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Jeff Garrett: Coin Markets on the Move

With fresh money pouring into numismatics, coin prices are unlikely to stand still

 

By Jeff Garrett for Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) ……
The numismatic press has been gleefully announcing the sale of multi-million coins on a regular basis in recent months. I’m sure the Heritage sale this week will also garner headlines as a few major collections make their way to the auction block.

The sale of the 1787 ‘EB’ on Wing Brasher Doubloon graded NGC MS 65★ for over $9 million was a stunning reminder that billionaires have discovered our hobby. The upcoming sale of the only legal-to-own 1933 double eagle will probably make national headlines. Numbers above $10,000,000 are widely predicted. The 1933 double eagle has one of the greatest stories in all of numismatics. Another chapter will be written later this spring.

Headlines for these multi-million-dollar coins have very little impact on the average collector or dealer. Most of these transactions occur at auction, as they are seldom available for private sale. For years, the coins that most of us handle on a regular basis have been falling in value.

That all seems to be changing.

The rare coin market is hot, and price guides will soon be showing increased prices across a wide range of numismatic material. One of the strongest segments of the market is also one of the most widely traded: Morgan and Peace silver dollars. The United States Mint’s release of the “tribute” 2021 Morgan and Peace dollars later this year is creating a wave of excitement for the series. Dealers are stocking up for promotions, and collectors are being drawn by the allure of these captivating issues.

A few months ago, the prices for 1921 Morgan and Peace dollars started to rise dramatically. Price guides have not fully captured this meteoric jump. 1921 Morgan silver dollars are bringing over $40 for almost uncirculated coins. The 1921 Peace dollar has nearly doubled in price for most grades below Gem. I suspect prices will remain firm and possibly increase as awareness of the new “tribute” 2021 issues grows.

So-called “better date” Morgan and Peace dollars are also rising across the board. As any dealer with a good website can attest, silver dollars are flying off the shelf. I am getting inquiries from dealers around the country looking for stock. This sudden supply-and-demand imbalance is sure to cause price increases. In a departure from the recent past, the demand is not isolated to the top of the market. There is broad demand for all silver dollars.

Silver dollars are not alone in the sudden demand for collector coins. Classic commemorative silver coins are also very strong and difficult to find at current levels. Dealers at the GNA (Georgia Numismatic Association) coin show in Dalton, Georgia were quoting me 20% above bid and they were selling out. The GNA show was the largest (about 200 tables) coin show to be held in the past year. The bourse was sold out and the room full of collectors (spaced out, of course). It was refreshing to see so much activity.

In the past, I would tell people that when I became concerned about the market, attending a major coin show would allay my fear. The absence of coin shows for nearly a year has been difficult for those who attend them for a living. It’s exciting to see a room full of people eager to do business again. As more and more people are vaccinated and the practice of social distancing combined with personal hygiene becomes the norm, we are all eager to see the show circuit come back to life.

The next big event on the schedule is the Summer FUN show in Orlando this July. For a lot of dealers and collectors, this event will be their first in over a year. I expect plenty of excitement and action.

Many wonder why coins have suddenly become the focus of so much attention and action. I talk to a lot of collectors and dealers regularly to gauge the market. Understanding supply-and-demand fundamentals is critical to making the correct decisions. A lot of collectors seem drawn to the safety of tangible assets given the seemingly uncontrolled levels of government spending. Some of the trillions of dollars being created and spent by the US government are clearly finding their way into the hobby.

As I have mentioned many times, bullion buyers often migrate to collectibles. There has been a huge spike in demand for physical gold and silver. I get calls every day from average citizens trying to find gold or silver to protect their wealth. This huge, newfound attention to precious metals will ultimately create more collectors. Some are even buying semi-scarce coins because they can’t find actual bullion.

Last year was difficult for so many, and staying at home was the norm for millions of Americans. Besides binge-watching Netflix, a lot of these folks discovered or rediscovered hobbies such as coin collecting. There are clear signs across the board of increased interest for a multitude of collectibles. NGC and its affiliates in the Certified Collectibles Group are seeing a surge of submissions for coins, comic books, and now sports cards. Dealers for all collectibles are rushing to produce material to fulfill this new demand.

It has been a long time since we have seen price increases for the broad numismatic market. Supply-and-demand fundamentals almost guarantee that prices will soon be rising for a large segment of the market.

Collectors have been dominating the rare coin market for quite a few years. This explains the strong and sometimes seemingly irrational prices realized for beautiful coins. If things continue as they have recently, we may finally see less-discriminating investors enter the fray. That is when prices really surge. It could be a fun and interesting time over the next few years.

Jeff Garrett bio

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Rare Coin Gallery

Jeff Garrett
Jeff Garretthttps://rarecoingallery.com/
Jeff Garrett, founder of Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries, is considered one of the nation’s top experts in U.S. coinage — and knowledge lies at the foundation of Jeff’s numismatic career. With more than 35 years of experience, he is one of the top experts in numismatics. The “experts’ expert,” Jeff has personally bought and sold nearly every U.S. coin ever issued. Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t call on Jeff Garrett for numismatic advice. This includes many of the nation’s largest coin dealers, publishers, museums, and institutions. In addition to owning and operating Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries, Jeff Garrett is a major shareholder in Sarasota Rare Coin Galleries. His combined annual sales in rare coins and precious metals — between Mid-American in Kentucky and Sarasota Rare Coin Galleries in Florida — total more than $25 million. Jeff Garrett has authored many of today’s most popular numismatic books, including Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins 1795–1933: Circulating, Proof, Commemorative, and Pattern Issues; 100 Greatest U.S. Coins; and United States Coinage: A Study By Type. He is also the price editor for The Official Redbook: A Guide Book of United States Coins. Jeff was also one of the original coin graders for the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). He is today considered one of the country’s best coin graders and was the winner of the 2005 PCGS World Series of Grading. Today, he serves as a consultant to Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the world’s largest coin grading company. Jeff plays an important role at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Department and serves as a consultant to the museum on funding, exhibits, conservation, and research. Thanks to the efforts of Jeff and many others, rare U.S. coins are once again on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History. Jeff has been a member of the Professional Numismatic Guild (PNG) since 1982 and has recently served as president of the organization. He has also served as the ANA President and as a member of the ANA Board of Governors.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Honestly, the only people who will benefit from the great interest and rise in prices in the coin market are the sharks who wish to rip off people who lack knowledge or are going into it out of fear.

    Unfortunately I think we are heading into a big bubble that will disappoint many in ten years. I am sill a believer in buying coins of numismatic interest (even common date ones in great shape offer a very modest numismatic value over time, it is just a matter of not spending too much or even checking your pocket change.

    The pros of the present market in my still rather newbie eyes are:

    a) The interest in numismatics is interesting and the audience for learning about the history and designs of coins has increased making it a fun hobby for a larger audience.
    b) Dealers are willing to sell more of their stock if they aren’t having too much difficulty with supply.
    c) There is a market for sellers but a limited one

    The cons

    a) The offerings from coin roll searching has diminished greatly. Partly as there is more sound info available online and in other media, people are more informed. Finding any silver coinage from bank boxes or even old rolls is almost impossible.

    b) The demand is quite specific and limited to those coins with precious metals —there is a smaller rise in some early 19th century coppers but the main one is silver, gold and other precious metals. This means trying to sell modern clad and non-precious metal coins remains tough unless it is especially scarce or mistakenly thought to scarce/rare.

    c) The rise in price gouging and questionable pricing has risen. One popular dealer is selling rolls of post 1982 rolls of Lincoln cents well-above their face value because they are supposedly all BU.

    I plan to be in it for the long haul and invest in stuff that 1) I like and 2) holds some numismatic and historic value. That’s it. As for faddish commemoratives and jumping on the next special finish ASE or AGE, I will pass or , if it is something I like, buy sparingly.

  2. Selling old silver dollars in this market does not seem very easy. Especially if they are somewhat rare. Having had them in the family for many years.
    Finding an honest appraiser is not easy also. Going to a place where those that know the value of some coins is very difficult.

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