"A few coins worth a second look" (Maybe a first look for some)

Greetings Collectors,

I should really stop and think before I write about certain things. "Hindsight" is so "20 20". I am going to try very hard from this point going forward to not be derogrotory or mean spirited no matter what is said, to me or about me or about any of my friends. One of my fellow collectors put it so well when he said he tries to "never feed the trolls". Having said that about "hindsight", I want to touch on the matter of "forsight".

I just spent some time going back through some of my journals from this year and was amused and somewhat amazed at a few of my forcasts/predictions. These very few moments "in the sun" are the exception to the rule and the 180 degree opposite of the norm when it comes to issues in my life. As I have said several times in the past, I am wrong alot on many things and do make more than my fair share of mistakes in lots of areas. The only area where my average is "north" of "500" is in calling what I think to be, a good investment.

Down through the years when it came to coins, I early on would use the rule of thumb, (this is about new issues from the US mint) I thought it wise to buy at least one of each proof and mint set that came down the pipe. This has done OK looking back when it came to the 1999 and 2001 proof sets in clad and silver. Some of the mint sets were good buys also, with the 2004 issue as one that I remember. When it came to commemoratives, this is a way different story. I thought that by picking a coin or a set of coins that many could relate to was the "bench mark" to use. Boy was this a mistake early on with the 1982 George Washington and the Statue of Liberty coins, just to name a couple and there were several more "duds". The commemorative issues are the ones that I have not been able to keep up with one of each because of the massive costs involved. These coins for the most part, I have been unable to "call". That is up until just the last few years. Since the turn of the century it has been a little of both, as in issues with a large interest/following and also ones with, what most would think, hardly no interest/following at all. And then there are ones that I think, fall in the middle.

Every time I think of these particular types of coins, my mind always zero's in on the numerous Olympic commemorative coins. Who would have thought a "wheelchair coin" or some of the others would have shot up in value the way they have. A popular theme from this time frame is the "Buffalo" dollar which I knew, with the popularity of the "Fraiser" Buffalo nickel, this would be a winner and it was. I also bought several of the three coin sets in unc. and proof of the "Women in military" Vietnam Veterans and the last one, which at the moment, slips my mind. Oh yea, it was a POW/MIA dollar. These I think would fall in the middle of, as in between, widely popular and those with very little interest at all. But these three have also done pretty good. The two that completly "blow my mind" as in, how can they have gone up so far in value are the "Jackie Robinson and the Capitol Visitor Center coins, more so in the gold, but the silver issues have done very well also. I don't live near Washington DC and have only visited twice, but I have never even heard of the "Capitol Visitor Center" 'til after the coin came out and then proceeded to "go through the roof". Take a look at these last two coins, in the $5 gold and tell me you don't wish you had bought a "sockfull".

Having said all this, I have been doing alot of reading and I have read that others say somewhat the same thing I am getting ready to say. It's all about total amount minted, it always has been. Based on that, I have used it to my advantage a few times this year already. The Lincoln silver dollars are one. And of the two, as usual it's the unc. that is the rarer of the two. Another is the first batch of lincoln cents, the ones in the "mint issued rolls". The proof Lincoln dollars stand at 375,000 and the UNC. version is one third of that, at 125,000. Those first Lincoln cents, only 96,000 two roll sets issued, compared to 300,000 of the second issue, with number three and four still being sold. In both of these, see the 3 to 1 differance?

One of the latest coins that prompted this post are the "Louis Brallle" silver dollars which of the 400,000 max. mintage only a hair over 125,000 proofs have been sold and a mere 45,592 in UNC have sold. In fairness add an additional 20,000 UNC's in the "easy open capsule only bring the total to around 65,000 in uncirculated of this issue that "reeks" of the silver olympic coins of recent past that I and many others missed out on. Most opt for the new issues in proof but the UNC's have been and will continue to be the "sleepers". I was forced to buy one of these Brallle dollars yesterday for fear that by deleting it from my "cart" would have taken too much time and caused me to miss out on the Lincoln Coin and Chronicle set that I purchased on the same order. I think now I may should get a "proof and several more unc's of this low mintage issue.

The last coins I want to bring to your attention are the "first spouse" gold coins in uncirculated. The Anna Harrison which will only be for sale a very short time longer has a mintage of just 2,818. President Tyler was married twice and the coins for those two women in his life have very low mintages. Letitia Tyler in unc. 2,274 and Julia Tyler has sold only 1,937. The proof versions of these coins and past first spouse coins are averaging 5,000-8,000 each. These are low mintages as well but nothing compared to the uncirculated issues. Again these three coins will only be available for a very short time before they are pulled and those that remain unsold, are melted. I would like to think I could obtain these three gold coins, but that is rather doubtful.

I realize that a $600-$700 1/2 ounce gold coin is way out of the budget for most of us but these stats and past results on the dramatic increase in values on these "Modern Low Mintage Gold & Silver" coins is maybe worth a look. Any amount of gold and silver you buy now, will not only make you feel good, but it may be one of the best "moves" you make when it comes to your retirement. Good luck in all your "coin hunts" and continue to "have fun with your coins" Happy Collecting to all of you! Here's wishing a safe weekend to you and yours! WKF