Is the glass half full or half empty?

The roller coaster US coin market of recent months continues. A dealer’s recent post reading, “I don’t know how you bullion guys do it...rough market out there. Where is the bottom?” recently posted at Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers on Facebook appears to sum it up. Gold, at the time this is commentary is being written, is once more significantly below $1,300 an ounce, while silver has dropped below its previous circa $15 an ounce trading range. Platinum, the ‘other white metal’ is once more trading below $900.

A different dealer recently offered a 20-piece group of Mint State 62 Liberty $5 half eagles at $370 per coin via Facebook, remarking they are a “decent lot.” Can this be viewed as negative news? First, I’d rather describe this as being realistic. Second, this type of news signals a buying opportunity for collectors, even if it may be at the expense of those selling these coins. The greater challenge in our current market is to find desirable coins someone is willing to part with at today’s prices.

Some of the so-called good stuff is being held back, but if you examine what is being offered at auctions as well as over-the-counter there is plenty to be had, and much of it going for very consumer friendly prices. The glass is either half full or half empty, depending on your viewpoint of the current market, but the market continues to function well. What it still lacks is significant value appreciation. Buy now or you may lament you missed ‘the good old days’ later.