Community Voice Responses (Jan. 30, 2018)

From the Jan. 5 Numismatic News E-Newsletter:

Do you plan to spend more time learning about gold and silver in 2018?

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers to Editor Dave Harper.

As of late, because the Dow has performed so extraordinarily well, the gold and silver markets have remained stagnant. Because of certain other elements involved, the numismatic market has likewise been in monetary doldrums since 2009. Had the opposition party won the White House in 2017, the Dow would have subsequently headed south. Indeed, now might be considered a very astute, opportune time to engage in the purchase of limited quantities of precious metals at favorable prices as an initial hedge against future economic woes.

Historically, no nation has ever maintained such an enormous, ongoing, national debt ($20 trillion-plus) and remained solvent. Sadly, our obscene, unbridled obligations (if remained unchecked) will eventually lead America to a dire financial crisis and, unfortunately, we will reap what we have foolishly sown ... guaranteed!

Sam Lukes
Visalia, Calif.

Interesting question. My response would depend on what you mean by “learn”. Do you mean research prices and try to determine the best time to buy? Do you mean research the bullion items themselves?

For me personally I do look at price history but I know it’s difficult to say if I bought at the best time. In terms of researching the actual items. I’ve bought mainly modern coins, so a lot of them are just this year’s version of the coin so research was done a while ago.

Ernesto Aguilar
North Hollywood, Calif.

Hopefully I will be paying more attention to gold and silver. I may even put some attention in copper rounds and bullion. This may be a start of growth in the next 10 years. For decades, copper has been steady in growth for wires and other numismatic items.

The elimination from U.S. cents, and elimination of the Canadian cent leaves a person to wonder – growth, or no growth? I think now is the time to buy the inexpensive ingots and rounds. The worst that can happen is a break even scenario. Just my own thought. Yes, with a local show tomorrow, I will put my money (some) where my mouth is. How about everyone else?

Gary Kess
Sherman, Texas

As a 50-year collector I believe we all need to use gold and silver as a hedge at least.

Despite ups and downs gold has done quite well since the government unfroze the price at $35.

Howard Wheeler
Address withheld

I plan to continue my past practice of buying a variety of bullion rounds and coins when spot prices dip. Bullion has no complexity, so I see no need for further study on the subject. As long as I continue to buy from reputable dealers, I see no downside to further acquisitions.

Bruce Frohman
Address withheld

I’ve been concentrating my efforts more on the pre-1933 told coins than I am on bullion. I feel that this way I’m getting my gold fix in and my coin collecting done all at the same time. So I guess my answer would be “no”. Still enjoying your magazine after many years.

Mike Buchala
Address withheld

Yes, definitely one should continue to study, observe and read continuously. I think that we need to keep an eagle eye on precious metals in 2018. I believe that silver will surpass $20/ounce during the year, and gold will tip over $1,500/ounce. Bitcoin and other cyber currencies’ bubble will burst, and folks will get back into hard assets.

I also believe that the low to mid-level numismatic market will continue to be flooded with aging collectors’ stashes, supplies will grow, demand is low, and it will be continue the trend of 2017 into 2018 of being a buyer’s market. The X generation is interested in precious metals as a store of wealth and security in tangible assets, not for the “collector” of yore like the generation of most of the readers of Numismatic News are. I think that your publication needs to make some drastic changes to cater to and be a knowledge resource for this age-bracket, as unfortunately the previous generation is disappearing as we all know.

Many clubs have closed or have consolidated nationally. The membership and folks that have an interest and time to lead such noteworthy organizations are dwindling. I would like to see more article in NN about world bullion, return on investment, price comparison tables say for Perth, Royal Canadian Mint and other world mints. Enough talk about U.S. Mint proof clad sets. We all know that U.S. Mint clad sets are garbage and money losers for the most part. Folks need to know that practically every modern clad issue that the U.S. Mint produces has zero ROI on it. There are some exceptions, but they are few and far between. And unless you hit that “one-in-a-million,” no one wants a prior year clad set a year after its bought, let alone decades old ones. Don’t we see stockpiles of U.S. mint and proof sets from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s just piled up at coin shows and in coin shops? No one wants them as they have no intrinsic value other than face, or maybe a few cents above face as a nice gift for a child.

Robert Matitia
Address withheld

No. What I do want to learn is the timing of, and intricacies of buying and selling silver and gold at the right time – don’t we all. My opinion is cryptocurrencies will boom and collapse with the markets, which are forming a standing needle pattern in their graphs, raising the price of precious metals astronomically until suddenly the cryptocurrencies disappear in favor of one worldwide cryptocurrency supported by the IMF. At that time the prices are likely to fall and/or be deemed illegal, perhaps confiscated as in the 1930s.

Name withheld

Yes, I am interested.

Name withheld