Who has had a coin appreciate a lot during your ownership of it?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

The recent investment topics got me thinking.

 

I am not thinking about cases where you pay a buck for a MS67 Morgan at a garage sale. That involves skill (and a little work or luck). But as a level purchase who here has bought a coin and had it just go through the roof in value?

 

The previous owner of my home stashed a few dozen pre 64 quarters and the like and now 40 years later they are worth 12 to 15 times their face value.

[World Colonial]

I bought many South Africa coins from 2002-2010 that I later sold for a lot more, even if only proportionately. A few were "home runs". Later being anywhere from one month to eight years. But there were few that I bought at their known market value which later sold for more. I generally bought them ungraded and had them slabbed after I bought them. Some of these were totally sight unseen and others from images, mostly on eBay but also at floor auctions. A few I bought already graded cheap. None of these had (or have) an established value like the Greysheet because they don't sell very often.

[Lastufka Collection]

I bought a NGC MS 67 Cheerios Dollar for $4,500 in early 2012. I sold it in late 2012 for $6,900. I don't expect to ever "flip" another coin like that again. Right place, right time, for both the purchase and sale. In fact, I recently purchased another Cheerios Dollar example but plan to keep this one for a few decades, along with the majority of my collection.

[david3142]

Mark/Marc, I think this is an excellent question. Let me refine it by saying that my answer is limited to fair price buying compared to fair current value. No upgrades, coins bought raw and then slabbed, or coins which were bought for cheap at the time. I'm also going to ignore anything bullion related.

 

I would have to think about this further, but one that comes to mind - about 13 years ago, when I was starting my type collection, I bought a Flying Eagle in Fine condition. I think it cost me $9, and that coin is worth about $30 today.

 

In 2000, I inherited 3 GSA coins from my grandfather. They were $65 at the time and are about $200 now.

 

Can't think of anything that has more than tripled, but I'll give it another shot when I go home and go over my collection.

 

 

[nwcs]

I have had a few gain a lot but most just hold steady. That is, not for raw coins I bought and then slabbed which graded higher than I thought. Probably the best "gain" I had was for a cameo proof barber time that sold for 40% more than I bought it for about 2 years earlier. A lot of my "box of 20" coins have been off the market for 10 years and probably won't be sold for another 20. Those might do better.

 

I bought a PCGS 64 double eagle when gold was $700 and could have made a pretty penny selling it when gold was ~$1800 but haven't sold it since I wanted to keep it. Same with my lot of ungraded original box GSAs. I got them long enough ago that they would likely sell more now.

 

I'd have better results with stocks, though. But stocks aren't fun to hold and have no history to them. No artistry or provenance. My Duke Power stock has done a lot better than my coins!

[KeyMan64]

A couple of years ago I recognized that most price guides had fallen well behind of actual auction sales for the 31-S Mercury Dimes which is a semi-key date. I bought a MS66FB example for less than $3,500 at a Heritage Auction. I contacted PCGS about their price guide problems with the 31-S and backed it up with auction examples. They reviewed all grades and adjusted their price guide accordingly. I happen to be selling it now and the bidding is at $5K, right where some price guides have it.

[wdrob]

Let me refine it by saying that my answer is limited to fair price buying compared to fair current value. No upgrades, coins bought raw and then slabbed, or coins which were bought for cheap at the time. I'm also going to ignore anything bullion related.

 

 

What about Bitcoin --- does it count?

 

 

[Walkerfan]

Many of my coins have appreciated over time. The rest have held their value and the ones that I overpaid for have 'caught up' in price. No complaints here.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Let me refine it by saying that my answer is limited to fair price buying compared to fair current value. No upgrades, coins bought raw and then slabbed, or coins which were bought for cheap at the time. I'm also going to ignore anything bullion related.

 

 

What about Bitcoin --- does it count?

 

 

Oh the Bitcoins were accidentally a pretty decent investment for us a few years back.

 

Good to hear the real life stories. Seems paying attention to ebay vs book values and buying when gold or silver are low is the way to beat thr curve.

[asdfgh]

I know you said no bullion. But..

I bought 4 bank bags of war nickels when silver was 4.50. They were really hard to sell.

However when silver got to 35 or so I found someone to buy them. Still had to take less

than spot, but made quite a bit.

 

 

[brg5658]

I was looking for an MS69 graded business strike presidential dollar. I ended up finding one that I liked, but the seller insisted on selling a pair of them (P & D) together...he didn't want to separate them. Well, I bought a pair for $700 each ($1400 for 2 presidential dollars?! -- I know madness).

 

Well, being as how I only needed one example for a type set, I sold the D coin (pop 2) for $2150 on eBay, netting $1870 on the sale. In the end I got my type coin for "free" and made $470 on the deal. This was about 3 years ago before the ultra-modern ultra-high-grade market pretty much face-planted. I don't dabble in that arena any more as ultra-modern high grade coin markets fluctuate wildly...and usually in a general downward trajectory.

 

 

[Colorado68]

Are we to use the NGC price guide to determine current value?

 

If so, my best performer is a 1880 CC GSA Morgan I bought in October at auction.

 

NGC price guide indicates a 41.48% increase

[RWB]

Several coins that I bought from Dave Bowers in the late 1960s (Hathaway & Bowers) had substantial appreciation from the mid-1970s onward. But that was more about correctly graded coins and a change in market conditions.

[AcesKings]

The one that comes immediately to mind for me is an 1899 Morgan. I bought it from a Jack Beymer (sp?) add in coin world back in '89 for $64 as a choice Unc. I have it graded as a 63, so around $300 now? I'm sure most of my earlier purchases are worth more now.

[GoldFinger1969]

I bought some gold coins -- bullion coins -- in late-2011 right after 9/11. Just under/around $300/coin.

 

A nice quadruple.

[Conder101]

Most of my unc Conders have quintupled since I got them in 1997.

[Nutmeg Coin]

Sometimes the only way to make real money in numismatics is to buy undergraded or ungraded material and sell once certified. There are plenty of people scouring the internet, shows, shops etc. for "deals", how do you compete in that environment without losing money?

 

Other things being equal, precious metals prices, etc., certified coins rarely spike up like stocks.

[blu62vette]

In the DMPL's I have bought over the past several years several have done very well. There are a few that have tripled and there is even a chance the priciest coin on my set has doubled.

[Fiddlehead]

Bought an 1892CC $10 AU58 about 4 years ago for $1750. Sent it to CAC. Retail value maybe $3400 today.

 

Bought an 1891CC $5 EF45 for $600 in an off brand holder. Cracked it and sent it NGC, came back AU58 (and I agree with the grade). Might be $1200 today.

 

I figure you win some and you lose some. I've tracked about $80,000 worth of purchases and sales of all sorts of collectible goods for 15 years and I'm within a few dollars of even. I'm not a dealer, so that good enough for me. What I've kept (the best and/or most useful stuff) is probably worth a little more than what I paid for it all.

 

I'm seeing that some of the collector stuff I own (not coins) was worth more in 2007 than it is now.

 

DUK

[#]

NLI

[KeyMan64]

As it turns out, I had a LOT of coins that did. I spent the last four years or so building a collection of top pop realm Mercury Dime Varieties and sold the majority of them last night in Great Collections' auction. Granted, I was able to Cherrypick many of my coins but even so there were a number of them that sold for what I consider to be moon money. I still have a couple of coins to sell yet but I am plenty happy. Four of the coins that I have yet to sell are top pops and should do very well, especially two of them.

[O mint bug]

The best way to make money is buy a quality coin that has good eye appeal and a low pop. The higher the grade the better. I cannot think of any coin that fits this description that has not done very well over the long haul. One that comes to mind had and sold is a 1978/17 D Buffalo that was a well struck full horn coin. it would now sell for about 20 times what I paid. Same as a three legs 1937 D Buffalo in au ungraded at that time. I paid $50 for it and $525 for the overdate. The 1937 D trades well over 20 times what I paid.

 

Quality with eye appeal and a low pop will win over the long haul. One reason is the baby boomers are selling their 50s and 60s dream cars and are now collecting coins. I fit that bill. Bought a 1957 T Bird for $2,700, restored it for about $7,000 and sold it for $18,000. Sold out to early as the car in good shape all original is a six figure car. Same result just a different asset.

 

I look at what good double eagles sold for 15 years ago. I just wish I would have put the t Bird proceeds into a nice 1855 O.