Numismatics
Danger, Will Robinson!
Some things happen so many times that they assume a kind of familiar plot. For years we have received a familiar call from older couples. Often both are on the other end of the line. They have questions about a large lot of numismatic coins they purchased within the last few years. These coins often came from big-name companies, the salesman of which was very nice, until they called back with pointed questions about the items they purchased.
Now they’re stuck.
Sadly we have to break the news that the life-savings they poured into those coins is now worth ⅓ what it was when they bought them.
Why?
Numismatics coins are a trap. Unless you are a coin collector buying them for a hobby, they are a trap, and there is a plethora of unscrupulous salesmen in this country that will foist these coins off on you the first chance they get.
You’ll hear a lot of great arguments about why you must buy them.
- When (not if) the government again confiscates gold (like it did in 1933), numismatics will be exempt, either by precedent or existing law.
- When you buy bullion coins you must report the purchase to the government but you don’t have to report purchases of numismatic coins.
- The law defines $20 gold pieces as ‘numismatic’.
None – not a one – of these claims is based in law or fact, but boy are they used to pressure folks into expensive coins that line a dealers’ pocket.
Always remember – Buy what’s best for you – not some dealer
- Numismatic coins require dishonest sales tactics because they have a very high markup (premium) over the price of gold or silver.
- Bullion coins are those with a low mark-up.
- When prices rise numismatic owners have a lot of ground to make up before they break even – 25, 50, 100% price increases – as opposed to 7-10% for bullion coins.
- Mark-up or premium brings no return on your investment. Ounces bring you a return.
- Buy the coins that give you the greatest number of ounces for the dollars you have to spend and will be easy for you to sell anywhere in the country.
- What does the law actually say about exempt coins? US $20 gold pieces and silver dollars are not classified as numismatic coins.
- What about confiscation? We deem it less likely than you being abducted by aliens at work tomorrow. In 1933 gold formed a significant part of our monetary reserves. It is totally disconnected from our money today.
- What if the government tied the dollar or a new currency back to gold? Confiscation presents a logistical nightmare not on the scale of finding a needle in a haystack but of finding a needle in the landmass of Russia.