GoldFinger1969

Where did you get this license, the state or the feds ? I thought every person was allowed to own 5 gold coins (presumably the largest, double eagles). If Izzy wanted to give 5 of his friends and their wives the maximum allowable DE's, why couldn't he buy 50 gold coins (for the 10 adults) and take them to their homes ? Ditto kids, too, right ?

I don't necessarily think he is being self-serving here. I just think he has misinterpreted volatility and falling prices (temporarily) in stocks as good for Spiderman comics, Coins, and Currency. WorldColonial said it best. The numismatic community can't handle a few hundred million a year in new money, let alone billions or tens of billions. Unless we are trying to re-create the Japanese Property Bubble, this benefits nobody.

If anything, the forward returns on stocks and bonds (well, stocks anyway) are HIGHER and BETTER after the events of the last 2 months. Hell, they were best on March 23rd at S&P 2,200. I respect Mark's opinions on grading and coins, but when he tries to make an investment case for coins and collectibles based on stock market volatility, let me off the train. He'd be on more solid footing predicting a rise in gold to $3,000/oz dragging up coins than an investment case based on volatility of other assets that pay income and dividends. Reading RWB's book on Saints with extensive price history from 1976-2015, plus my own research over the years, confirms that even if the long-term and rolling period (more important !) returns on coins/collectibles were positive and/or closer to stocks or a diversified portfolio of financial assets....the positive returns are so concentrated in a few years of gains that the inevitable market-timing means most people will not only lose but lose big.

Didn't want to keep posting on the Silver Dollar book thread so I created this new thread so that I and others can discuss this great book and Roger can chime in from time-to-time. I can't say enough about the book -- fantastic. Best book on coins I've ever read. Questions for Roger: On Page 132, you have a quote stating regret that no 1908-D's were "set aside" for the Treasury Secretary (and maybe other Mint/Treasury higher-ups). I presume getting a few was one of the perks of working for the Mint/Treasury. (1) Did they have to pay for the coin(s) ? If so, could they use paper currency or did they have to use gold coins ? (2) Could the higher-ups get these coins as soon as they came off the press, or did they have to wait for an Official Release date, an Assayer to finish testing, the coins to go to the Cashier or Customer Service Window, etc. ? (3) I take it these coins given to the Treasury Secretary or the Mint higher-ups would NOT have been registered on those Daily Cashier statements ?