Thinking of collecting proof coins

Low mintage is a plus. Proofs and MS coins hold thier value so I would go for it. Good luck with your venture. WOLF

I have proof sets that my grandfather would give to us when we were kids and they don't seem to go up in value that much.

I think the problem is that anything made to be collected, specifically after 1980 or so, gets collected, never gets used or lost or destroyed, ect.

If you're looking for something to be an investment , i would go for either older coinage, or just raw gold/silver. Proof and mint sets are great if you love coins and just want to look at them every now and then, but if you're looking to make money on it down the road, there are better ways.

I saw you said Mexican coinage, idk if they have a collector market like we do here, so all i just said can go out the window depending. I also see they are silver so as long as they're not too much more than spot, it might actually be a good idea.

Are proofs worth the extra expense?

Click to expand...

That's a can of worms question for sure, you will get many opinions.

Proofs and limited mintage coins and bullion are a small market and a weird one.
Many coins that are actually rare aren't worth any more than the metal they contain and others that are common are placed in a fancy graded piece of plastic pumped for a high premium.

A lot of it is pure hype. A lot of proofs hit the melt bucket when prices soar.

A good rule is buy numismatics for fun, stack bullion for wealth.

IMO you are always better off getting the most metal for the money spent.

Right now I love the old circulated european gold coins like Sovereigns and 20 Francs. Neat old coins with character and very low premiums.

Good luck and have fun!

One thing to consider when INVESTING in any kind of coins: Typically, you buy retail, but sell to dealer wholesale. If you sell on eBay or at shows, you have to tolerate the risks that the dealers do.

Also, low mintage != value. I have some ancient coins with very few examples known (and in at least 3 cases, I have the only known examples). If they were US coins of the same rarity, I would be able to retire, but since they're not, I'm not even close. The problem is demand, but then again, that's why I can afford to collect these fascinating pieces of history.

It's always best to collect what you like. Then, if you can't sell them for a profit, you can at least enjoy looking at them.

-- Tom