Rare Coins Unlimited

Silver Rises with Weaker Dollar

Gold is hot. Silver is hotter. Silver has more than double over the past 52 weeks. There are many solid silver plays in the current market but here are my top ten:

1. Estate Silver. Grandma’s silver spoons are more than just a family heirloom. They are also a great way to store value. Look for estate sales and friends looking to unload silver. Make sure you are buying solid silver not plated. It can be marked in many ways. When in doubt test it or look up the refiners mark.
2. Silver Eagles. American silver eagles may command a large premium but they are the best way to store value with silver for people looking to buy a bit every week.
3. Common date silver dollars.
4. Graded Silver Dollars. With the premium shrinking by the day I will always wonder who is paying to have all these MS-63 Dollars graded. Pick up a few as most dealers offer discounts for bulk purchases.
5. Silver Bars. They are handy and command the smallest premium. Expect to pay only 2-3% over spot for them.
6. Silver ETFs. Do not be afraid to diversify your holdings with a few shares of your favorite silver ETF.
7. Silver miner stocks check out a few online and try to find one that fits your investment goals. Contact me for more info on silver miners I like.
8. Follow @buy_or_sell on Twitter and know how to time your buys and sells of silver and gold
9. Read RareCoinsunlimited.com and keep up with silver news.
10. Search Bank rolls for Silver dimes they are still out there.

Good luck and as always contact me with any questions.

Smart Gold Plays for the 2011 Gold Rally

I have said it many times there is no better investment than gold. There is however a reoccurring question that people ask, “How do I invest in gold?” There is no one set answer for every person but I will help you find the way that is right for you. I have over the year heard all the same claims from big companies that they will help you invest in gold. I am going to start off by saying the only person that should be investing in gold is you for yourself.

1. Buy Physical bullion over paper gold. While both have their advantages Physical Bullion takes the cake. I would suggest buying bars in a size relative to your income. If you make less thank $100k per year you should look into 1oz bars and gold bullion coins from the US and royal Canadian mint. If you make between $100K and $250K a year you should look into 10 oz. Bars and if you make over $250K per year you should look into the larger Bars or full tubes of American Gold Eagles. Websites like Apmex.com can act as a good place to spot check pricing for each of these investment tools.
2. Buy Rare gold coins close their bullion values. With bullion prices so high many rare coins have lost most of their premium over the spot price of gold. A good example of this is the St. Gaudens 20 dollar gold piece. Many can be purchased for 50 dollars over spot price. two or three years ago these coins were commanding large 40% over spot prices. The coins are much scarcer than the high volume bullion coins and they are American Classics. A good bullion collection should feature a bit of diversity. But like all things there is such thing as too much. So limit yourself to no more than 15% of any one type of coin.
3. Buy Gold Buffalo from the US mint. These beauties are 24K gold and they are true works of art.
4. Buy US fractional gold as often as possible. Rather than taking weeks or months to save up money for a large purchase of bullion. Buy as often as possible smaller amounts. If you are consistent about buying you will be able to average your cost out over time. This helps keep you in the black on your bullion purchases.
5. Never Buy on Credit. Though it may sound like a good idea to through all of your mint purchases on a credit card to rack up countless credit card points. The truth of the matter is bullion purchases are always best made with money you already have because like any investment it could switch momentum at any time leaving you high and dry.
6. Hold some gold ETFs like GLD and IAU in your investment portfolio.
7. Be smart about it. Buy a nice fireproof, heavy safe to keep your gold in. A heavy safe is great to deter criminals and it keeps your valuable safe. Never tell anyone you keep gold at your home. Always have your safe hidden from windows. Install an alarm system with a “panic” button. Make it clear at coins shows and public places that you keep your collection in a safe deposit box even if you keep it at home.  Install the NRA security system.
8. Contact John.apuzzo@gmail.com for a custom gold ownership portfolio.
9. Follow @buy_or_sell on twitter to know when to buy and sell gold and silver.
10. Never pay for shipping when you can buy from your local coin shop. In Connecticut check out Guilford Coin Exchange. Local coins shows and expos are also a good place to see what is out there.
11. Always read up on what you are buying before you buy. Never Purchase anything without knowing; what it is; what is a fair price to buy it for; what is it worth when i sell it; where can i sell it.
12. Keep Reading rarecoinsunlimited.com for up to date news on gold, coins and the 2011 gold rally.

Buy Gold Bars but keep them safe.

Coin of the Week: 1/10th Oz American Gold Eagles

It is no secret that gold is hot these days. But one type of gold has really skyrocketed in the last few weeks. The American Gold eagle fractional gold tenth oz. coins have shot up in value. I would recommend buying up as many as possible before they are untouchable. Expect to pay $155 for mint state coins and $205+ for proofs. Buy as many as you can get your hands on. this may be the best advice i have given in a while. Happy collecting. As always contact me with any questions.

Proof tenth oz. Gold

Tags: coins, gold, gold coins, rare coins, rare gold coins, tenth oz

Coin of the Week:

The coin of the week is an American Classic. The $2.5 Liberty Head Quarter eagle is a true American beauty.

Coin photo from pcgs.com

Tags: Coin collecting, coins, gold, gold coins

Coin Deals of the Week:

This section is a gem of information on all the best deals I have found on Coins and supply from all around the net. I hope you enjoy them and if you find some of your own post them as Comments

This weeks Deal of the week is:

• 2009 Pennies From the mint website. A fair price at $8.95 for the P&D Set. I would pick up a few they should be worth a pretty penny in the future. http://catalog.usmint.gov/

The P&D set. Pick Up a few while they last

Tags: 2009 cent, 2009 penny, Coin collecting, coins, rare coins

Coin of the Week: 2009 American Buffalo

The 2009 gold buffalo is a beautiful coin and a smart investment. The coin has a lower mintage and is one every collector should pick up. I would say why stop at one?

For more information check out the mint web page:

Tags: 2009 coin, coin, Coin collecting, gold, gold buffalo, gold coin, rare coins

Collecting Finds

If there is one thing I know about coins collecting it is that, all collectors love finding a “keeper” in their change. I started collecting when I got a curious coin as change from a supermarket. After a purchase the cashier said here is your change sorry for the old quarter. I put it in my pocket without even taking a look. Later that day when I was at home I took out the “quarter” and examined it. After looking at it for a little while I realized it was not a quarter at all it was a half dollar. After a bit more research in an old coin book I had at home (A Red Book from 1983) I fould the Coin to be a 1946 Walking Liberty Half dollar. I was hooked. Here are some more finds I have had since that day:

• An 1913 MS 63 red Wheat Penny in my change from Dunkin Donuts
• About 14 Silver Roosevelt Dimes
• A bucket full of Wheat pennies that I have collected over the years
• A silver proof 1976 Drummer Boy quarter.
• A Seated Liberty Half Dime that I found in a Coin Star machine
• Asked for some half dollars at the bank and got a BU roll of 1964s (all silver)
• In my change once from a vending machine a 1936 Buffalo Nickel
• An 1816 large Cent that someone bought to the bank
• Five silver certificate $10 bills I purchases for face value from my bank.

And here are some of the best stories I have heard from people about coin collecting finds:

• A friend was cleaning out his grandmother’s apartment when he found a false wall in the bathroom and a safe behind the wall. The safe was filled with bank bags of silver coins. We pulled out countless rare Barber Half dollars and built ten full sets of Walking Liberty half dollars. There was thousands of Mercury Dimes…
• A coin shop owner from Massachusetts told me that him and his wife bought a painting from an auction house for the beautiful antique frame. When they got home they peeled off the craft paper and found about 30 $2.5 gold quarter eagles taped to the back of the picture. The tape damaged many of the coins but it was still a great find that got them around $20,000. (One of the coins was a rare quarter eagle from the Dahlonega mint).
• A close friend that owns a restaurant went to crack a roll of pennies from the bank and it was full of $1 gold pieces about 40 in total. He thought they were fake but I ensured them he had struck gold.
• A coin shop owner told me that he had a family full of Russian Immigrants bring in 20 uncirculated St. Gauden’s double eagles they had brought over from Russia. He sent them to a friend at an auction house because he did not have the cash on hand to buy the full lot. After a few months the family came in and gave him $1,000 for not taking advantage of them and for sending them to the proper place. He believes the coins brought in over $75,000 at auction.

If you have a story about finding treasure with coins please post it as a comment to this story.

Happy Collecting!

Tags: Coin collecting, coin finds, coins, gold, silver, treasure

Grading Your Coins

This is a nice MS-66 Mercury dime

One aspect of coin collecting that can take years to get a knack for is grading. Every coin has many focus areas you must look for to assign the proper grade to a coin. The difference between a coin being Mint State and about uncirculated can be impossible at first to spot but with time you will learn to grade like a pro. The value of a coin not only lies with its relative rarity but it also has a great deal to do with the grade or condition a coin can be in. Coins are graded on a scale from 1 to 70 and they have designations from about good  (AG 3) gem uncirculated (MS 70). The difference in one grade point can be in some cases thousands of dollars. Coins can be very common in one grade but virtually unseen in higher grades.

The best was to stat is to know the breakdown of the grading. Coins grade as follows:

• AG-3 About Good
• G-4 Good
• VG-8 Very Good
• F-12 Fine
• VF-20 Very Fine
• EF-40 Extremely Fine
• AU-50 About Uncirculated
• MS-60 Uncirculated
• MS-63 Choice Uncirculated
• MS-65 Gem Uncirculated
• MS-70

Each coin has many various middle grades between those major listed about. Each coins also has their own set of standards for each coin.

Here are my tips to learn to grade:

• Get your hands on an auction catalouge. Cover up the grades of the coins then guess what you think it is. After you have your guess look at the actual grade and figure out why you are off.
• Get a copy of The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards of United States Coins (Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins)
• Look at dealer inventories of coins you collect. The guess what they are and ask the dealer how you did.
• Pick a coin like the mercury dime and obtain examples from all ranges of grades so you know what to look for in that coin.
• Always look first with you naked eye, then once with magnification. Scan the coin for wear or scratches, always check for rim chips, think about color and tone. Ask yourself if you think the coin is original.
• Always think what did this coin look like when it was first struck then work backwards from that point.
• Look for strike detail and compare this to wear. Do not mistake a weak strike for a worn coin.

It is very hard to learn how to grade every coin out there so pick a few at first and learn them inside and out then slowly expand. When you are grading a coin do not forget to think if the coins is authentic and if the coin has been cleaned.

The coin pictured is a nice MS 66 Mercury dime. The coin shows a nice as minted luster, the coin has good color, but the strike is a bit weak leaving the coin at MS 66 rather than MS 67 or higher. This is a good example of a gem uncirculated coin.

Good luck and happy collecting. Get out and grade.

Tags: coin, Coin collecting, Coin grading, coins, gold coins, rare coins, what are my coins worth

Selling Coins on Ebay

At some point or another everyone has a coin or a bunch of coins they want to sell on Ebay. I have found Ebay to be a great place to both sell and buy coins if you use the proper caution and if you know what you are doing. Here is my list of ten things you must know to sell coins on Ebay:

1. Is the coin original? If you know it is fake or you think it is fake, keep it off ebay. You could ruin your ebay reputation which is key for all future sales
2. What is the coin worth? You should do some research using The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins 2009 Set reserve and starting prices accordingly
3. Spell everything in the coin description correctly. You would be surprised to see how many coins on ebay have spelling errors in their descriptions and because of this they do not sell for the true market values.
4. You should have a good photo of both sides of the coin. A great photo is important because coin collectors are so picky when buying coins they want to know what they are getting.
5. Stand behind your coins! Offer a fair return policy with customers and realize all sales on the site reflect you as a collector.
6. Be smart with shipping and insurance. Do not skimp on either because it could hurt you in the end. I always suggest if you are selling coins on Ebay use tracking so you know if the customer received it.
7. Do not do business out side of Ebay! If you get an email that asks to do business outside of Ebay to avoid seller fees forget. It may sound like a good idea but there is no reason to do it. Ebay is set up for a reason and it protects its buyers and sellers.
8. Use paypal!
9. Try to make lots out of common coins and sell rare coins as singles.
10. Think of a fun way to get repeat customers. One of the best ways to build up your ebay business is repeat customers. I would always suggest freebies. I used to put a silver mercury dime in with any purchase people made. I have also bought from collectors that put in two dollar bills or just a simple print out of the history of the coin. Also if you are like me and you have a coin blog invite them to check it out with a business card or a flyer.

So have fun with Ebay. Be careful and enjoy making a little pocket change.

Happy collecting!

Tags: Coin collecting, coin value, coins, ebay, ebay coins, rare, rare coin collecting, rare coins, selling coins, selling coins on ebay

The Great Quarter Eagle Crack Out

An MS-61 Quarter Eagle

Cracking out is when a coin investor buys a graded coin and then cracks it out of its slab and sends it in for regrading in hope of upgrading the coin. This is not in any means a beginner tactic to coin collecting because it requires an expert eye and the ability to grade coins on the spot. The focus of this crack out guide will be Indian Head Quarter Eagles.

First here are some tips you should always consider before cracking out a coin:

• What is my win/loss (how much can I gain from an upgrade and how much can I lose from a downgrade)
• Does the coin have the strike, luster and detail for an upgrade?
• Is the added cost of certification and shipping worth the chance the coin comes back the same grade?
• When cracking out a coin beware of damaging the coin while handling it. (I have heard a few horror stories about people cracking a coin out then dropping it the second it is out of the holder and turning an MS 64 St. Double into a AU-55 St. Double.)
• Be kind and at the end of the year send back all your crack out slips so the coin populations can be redone.

So that is some of the basic knowledge for a more in depth look check out The Coin Collector’s Survival Manual. The book has a ton of great info and a very useful chart to learn about cracking out.

For the lesson on the Indian Head Quarter Eagle I have picked three dates I feel have a great upside/ downside ratio. The reason I picked the Indian Head Quarter Eagle is because of the way the coin is designed and the complexity the coin presents to the grader. The coin’s details are sunken in and the surfaces are leveled. The coin is graded by the ANA as follows:

MS-70: “A Flawless Coin Exactly as minted… Must have full mint luster”- ANA

MS-65 “No trace of wear except for some small blemishes. Has full mint luster. A few noticeable nicks or marks may be present.”- ANA

MS-63 “A coin with attractive mint luster but noticeable detracting contact marks or minor blemishes” -ANA

MS-60 “A strictly uncirculated coin with no trace of wear but with blemishes more obvious than for a MS-63″ May lack full mint luster and brilliance.”

From this you can notice that the difference between a MS-62 and a MS-63 would be minor if anything but the value swap is huge. Or from a MS-63 to 64.

By the numbers:

***Warning: no results are guaranteed do not do this if you cannot afford the downside risk. As always you can damage your coins easily and there is no safe way to crack coins out. Not for people who do not have expert coin experience!****

Tags: coin, Coin collecting, Coin Investing, coins, gold, gold coins, gold investing, quarter eagles, rare coins