From Investor To Collector: the passion of coins’ history
Many blogs ago, we reviewed the top bullions in the world that passes the test of time.
When looking at each bullion product, different attributes come into place and may influence the desirability of investors and collectors.
Coins have always been the sweet spot among investors and collectors. When the first coin in record dates as far as the first millennium CB, you can imagine how a little coin can share so much historical information about a civilization, time, its people and rulers.
ANCIENT & MODERN TIME COINS
It goes without saying ancient coins, with their added historical signification, makes them the rarest and most valuable coins in the world.
Thecollector.com categorized the most valuable and rarest ancient coins in the world.
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1. Brutus “Eid Mar” Silver Coin, 42 BC These coins were recalled by Mark Antony and Octavian and melted down for reuse. As a result, fewer than 100 are known to have survived, making it one of the rarest and most important coins. |
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2. Athens Decadrachm, 460-430 BC The silver for this coin likely came from silver mines outside Athens. This coin was valuable and circulated mainly among the wealthy. Most Athenians never touched the coin, and it was no longer minted by the time of Pericles. |
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3. The Decadrachms of Syracuse, 400-390 BC The island’s various towns competed to produce the highest quality silver coins. The Syracuse decadrachms are one of the most beautiful examples of ancient coin art. The group of ancient coins includes the Kimon decadrachm, the Arethusa tetradrachm facing the head, the Syracuse Demaraeteion decadrachm, and the Euainetos decadrachm.
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4. Akragas Decadrachm, 411 BC The Akragas decadrachm is one of the rarest ancient coins. Fewer than ten are known to have survived from antiquity. It is one of the great coins issued in Sicily in the 5th century. These cities were among the first to start minting silver coins. This coin was probably minted to commemorate the winner of the 411 BC Olympic Chariot Race. The amount of silver used to make coins made it too valuable to use in day-to-day transactions. |
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5. The Tetradrakmam of Naxos, 460 BC Unlike many other ancient coins made from multiple dies carved by different people, this coin was struck from a pair of dies. Unparalleled in its attention to detail, this coin is one of the finest examples of ancient Greek coin-making.
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6. Golden State Man at Croesus 550 BC The earliest ancient coins were made of a natural alloy called gold-silver alloy. The alloy, a mixture of gold and silver, was discovered near the city of Sardis, the capital of the Lydian Empire. King Croesus, the last king of Lydia, is famous not because he was the last king of the Lydian Empire but because of the introduction of the first pure silver and pure gold coins. Because it is a natural mixture of gold and silver, the exact amount of gold and silver in each coin varies. This makes it difficult to determine the exact value of the coin.
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7. The Titus Colosseum Sestertius, AD 81-82 More than 6 million people visit the Colosseum, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, every year. Upon completion, Titus held a dedication ceremony, sacrificing 5,000 animals, and a 100-day race in the new amphitheatre. Titus issued sestertius to commemorate these ceremonies. It has a bust of Titus on the front and a depiction of the Colosseum on the back. This ancient coin is one of the earliest depictions of the Colosseum. Only 10 of these coins are known to be in circulation.
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8. Silver coin with portraits of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, 32 BC Cleopatra, also known as Cleopatra VII, was the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. She was a central figure in the civil war between Julius Caesar, Marc Antony and Octavian. All three sought to control Egyptian wealth to advance their cause. Cleopatra was initially allied with Julius Caesar until his assassination in 44 BC. |
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9. Port of Nero at Ostia Sestertius, AD 64 A great famine during the reign of Emperor Claudius prompted him to embark on an ambitious engineering project to build a massive harbour at the port of Ostia, located at the mouth of the Tiber River. This sestertius has a bust of Nero on the front, an overview of the port of Nuova on the back, and a reclining image of the river god Tiber on the back. The ships on the back are finely drawn. |
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10. Denarius of Julius Caesar, 44 BC This silver coin is significant because it has an engraved portrait of Julius Caesar. Previously, coins minted by the Roman Republic had no image of the ruler. |
MODERN TIME COINS
At any given time, whether as a collector or investor, the most sought-after coins in the world would always be the Gold American Eagle, American Gold Buffalo, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, British Gold Britannia, and South African Gold Krugerrand. Of course, the Chinese Panda and Asahi Refining. Still, for the purpose of the article, we will focus on the most recognized together with unmatchable notoriety within the investor and collector circle worldwide.
WHAT MAKES MODERN COINS MORE DESIRABLE THAN OTHERS?
Let’s explore the difference between “regular coins” and “rare coins.”
The value of a regular gold coin will be directly affected by the current price of the actual precious metal on the market. As we have developed in the past blogs, the precious metals market prices will be dictated by social and economic cursors, interest and the value of our currency. On the other hand, rare coins’ value is based on the market’s demand and historical availability to establish the market price then. The article “What is Premium Over Spot?” will provide more insights into establishing pricing.
BEFORE ADDING A COIN TO YOUR COLLECTION
Which one speaks to you? In many words, pick a coin you like. This can be established by so many valuable aspects that make a difference in the collectability and price of the coin.
- Nationality
- Themes
- Time period
- Finishing
- Face value
- Mint mark
It goes without saying that it is an unavoidable coin to explore the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf.
Introduced in 1979, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is our country’s legal tender with a face value of $50. Issued annually by the Government of Canada and manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint. The silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II is on the front, and the maple leaf design is on the back.
Canadian Gold Maple is also traded based on the market value of gold. As with any gold coin, the market value depends on the spot price of gold. There is something unique about this Canadian coin. One of the purest official gold coins in the world, some mills are .9999 (four nines) or .99999 (five nines). The purer the gold, the softer the coin. Golden maple is easy to mark, so keep this in mind.
Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins are an attractive option for first-time buyers, as they are harder to counterfeit than newer coins. In 2013 and 2015, new security features, such as laser micro-engraved maple leaves, were introduced to combat counterfeit goods.
The coin was introduced in 1979 when the only other official gold coin on the market was the South African Krugerrand. The economy flourished on gold, prompting other governments to take action and mint gold coins, with the Royal Canadian Mint leading the way. When apartheid in South Africa led to economic sanctions by Western countries, Krugerland also became harder to come by.
In late 2022, In response to growing market demand for greater transparency about the origin of precious metals, and to demonstrate its growing refining capabilities, the Mint introduced the first gold coin entirely from a single mine. $50 per ounce in 2022. The 99.99% Pure Gold Maple Leaf Single Origin Gold Coin is composed entirely of gold mined by Agnico Eagle at the Meliadine Mine in Nunavut, Canada, professionally minted and refined by the Mint under strict segregation protocols. This unique gold coin will soon be available for sale through the Mint’s official network of bullion dealers.
The official gold coin of the United States, the American Gold Eagle, was first issued in 1986 under the authority of the Bullion and Coins Act of 1985. Because the word “eagle” was also the official U.S. name for the pre-1933 $10 gold coin, the weight of the gold coin (e.g., “1/2 ounce American Gold Eagle”) is often used when describing the American Golden Eagle to avoid confusion. This is especially true for the 1/4 ounce American Gold Eagle, which has a face value of $10.
While the actual selling price of the American Gold Eagle coin, which comes in denominations of $5, $10, $25, and $50, varies based on the current spot price of gold. These denominations do not reflect their intrinsic value, which is much higher depending on their weight and the current price of the precious metal. For example, the United States minted the 2016 1 oz coin ($50 face value) at $1,510.00 on September 13, 2019. These coins are often held as collectibles rather than money.
The American Eagle coin is very praised by investors and collectors around the world and comes with fascinating details that can help you to sound like an expert.
The American Eagle Coin features a Liberty version first used in 1907 and sells for $20, or “Double Eagle” coins. The design by the famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens shows the Statue of Liberty facing forward, holding a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other. Since 2021, the reverse side of the coin features a newly designed eagle portrait.
The obverse of the American Eagle silver coin features sculptor Adolph A. Weinman’s 1916 half-dollar “Freedom to Walk” design. Free walking silhouette draped in the folds of the American flag. Her right arm was outstretched, and her left hand held laurel and oak branches. Since 2021, the coins have a new reverse showing an eagle coming ashore with an oak branch.
In addition, palladium coins change surface every year, while gold and silver coins are made available as proof and non-circulating finishes, and platinum coins currently only produce as proof.
A proof coin is more desirable as it is minted twice early in the minting process, usually at the begging and the end of the manufacturing process, so they are very smooth, identical, and rarer than Uncirculated coins. On the other hand, uncirculated coins are produced in larger quantities and may have defects.
Uncirculated coins are a great way to start a coin collection, as they are still valuable and retain their value when acquired in a protective case.
American Eagle Bullion provides a convenient and cost-effective way to add a small number of physical products into your investment portfolios. This bullion is available in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
Many look at coins as strictly an investment product but adding historical value to your investment journey enhances the enjoyment and passion for coin investing that can transform you into a coin collector.