Coin Market Roars into New Year

They say March can go in like a lion and go out as a lamb, or the other way around. It now appears that the business of coins has come into January as a lion, but it doesn’t look like the lamb will make an appearance at all. Yes, there are areas of weakness in the market for collectible coins, but these are the traditionally weaker areas – not because the coin prices may necessarily be lower than we perhaps perceive they should be, but because these areas simply aren’t as popular as are some other areas.

The most outstanding of these so-called “lesser” areas is U.S. mint sets. U.S. proof sets have likewise remained flat-lined throughout the past year, with the exception being those sets in which precious metal composition coins are included.

Collectors may shift their interests to “extinct denominations” at some point, but at the moment it appears the mainstay denominations continue to be the focus. The dollar denomination, regardless of if it involves silver or non-precious metal issues, remains as a perennial popular market segment. The future of the denomination remains bright as the U.S. government may at some point be forced to capitulate and drop the dollar bill in favor of the coin. Modern commemoratives are proving to be in more demand than has been seen in the past.

While all eyes may be focused on the extreme rarities appearing in auctions, the majority of collectors continue to buy more modestly priced but very popular coins. The grade in which a coin appears has never been more important to collectors, but many lower-grade coins continue to be popularly sought as well.