MA-Shops: Which Coin Should I Buy?

By Joël van Dam – Owner, Joëlnumismatics, for MA-Shops.com ……
 

When I am at coin fairs as an exhibitor, I get the same questions about coins and banknotes: Which coins should I buy? Which coins are the best investments? Which coin(s) would you buy?

These are all understandable questions, of course. People spend a lot of money and more than a lot of time on their collections, and therefore it is not strange that they expect some sort of profit out of it. But these questions are harder to answer than you might expect – even for someone who deals with coins and banknotes every day! In this blog, I will try to give the best answers I can to these questions.

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100 Schilling 1935 Austria

9,100.00 US$

• Weight: 23.52 g
• Diameter: 33.00 mm
• Mintage: 951

Madonna of Mariazell – Magna Mater

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Which coins would I buy?

To answer this question credibly I should answer it as a collector and not as a dealer. I made a decision as a collector a few years ago to only collect coins that I like for aesthetic or historical reasons. Because for this part of my numismatic buying I want to feel only joy. Maybe this sounds a bit simple but since I work with coins and banknotes for business reasons every day, I wanted to add more joy to my numismatic life.

So if you only want to have joy as a collector, then only collect the things you like. This sounds easy but ask yourself: What do I really like to collect? When you’re just starting out this is a hard question to answer. My advice to beginners is: What do you like in general? If you have an answer to this question, then try to link your answer to a numismatic topic. Believe me, I know how difficult these questions are to answer sometimes.

As for me, I really like ancient history, so therefore I collect ancient coins. For instance, coins from the Roman Republic. I’m fascinated by the political and economic history. How fantastic would it be if you also like this and if you can add one of these great coins of the famous Julius Caesar to your collection? MA-Shops has a great collection of coins from the Roman Republic on their portal. And I really enjoy these coins!

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Denarius 42 BCE. Rom C. Julius Caesar

9,450.00 US$

• Catalog: Syd. 1096 c
• Weight: 3.77 g

Sextus Pompey AR Denarius

4,000.00 US$

Uncertain Sicilian mint 42-40 BCE. Obverse: Bare head of Pompey the Great right; capis to left, lituus to right. Reverse: Neptune standing left, holding aplustre and resting foot on prow, between the Catanaean brothers, Anapias and Amphinomus, who carry their parents on their shoulders.

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What should you buy? Three elements!

But now the big question: What should you buy? At fairs, I always start a conversation and try to find out several things. First, is it important for you that you possibly make a profit or at least incur no loss from your collection in the future? If this doesn’t matter to you then my advice will be like the text I’ve written above. Find your joy!

But at least 70% of the collectors I speak with think that value (profit) is an important aspect of their collection. For these collectors, I always say buy the best coin you like and can afford.

It is better to have one great coin than to have 10 coins you like a little bit. It is very important to know that this advice is subjective. We cannot all have the most beautiful coin and we cannot all afford a $20,000 coin. If you collect by this rule, then you will create a collection you can be proud of – I promise!

By this rule, you have to think about three elements. What is the best coin? What do I like? What can I afford?

What you can afford is something only you know. But collecting can be fun for every wallet! What you like is also something personal to you. I gave some information in the text above about this element. So what we numismatists and dealers can do is help you with the first question: What is the best coin? The best coin is based upon (at least) two elements: quality and rarity.

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US 1922 Grant with Star G$1

2,600.00 US$

• Weight: 1.67 g
• Diameter: 15.00 mm

Popular gold commem issue from a mintage of just 5,016 coins. 5,016 also issued in 1922 with a without a star in the obverse field above GRANT.

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Quality and Rarity

The quality of a coin is very important, so always try to find the best quality you can afford. It is an ongoing trend that coins of high quality increase in value. So if you want to make a profit in the future then it only makes sense to try to focus on quality. MA-Shops has a lot of dealers who sell high-quality coins. Most dealers focus on quality coins at this moment, so try to buy what you can because there are a lot of beauties on the market right now!

Rarity is also very important for the value of a coin. The rarer the coin the higher the value. Rarity is based upon two elements: the number of coins minted and the extent of demand from collectors. Of course, when the mintage is low a coin is rarer but when the demand is higher the rarity also increase. MA-Shops if full of rare coins. It is almost an online museum where you can buy great pieces of art and history.

The coins beneath are rare coins. If you add a coin like these to your collection you will have a masterpiece in your collection that will probably rise in value. But in the end, you will absolutely enjoy it.

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5 Dukaten 1678, Kremsier Karl II. v. Liechtenstein

21,000.00 US$

• Catalog: Fr. 76, Suchomel/Videman 433, KM 269
• Weight: 17.23 g

Obverse: CAROL : D : G • EPVS • OLOMVCENsis • DVX • S • R • I • PCEPS. Reverse: REG : – CAP : BOHE : ET • DE (Mintmark) LIECHTENSTAIN – COM. Very rare!

Gold Angel 1341 France – Philip VI of Valois

18,200.00 US$

• Weight: 6.37 g

Very rare!

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About MA-Shops

MA-Shops is an internet marketplace headquartered in Europe. MA-Shops has assembled a network of reputable coin dealers – both large and small – onto one, easy-to-use platform to sell coins, paper currency, medals, military orders and stamps directly to the collector. Founded by German engineer Joachim Schwiening in 2005, MA- Shops is now the leading ”online collector mall” worldwide. Browsing through the site quickly reveals how wide and variegated the selection from MA-Shops and its associated dealers really is. In recent months, Schwiening and MA-Shops have made a concerted push into the American market.

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