Consider Having Your Better Modern World Coins Graded!

Once a year I submit a group of coins to be graded by one of the two leading coin grading services, NGC and PCGS.  

In the recent past I have usually submitted modern U.S. coins and have avoided sending classic U.S. coins because like many people when I did so some of my coins came back with “details grading” due to unoriginal surfaces.  

But this year I decided to try a different approach and sent in a nice group of modern world coins instead.  

I typically buy such coins in their original government packaging because they are cheaper that way, and this type of coin usually comes in an impressive display box.  Once in a while I will purchase an already graded coin if the price is right.

I was curious to see what kind of results I would get sending in some of my favorite modern world issues, especially since several of them sell for a substantial premium in the top grade of 70.  

Plus they looked to be virtually flawless to me, though like many collectors I have often trouble seeing the difference between a 69 and a 70.

I ended up getting 70s on three of my five submissions, which was a very good result since I added several hundred dollars of value to the coins by going through this process.  It probably would have been more difficult to do this with recent U.S. coins. 

It is worth considering that while the market for graded modern U.S. coins is becoming rather saturated, especially for American Silver Eagles, not nearly as many modern world coins get graded.  And the premiums buyers pay for 70s of such coins can be quite steep indeed.

In fact, for one of my new 70s I own one of only two such coins that have received the top grade by that company so far.  Of course this is probably because not many such coins have been submitted, but the fact remains that this adds something to the coin’s appeal and marketability.

If you want to know more, check out my forthcoming article in the magazine this fall on the market for graded modern world coins. 

http://www.coinworld.com/voices/louis-golino/2015/05/consider_having_your.html#

2015 Australian Kookaburra Silver Coin In High Relief!

In 1990, the Perth Mint of Australia introduced a new series of silver coins depicting one of its native birds, the kookaburra. Since that debut, Australian Kookaburra silver coins have become one of the most popular annual series in existence.

Kookaburra High Relief Silver Coin

To mark a quarter of a century since their introduction, the Perth Mint has released unique 25th anniversary editions in 1-ounce and 5-ounce sizes that are in collector proof quality and in high-relief to enhance their detail.

Silver Coin Design and Specifications

Normally on these coins, the kookaburra design changes annually. In celebration of the anniversary, however, these new silver coins feature the original 1990 design by Dr. Stuart Devlin. 

Inscribed around the scene are THE AUSTRALIAN KOOKABURRA, 1 OZ. 999 SILVER and the date range of the program 1990-2015. In addition, a special ‘P25′ mintmark is used to reflect the 25th anniversary.

Offered on the obverse is the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. Inscriptions include ELIZABETH II, AUSTRALIA, 2015 and the legal tender face value of the coins.

The 2015 25th Anniversary Kookaburra High Relief Silver Coins may be ordered from the Perth Mint via its website of www.perthmint.com.au.

http://www.silvercoinstoday.com/2015-australian-kookaburra-silver-coin-in-high-relief/1011053/

David & Goliath Tangle On 2-ounce Silver Coin From Scottsdale Mint Biblical Series!

One of the most well-known biblical tales is now presented on a silver coin issued in the name of the island nation of Niue.

The private Scottsdale Mint on May 5 released the third coin in its Biblical silver coin series, which is intended to feature six coins per year for the next 10 years. 

 

Scottsdale Mint and American Precious Metals Exchange have issued the third coin in a new Biblical silver coin series. The 2015 silver $2 coin presents the story of David and Goliath

Each 2-ounce .999 fine silver coin will depict a well-known biblical story minted in high relief and accented with an antique finish.

This third release, dated 2015, features a dramatic depiction of David after defeating Goliath. David faces the fleeing Philistine army, holding the giant’s head above his own, while backed by the Israelite army.

Gustave Doré’s engraving David and Goliath is the inspiration for the reverse design.

The obverse design features the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

Each coin is serially edge numbered.

The coin was struck by the Scottsdale Mint for American Precious Metals Exchange, the exclusive distributor.

The 2015 $2 coin from Niue weighs 2 ounces, measures 39 millimeters in diameter and is 6 millimeters thick.

It has a mintage limit of 1,499 coins and follows the Exodus coin, the first in the series, and a Crucifixion coin, the second.

https://www.coinworld.com/news/david--goliath-tangle-on-2-ounce-silver-coin-from-scottsdale-min.html#

APMEX Releases 2oz Silver David & Goliath Coin – Third Release In The Biblical Scenes Series!

David & Goliath is the third release in the 2015 six coin series of iconic Biblical scenes available exclusively at APMEX. Each of these 2 oz Silver coins has a mintage of just 1,499 and features an impressive high-relief, rimless design.

2 oz Silver Coin - Biblical Series (David & Goliath)
2 oz Silver Coin – Biblical Series (David & Goliath)

2 oz Silver Coin – Biblical Series (David & Goliath)

Coin Highlights:
Contains 2 oz of .999 fine Silver.
Each coin is packaged in a gift box reminiscent of the Bible.
Included certificate of authenticity tells the iconic story of David & Goliath. Each certificate includes a serial number that matches the laser etched number on the coin.

Obverse: Features the Raphael Maklouf likeness of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by the coin’s weight, purity and face value.

Reverse: Inspired by Gustave Doré’s illustration of “David & Goliath” pictured on the certificate of authenticity, showing David holding the head of Goliath in front of his army showing David’s inspiring victory.

Edge: Laser etched serial number, from 1 to 1499, which matches the serial number found on the included certificate of authenticity.

The certificate of authenticity has an antique feel that coincides nicely with both the finish of the coin and the design subject. Included on the certificate is an image of Gustave Doré’s “David & Goliath” showing how accurately Scottsdale Mint’s creative team recreated the original artwork.

Shop the rest of the unique Biblical Series available exclusively from APMEX!

Start your own journey or give a fantastic gift with this dramatic Silver coin. Add the 2 oz Silver David & Goliath coin to your cart today! 

http://www.coinweek.com/coins/collector-coins/apmex-releases-2oz-silver-david-goliath-coin-third-release-in-the-biblical-scenes-series/

Royal Mint Unveil New £5 Coin To Celebrate Princess' Birth!

The Royal Mint has unveiled the new £5 coin which was designed in celebration of  the new Princess of Cambridge's birth. 

 Royal Mint To Unveil New £5 Coin To Celebrate Princess' Birth!

A total of 500 gold coins and 9,500 silver coins will be produced to commemorate the arrival of the baby daughter of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton.

The Princess of Cambridge was born on 2 May 2015

The coins have a royal seal of approval from the Queen - who approved the decision during a meeting of the Privy Council at Buckingham Palace on 19 March - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Chancellor.

John Bergdahl has designed the limited-edition pieces, and he was also the artist behind the commemorative coins which were minted for Prince George's birth in 2013.

The royal couple are expected to announce the Princess' name on Monday

The Royal Mint's Shane Bissett said: "It is only fitting that we commemorate this new addition to the Royal Family with the release of a special coin, just as we celebrated the arrival of Prince George."

When George arrived in July 2013, The Royal Mint produced 10,000 solid silver crown-sized £5 coins – which cost £80 each – and 2,013 22 carat gold sovereigns, priced at £800 each.

Both coins, which featured the newborn's namesake St George, were sold out within days.

In addition to the £5 coin, the Royal Mint has also produced 2015 silver pennies which will be given to babies born on the same day as the Princess.

Babies born on the same day as Prince George were also given their own royal gift in the form of a lucky silver coin. 

The Royal Mint struck a total of 2,013 silver coins and presented them, free of charge, to the tots who shared George's birthday. Depending on the sex of the child, the coin was delivered in a pink or blue pouch.

The royal couple are yet to reveal the name of their baby daughter, but it is expected to happen after the Queen is introduced to the Princess on Monday at Anmer Hall, William and Kate's official country residence.

http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2015050425021/royal-mint-new-coin-princess-cambridge/

The Psychology Of Coin Collecting!

What does psychology have to do with coin collecting?

Collectors have one distinct advantage over non-collectors. The hobby of coin collecting–and it is a hobby, pure and simple, not an “industry” or “market”–adds an extra dimension to the collector’s life, a safe and enjoyable retreat from the stress and pressure of everyday living. The hobby is a tonic that cures the daily ills and tensions. Numismatics is the magic carpet ride.

Some good quiet time with numismatic books, reading, studying or researching some interesting topic can also provide the relaxation and escape one often needs after a tough day at the office or factory.

It’s no wonder then why, when so many psychologists and other medical professionals suggest taking up a hobby, coin and stamp collecting traditionally head the list.

It’s not just sitting at home in an easy chair, being a loner. That’s OK some of the time. The real enjoyment and stress-reducer is in active participation in the hobby–and coin clubs fit the prescription very nicely. Coin collectors tend to want to enjoy their pursuit with a circle of friends. Psychologists call this a “support group”. 

Down the road I’ll talk about coin shows and conventions and how they replace the cares and woes of daily life. It’s all about having a worthwhile pursuit. Can one imagine any better hobby than numismatics?

One of the characteristics of many collectors, their “psychology” if you will, is that they suffer from the disease of “complete-itis”. Sound familiar? “I must complete this set as soon as possible”, or “Let me buy that complete set now”. 

There are other examples but these serve the point. To my way of thinking at least, who says that you have to have a complete date set or a complete anything? 

If so, you are afflicted with complete-itis. In my humble opinion it is more enjoyable to methodically seek one or two examples at any given time in whatever series or denomination that you’ve decided to collect. 

The important words here are “that you have decided to collect”. Don’t allow your psyche to be swayed by the mind-set of others.

In other words, don’t let them be your coin psychologist. The decision on how and what to collect is strictly your own.

Cycles in the coin hobby are also affected by their psychological movements. For example, one year everyone is scrambling for silver dollars. Next year they fall out of favour and large cents take hold. Then it’s off to something else, only to have the cycles eventually repeat themselves. 

Believe me, as an “old-timer” in the hobby I’ve seen them come and go, come and go, come and go… Well, you get the point. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed by cyclical movements. Those jumping on today’s hot bandwagon will most likely fall off when that same wagon becomes cold.

Another point to remember is that most coin cycles are started by self-styled promoters and their flashy advertisements. The promoted item is usually one in ready supply: proof sets, rolls of coins, modern silver dollars and the like. “I’d rather buy your X at a high price rather than sell you my X at a low price”. 

The bait has been set. The next ad proclaims that “we are out of X and must buy yours”. The fat is in the fire. This goes on for a week or two and then the sell ad appears stating that “X is available once again but we had to pay top dollar and have adjusted our selling price accordingly”. 

What you were not told was that this dealer had a large supply of X on hand before the promotion began and wanted to raise the selling price to make more profit. What was it that P.T. Barnum once said about being born every minute?

Beware of rising (cyclical) markets, especially those on a fast track steered by a flashy promoter. Usually what goes up too quickly will tumble down just as quickly if not more so.

The veteran collector of course looks at situations like this from a different perspective than that of the neophyte. This may be termed the psychology of experience. Noted old-time dealer Wayte Raymond once remarked “The best investment in numismatics is knowledge”. 

We can also offer the sage advice given by noted financier Bernard Baruch. To paraphrase this into numismatics, he said that the time to buy is when other collectors are selling and the time to sell is when the collectors are buying. 

In essence, many collectors are trapped by a cyclical situation and trip over themselves in an effort to buy before prices go “through the roof”. The seasoned collector has seen this situation many times and knows that now is the time to sell before the price level reaches the top and begins to descend. 

The new or unwary collector is doomed to be trapped into the follow-the-sheep psychology unless this vital lesson is learned early on.

I’d like to quote another old-timer.

Lee F. Hewitt, former publisher of The Numismatic Scrapbook magazine was fond of saying that “there is no Santa Claus in numismatics”. These are words to consider if you ever feel trapped by someone making an offer that sounds too good to be true. 

We can call this the “gift horse” psychology. When something sounds too good to be true it invariably is too good to be true. I remember being offered a 1916-D Mercury dime years ago for a price that was well below advertised buying prices for that particular grade. 

Naturally a light bulb went off in this gray-haired brain. My first thought was why is he offering this to me at a lower price than he can easily obtain elsewhere? Curious, I picked up the phone and was told that he knew of me and wanted to give me a little bit of a price break. 

By this time I knew I wasn’t going to buy the coin but replied that he should send it along and that if I didn’t purchase it the only loss would be a few dollars to each of us for postage and insurance expenses. You guessed it! The coin featured an added “D” mint mark. 

I photographed the coin and sent it along to the publisher of the periodical in which the ad appeared. I mentioned this to the so-called dealer. His reply was that anyone can make a mistake. Hmmm.

A final psychology lesson is offered. Have fun and try to share that fun with others.

Until next time, stay well and enjoy your hobby.

http://www.coinweek.com/opinion/psychology-coin-collecting/