The Silver and Gold Investor

Any coin collector knows that his collection cannot be complete lacking the silver eagle coin. The set of American Silver eagle coins is special because they are the largest in size and are made using the purest legal silver in the history of the United States.

Of the many aspects associated with these coins, one is the size. They are an easy convenient size which makes them very mobile and the owner can transport them with ease.

Since the Silver Eagle coin collection is recognized all over the world it has instant liquidity, and they are valuable on over the world. Another advantage of this collection is that they have government guaranteed status.

The value of silver eagle coins is high but how do you compare them with other collectible coins. Their worth differs in that these coins are not antique.

This collector’s item is a young issue and has been in circulation for only 20 years.

When purchasing an American Silver Eagle coins set for your collection you must be aware of the location and date the coins were minted. Also you may be able to get a good comprehension of the value of the coin if you know the mint marks and the finish of the production.

These coins are specifically produced and issued for the collectors. They are not meant for circulation in the market. Collectors can directly purchase these collectible coins from the United States Mint.

Initially when the Silver Eagle coins were launched, collectors were allowed to buy only from certified coin dealers or the manufacturers of precious metals. However, later on collectors could purchase directly from the mint.

This is perhaps one of the most sought after silver eagle coins by collectors. The 1955 silver eagle is part of the first limited edition set of coins. The set also had the 1995-W Proof American Silver Eagle which was not available by itself in the market.

The one ounce American gold eagle combined with the half, quarter and tenth were also included in the set. The set was available in the market for less than a grand with only 125 sets minted in total.

The government guarantee further enhances the value of these coins as the purity of the coins is guaranteed by the government certification. The minters manually filled the coin into the coin press and special blanks were burnished to create a unique mint mark for each of the coins.

With over one 130 million pieces circulating in the market since 1986 today the American Silver Eagle coin is a leading collectors item. It is globally recognized as the popular due to the fact that it is made of 100% pure silver guaranteed by the government.

Silver coins form an integral part of any coin collection. The American Silver Eagle Coin Sets are considered as special because they are of the largest size available in the market and made of the purest grade of silver in the history of the United States.

Of the many factors associated with these coins, one is the size. They are an easy convenient size which makes them very mobile and the owner can transport them with ease.

Since the Silver Eagle coin collection is recognized all over the world it has instant liquidity, and they are valuable on over the world. Another advantage of this collection is that they have government guaranteed status.

The value of silver eagle coins is high but how do you compare them with other collectible coins. Their worth differs in that these coins are not antique.

On the contrary they are quite a new series as they have only been in circulation for twenty years.

When purchasing an American Silver Eagle coins set for your collection you must be aware of the location and date the coins were minted. Also you may be able to get a good comprehension of the worth of the coin if you know the mint marks and the finish of the production.

These coins are specifically created and issued for the collectors. They are not meant for circulation in the market. Collectors can directly purchase these collectible coins from the United States Mint.

Initially when the Silver Eagle coins were launched, collectors were allowed to buy only from certified coin dealers or the manufacturers of precious metals. However, later on collectors could purchase directly from the mint.

The silver eagle coin collection from the limited edition set of the 1955 era is the most sought after collectible. The 1995 ” W Proof American Silver Eagle is off the market and not available for purchase.

The set included the American gold coin in one ounce, half ounce, quarter ounce and the tenth coin. This complete set was available at a tag lower than 1000 dollars and only 125 sets were produced.

The purity is guaranteed by the fact that the government guarantees the collector through certification. These coins are filled onto the coin press manually by the minters and then they were pasted on special blanks which were burnished to create a unique mint mark for each coin.

In present times the American silver eagle coin is the best seller in the global silver coin market. Over 130 million pieces were sold since 1986 and each was made from 100% pure silver guaranteed by the government.

The Franklin Mint Company in Middletown Pennsylvania is a world famous company and the Franklin mint silver coin is a renowned collectible item. This company functions as a private corporation and was established in the 1960s.

The man behind the formation of the private corporation was Joseph Segal. Generally Franklin Mint productions have been considered in the past to be the choice item for lower income classes. This is the perception held by the majority of Americans.

Initially the company promoted its private minted gold and silver guineas and memorial medals. Then with the passage of time, they branched out into the production of other collectibles.

The sudden increase in the value of silver in the 1960s caused silver coins to fall out of domestic exchange in that decade. An interesting fact of the times is that some casinos were using silver coins in slot machines which obviously became worth more than the silver dollar!

The Franklin mint silver coin in fact was the first official substitute used at the slot machines to replace the silver dollar coin previously used by gamblers.

This massive production facility in Pennsylvania has the capacity to produce numerous sets of ingots, coins and themed medallions. These were sold on a shipment basis and buyers had to order periodically through a subscription plan.

Even though the Franklin Mint silver coins are the most popular of the entire product range, the company forayed into creating coin shaped collectible items from other precious and semi precious metals to increase the appeal and value of their products.

The company made use of various themes on its coin like collectibles. From popular art masterpiece themes to important personalities you could find a plethora of different designs of Franklin mint coins.

The competitive pricing of the coins resulted in huge orders consequently contributing to their popularity.

The company developed other accents like custom wood cases and fancy packaging in order to add more value to the collectible items. They even issued certificates with their products that had a great appeal to the collectors.

These features further enhanced the purchase price and the value of the Franklin Mint coins. However, when the company introduced these features to increase the purchase price, the cost of the metal silver started to increase in the global and domestic market.

This resulted in a slump in sales and the company then had to utilize metals like pewter and bronze to make the products affordable for their clients. However, these metals did not hold the same appeal as the beautiful silver coins produced originally by the Franklin mint company.

It’s unfortunate that today’s beginning coin collectors missed out on the experiences I had when I first began collecting coins. It was around 1970 and you could still find silver coins in change every now and then even though it had been six years since the US Mint started minting clad coins.

I would go to the local bank after school with ten bucks and get a couple rolls of dimes and go outside and look through them for silver coins for my meager collection. After doing this a few times I got to where I could tell a silver coin just by looking at the edges and I could go through a roll pretty quickly this way.

Many times it turned out to be a 1964-D which was almost a junk coin because they were so plentiful but every so often I would hit the jackpot and find a Mercury dime in pretty good shape. I would always replace the coins I took out with the same number of clad dimes since I was an honest person and would head back inside to exchange my rolls for two more.

In the beginning the tellers asked me why I was doing this and I think they might have thought that I was trying to make some money by short changing them but after telling them that I collected coins and that I made sure to replace any coins I took out they were very happy to help me and never bothered to count the rolls I turned in.

It always struck me as odd that someone would turn a Mercury dime into the bank because of how much they were worth but I guess it’s the same as the time I bought 10 silver dollars for ten dollars from a girl in my class. She didn’t care because she was just going to spend them anyway so I was very happy to buy them from her. Sadly, not being as smart as I am today I sold them to another collector a couple of days later for $11 thinking that a one dollar profit was good.

My dad also assisted me in my new hobby by having a bartender he knew save out any silver coins he got during the week. I would be able to buy these for face value but there were so many coins some weeks that I couldn’t buy them all. Oh, to have that problem now!

I can’t remember the last time I got a silver coin in change and even though I realize it’s been over 40 years since silver coins were minted it’s kind of sad that someone that is just beginning to collect coins has to buy many of the coins I used to get at face value.

Perhaps the state quarters that are so popular give the newcomer to coin collecting the same excitement I got when I was just beginning but in all honesty I have to tell you that I never really liked clad coins. In my opinion they do not come close to the beauty of the silver coins of the past that I fell in love with.

Mike Taylor

http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/coin-collecting-was-easier-when-i-was-younger-75284.html

What Coins Should I Collect?

By Robert L Taylor, JD

You should collect what you like and enjoy. This is Your Dream. Design it any way you want.
Never-the-less, . . . decide on Foreign coins or US Coins; and Proof or Mint State. If US, then decide upon a Denomination: penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar or other.

Or, decide upon a particular Period in History, e.g.: Morgan Dollars (Lady Liberty, Following Civil War), Peace Dollars (Following WWI), War Time Cents (Steel and Shell Casing – WWII), War Time Nickels (Silver – WWII), Silver quarters and dimes pre 1965; Statehood Quarters; 20th Century; 19th Century.

Or decide upon an Historical Figure; Kennedy Half Dollars (Following his death), Lincoln Cents; Washington Quarters; Franklin Half Dollars; Eisenhower Dollars, Susan B Anthony Dollars, Roosevelt Dimes; Sacagawea Dollars. You can also choose Type Sets, Year Sets, Mint Sets, Proof Sets and Decades.

The Next Step is to decide upon the Quality of coin you want to collect. Your choices are: a) pocket change; b) bank rolls; c) US mint and proof rolls and sets (new and used); d) Buy from Coin Shows and Clubs; e) Buy on the Internet; f) Buy from coin dealer; g) Buy from coin magazine or ad. Each has their benefits and advantages. Pocket Change and Bank Rolls provide Circulated coins. The US Mint provides Uncirculated “Mint State” and “Proof” coins.
The Internet provides the Greatest Selection from private Web Sites, e.g.: www.ThePerfect-Coin.Com to the big Auctions like eBay, Yahoo, Heritage and TeleTrade. And With the advent of PayPal.com (free) it becomes very quick and easy to pay for purchases over the Internet and by Phone.

The one thing that is important in all of the above choices is the Grade of the Coin, which is closely related to Value (a topic for another article). But which leads to the next choice: Buy Slabbed or Raw? Raw coins are what you find in pocket change. Slabbed coins are those that are Professionally Certified and Graded by an Independent Third Party. The coin is then placed in a “slab”, made of plastic, identified, labeled and sealed. It actually takes 3 Professionals to decide upon the Grade of a Coin. If Buying Raw Coins, You need to Know How to Grade a Coin. Even then, there will be Disputes about the Grade. When Buying a Slabbed coin, You Know the Grade. The Grade Becomes Virtually Undisputable! All references to Price in any resource are Based on Grading, which follows the Guidelines set by the ANA American Numismatic Association. Currently, there are only Four Companies that are Recognized for Strictly following these Guidelines: PCGS, NGC, ICG and ANACS. It is from these Professionals that one should buy slabbed coins. Buying Slabbed Coins is the First Rule of Serious Coin Collecting.

Obviously, one will be very limited in the years, mints, and varieties available from pocket change and bank rolls – both being local in nature. Even if starting with these means of collecting, always keep an open mind about other resources. So, a little future insight helps to decide that better resources will yield better coin collections. Most collections will span a greater range of years, than either pocket change or bank rolls can possibly produce. It is therefore imperative to investigate other resources.

Your Budget will usually determine the Grade of coin that you can afford to collect. MS63-MS65 is an Ideal range for collecting, not only because of the excellent condition and detail of the coins, greater availability, lower costs, and because coins in this range tend to Appreciate faster than other Grades. There item is very simple, and it has to do with the quality of the coin or how much you want to Spend per Coin – for an average coin, for an exceptional coin, or a perfect coin. Your budget will usually determine this factor, or, how much per month you can spend (per month?) for your new Investment. Never doubt that Coin Collecting is an Investment. Although it is easy to overlook the amount of time spent on this Endeavor because two of the main ingredients are Pleasure and Enjoyment. Confucius Say:

“If you enjoy what you are doing, you will never work another day in your life.”

Think of it as a Fund. You are trading Money for . . . Money that Grows and Gives Pleasure! Properly attended, this Fund can quite possibly put someone through college.

Lastly, decide whether to collect all of the coins in your Group including varieties and errors or just the Regular Issue Coins. Errors and Varieties can become extremely expensive and difficult to find. Most people will avoid them.

This Concept of “Trading Money for Money” is critically important because most people shy away from spending a little more, just to get the best. And I am talking about the best in quality of coin, no matter what the Grade or Price. In other words, get a Coin with the Grade it is Supposed to Have. This is the Only way to be sure of the Value of the Coin. Spend your Money Wisely. Get what you pay for. Until you become a Professional at Grading, rely on the Professional Graders. Whether you choose to collect Kennedy Proof Half Dollars, or Jefferson Nickels from pocket change, thanks to the Internet, you will find a huge selection available, on many different web sites, to give your Coin Collecting efforts a boost. Internet Web Sites will Forever Change Coin Collecting! Why? Because Top Quality Coins can be easily Bought and Sold by any body – since they are Slabbed!

Always Know Your Grade!

Robert L Taylor, JD
Copyright 2006, Robert L Taylor, JD

Robert L Taylor, Jd
http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/what-coins-should-i-collect-62524.html