chinese gold pandas – When this article was originally published, the market for Chinese gold pandas had been cooling for roughly six to nine months, although certain coins still drew very strong interest, particularly fractional Chinese gold pandas. Examples remaining sealed in their original mint plastic were especially sought after, as were clean coins without red spots that were in brilliant uncirculated condition. Unlike the United States, which had produced gold eagles in substantial quantities over many years, China’s gold-coin production was extremely limited in certain years. Although this was not true in every instance, the original article reported that most fractional Chinese gold coins minted in the mid 1990’s tended to bring some of the highest premiums.
- Carson City silver dollars – Morgan silver dollars struck at the Carson City Mint have long attracted demand because their production quantities were relatively low compared with those from other mints. At the time of publication, demand appeared especially strong across most dates. Coins preserved in Government Services Administration, or GSA, holders were described as particularly desirable. Atlanta Gold & Coin had previously published an article on the history behind these coins for readers who wanted additional background on GSA-issued Carson City silver dollars. When this article was originally published, GSA Carson City dollars professionally graded by National Guaranty Corporation (NGC) were in even greater demand and could sell for multiples of comparable raw, ungraded coins.
- 90% silver coins – At the time of publication, silver coins broadly had been strong market items, with especially noticeable increased demand for 90% silver coins. Among the 90% silver-coin choices, half dollars appeared to be the preferred option then. Premiums for half dollars were rising in relation to silver dimes and quarters, whose relative premiums commonly shifted over time. During 2014, 1964 Kennedy half dollars had drawn the highest demand and commanded the largest premiums because 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy half dollar. When the article was published, however, Franklin half dollars and Walking Liberty halves were selling at the same rates as Kennedy halves.
Not
- Modern commemorative silver dollars – The original article noted a modest rebound in demand for better-date modern commemorative silver dollars. Even so, at the time of publication, most common-date modern commemorative silver dollars, those minted in 1983 through the article’s publication, were trading near their melt value. In most cases, buyers no longer required or wanted the original government packaging, because these coins were typically being sold as “caps only.” Although certain silver products, including American silver eagles and 90% silver coins, saw premium increases during the steep silver selloff in 2014, the original article characterized demand for these commemoratives as tepid. It also stated that Redbook values, and often Greysheet prices, no longer reliably indicated either value or demand for them.
- Modern commemorative gold coins – Modern commemorative gold coins are U.S.-issued 90% gold coins released by the U.S. Mint since 1984. Like modern commemorative silver dollars, these coins were generally sold in caps rather than with their original government paperwork. Some issues had stronger demand because of low production quantities, but the original article reported that most sold at standard rates. At the time of publication, those rates were well below the levels for popular bullion issues such as American gold eagles and buffaloes. The article was not intended as criticism of modern commemorative coins. For reasons that may have included their lower purity, the original article said they simply were not major sellers at that point.
- Clad & Silver Proof Sets – The numismatic market can seem to have a love-hate relationship with clad and silver proof sets, and, when this article was originally published, the relationship appeared strained. A small number of better-date sets remained exceptions, including the 1999, and 2011 – 2013 silver proof sets, along with the 2012 clad proof set. Most sets, however, were reportedly selling below Greysheet bid prices. At that time, retail-quality boxes were also extremely important. Sets with packaging below the expected standard commonly received additional discounts of 10%. Some groups, including many made in the mid 1980’s, had values of only 2 – 3 times the coins’ face value.
- Eisenhower silver dollars – At the time of publication, demand for Eisenhower silver dollars was generally weak, affecting both uncirculated coins in blue envelopes and proof examples housed in brown boxes. Proof Eisenhower dollars often developed haze or spotting, which reduced their appeal. Their 40% silver content was also a lower purity than many silver-coin and bullion investors preferred. The article nevertheless identified exceptions to the broader weakness. Proof Eisenhower silver dollars minted in 1973 and 1974 were bringing a modest premium when the article was published. High-end certified examples were likewise in fairly strong demand then and were selling at substantial premiums.
Summary
In summary, the original article covered coins across the range from strong market items to less-favored ones. When this article was originally published, Chinese gold coins—especially fractional issues struck in the mid 1990’s—Carson City silver dollars, and 90% silver half dollars were reported as strong sellers. By comparison, modern commemorative silver dollars, commemorative gold coins, and clad and silver proof sets had experienced stronger demand and better pricing in earlier periods. Most Eisenhower silver dollars were of limited interest at publication, with exceptions including proof San Francisco-issued silver dollars minted in 1973 and 1974, plus high-end certified examples. At publication, readers were invited to visit the blog frequently for updates on then-latest market factors and changing industry trends.
