Look at coppers, Capped Bust halves, Morgans

The coin market continues to look optimistic, with buying opportunities abounding. I usually address the more commonly collected coins first, since so many of these coins are impacted by outside sources, these being the stock and commodity markets.

Looking at the more desirable coins, expensive and not, it appears to be an entirely different market playing by a separate set of rules. Properly certified condition rarity coins remain primarily a one-way street, with dealers who emphasize these coins selling them for significant premiums, yet not being overly generous if someone wants to sell such a coin back. Values for these coins are currently “steady,” but future appreciation is questionable.

Semi-key and key date coins are seeing value increases, but only when certified to be in superior grades and not evenly distributed across the board.

Truly scarce to rare coins show serious promise, particularly coppers, Capped Bust half dollars and Morgan silver dollars. These, of course, are traditionally popular areas to collect. Even among these coins it is the quality that counts. Those seeking a lower grade example to help complete a set will find prices remain unmoved, with little likelihood of appreciation in the near future.

More common yet collectible silver coins have closely followed the spot price of their metal content. Silver is up about 13 percent from the beginning of the year and continues to outpace gold, which has increased about 5.5 percent for the year at the time this commentary was being written.