Great Holiday Gifts for Friends, Family, and Even Yourself
Smart, meaningful, and collector-friendly picks for every name on your list, from seasoned numismatists to collecting beginners. These holiday gift ideas bring charm to the season.
As the holiday season approaches, it seems to many of us like the pace of an already hectic life speeds up even more, if that were possible. There can be all sorts of get-togethers, friends and relatives stopping in, and sometimes even folks we haven’t seen for the whole year making an appearance. There’s often some home cooking to be done, and a variety of other tasks that appear to come about only at the end-of-the-year holidays. In the midst of all this, there is also some gift buying going on. To ease up on the gas, as it were, we’ll propose several numismatic gifts that might appease a wide variety of people, be they close friends or that surprise visitor.
Proof Sets, Silver, and Base Metal
Proof sets remain a great all-purpose gift, whether it is for this year or for a past year that was special for someone. Was a baby born this year? A proof set is a great gift. How about a significant anniversary? Again, a proof set can work as a gift. As well, for that guest who just pops by unannounced, a proof set can be an easy present and a face-saver. Importantly, proof sets now have lots of options.
The most basic of the proof sets is one containing every denomination, plus the different quarter designs, all in base metal. These are never all that expensive, and the 2025 one can be purchased directly from the Mint or possibly from a well-stocked dealer. Another option is the proof set with all the silver coins in actual silver metal. These will cost more, but they definitely look impressive. There are some other options as well, all of which might be worth exploring, and all of which are not too expensive.
Silver 1-Ounce Bullion Coins
The United States 1-ounce silver Eagle has now become a classic, having been issued in hefty numbers all the way back to 1986. The price of silver metal has jumped rather quickly this year, but what are called the regular issues are still not all that costly. Plus, big coins always seem to go well in little hands, so this might be a good way to introduce a new young person to a great hobby.
The silver Eagles are also available as proof coins, which are routinely sold in handsome Mint cases. The price for these gems always includes a premium above the cost of the metal. But they represent the best that the Mint produces, they always look sharp, and they tend to cost less than $100 per coin.
American Innovation Dollars
One of the greatest silent success stories of the United States Mint is the American Innovation Dollar program. These coins have the same composition as the Sacagawea dollars and have been minted since 2018. That year, the first one was released, honoring the first patent issued in the United States. Every year from 2019 all the way to 2032, there have been or will be four of these dollar coins minted, each honoring some achievement for a specific one of the fifty states. In 2025, Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, and Texas are the states being honored, and the Honorable Steve Bieda, a Michigan judge, was the driving force behind a release ceremony for the dollar for the state of Michigan—the first for the entire program—and a great way to spread the word about these dollars. Getting these dollars as a special proof set is not hard, whether we opt to purchase straight from the Mint or again from any dealer who has been keeping some in stock. The sets are quite affordable.
DC Comics Silver Medals
The superheroes of DC comics are definitely taking a place among the many coins and medals the United States Mint has been pounding out. The Man of Steel is now available, as is the Dark Knight and Wonder Woman, at least on pre-order. Any and all of the superheroes are minted as 1/2-ounce gold bullion coins, which may be something of a steep bite into our wallets — although they are beautiful indeed. But the silver one-ounce bullion medals that come out at the same time—same design, without any dollar value—are much more affordable. The larger 2 1/2-ounce silver pieces also have a certain allure, since they are wonderfully large. We can certainly hope that all of them will be available by the holidays.
Thinking about these big medals in terms of holiday giving, they can be a great way to get any of the young members in the family interested in numismatics, or the young at heart. Some of us have grown up with the comic books, others with the movies. Whatever the case, though, a Batman silver medal will most likely go over very well.
Large-Sized United States Currency
We’ll throw one classic piece into our holiday mix—a large-sized United States currency. The current size of U.S. currency came about in 1929 as a means to save production costs. But from 1895 until 1905, paper money was issued with a town name on it, the town being where the bank issuing it was located. Some of these can be expensive today, if only a few notes still exist. Others, though, can be rather affordable. But in any case, this is a neat way to really see how our money circulated in a different day and age, and to connect folks receiving one with their town, city, or region.
Others?
There are certainly plenty of other gifts a person might give that are related to current or past coins and currency. We have stayed away from gold for the moment, simply because the price has jumped so much this year. But small gold is still possible on a small budget, with 1/10th-ounce U.S. gold Eagles being easily available. For the person who wants to go even smaller, there are some places, such as Canada or the Isle of Man, to name just two, which mint and sell 1/20th-ounce gold pieces. Little gold Maple Leafs and Angels can be an affordable eye-opener.
The holidays usually bring an increased pace and a lot to do. Buying some great numismatic gifts ahead of time can go a long way to slow some of that hectic pace.
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