New year brings new prospects

The last day of 2009 dawns with new snow in Iola. Shoveling out the snow and shoveling out the old year seems an apt metaphor.

Having endured the biggest financial panic in three generations and its consequences, people are certainly entitled to celebrate tonight.

Give a thought to numismatics when you are ushering out the old year. The hobby is a tough old bird that endured its own fluctuations but came through the crisis pretty much intact.

Gold’s wondrous rise offered both commercial cash flow and great headlines.

Will 2010 offer as much drama?

Probably not.

After all, how much drama can we endure?

But the collector impulse will continue and the top tier of hobbyists will have the opportunity next week to bid on the trophy coin of all U.S. trophy coins: the 1913 Liberty Head nickel.

Will it sell?

Will the price be a record?

If the answer to both questions is an unqualified yes, we will be off to the races again in 2010.

I hope 2010 will be a happy new year for all.