Happy
New Year Part II to speak. My last message had to do with the world at large
and present situations, plus a mention that I will be at the Florida United
Numismatists convention in Orlando all day on Thursday and Friday, January 10 and
11. Whether you are a newcomer to the world’s greatest hobby (as I like to call
it) or whether we’ve known each other for years, stop by to say hello. I will
be glad to autograph any books you bring with me or buy at the Whitman booth at
the show.
As I
see it, this year will be a great one for numismatics. Although prices are down
in some series, mainly high-grade federal coins, eager buyers are plentiful. It
makes a lot more sense to buy when prices are reduced than when they are at
record levels. Ever since publishing the first-ever study of coin price cycles
in the early 1960s, I’ve kept a close eye on the market and have been able to
successfully predict the future. There is no guarantee that this will continue,
but I’ll try my best.
As I
have suggested many times before, analyze your coin budget and pick series in
which you can slowly, carefully, and enjoyably build a fine collection. If your
budget is $1,000 per year, modern series such as golden dollars, Washington
quarters since 1949, and, say, Jefferson nickels are among those that are
affordable and interesting. If your budget is $10,000 you can go a long way in
many coin, token, medal, and paper money series.
Classic
silver commemoratives 1892 to 1954 have been in the doldrums for quite a few years;
it is significant that most high grade coins sell today for tiny fractions of their
prices in the market high for that series in 1989. If you want to review the
long history of these, track down a copy of my out-of-print 1992 book, Commemorative
Coins of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia.
Many
niche series in early American coins are very affordable in grades such as EF
and AU, the Capped Bust silver coins of the early 19th century being an
example. $10,000 will go a long way toward assembling a nice collection of
obsolete bank notes of the early 19th century, of Hard Times tokens of the 1832
to 1844 era, and Civil War tokens of the 1861 to 1865 period. Many historical
medals can be bought for less than several hundred dollars each. And then there
is the field of collecting out-of-print numismatic catalogs, books, and
periodicals. A complete set of The Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine from
1936 to the mid-1960s will provide a month of interesting reading and, although
I have not checked on current prices or availability, I would estimate the cost
to be far below $1,000.
Visit
some local and regional conventions. The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expos
in Baltimore are a lot of fun. The next one starts on February 28, 2019. I have
attended every one since the beginning, except for one last year when airline
flights were cancelled. Such shows are a great way to make new friends among
collectors and dealers.
Enjoy the New Year. May it be happy, healthy, and
numismatically exciting and rewarding.