Starck Reality: Modern Coin Market Fluctuations Visible in Latest Updates
Recent price reviews reveal sharp swings in modern Canadian coins, where changing demand and scarcity continue to reshape values.
Courtesy of NumisMaster; KM#1135
The market for modern coins is notoriously tricky, as world mints issue new coins every month. What is hot one minute can quickly turn cold as attention shifts to the next big thing.
We recently reviewed all Canadian coins from 2001 to present and witnessed this reality as we adjusted prices for the several thousand collector coins issued since the turn of the century.
One of the Royal Canadian Mint’s hottest releases was the Venetian glass coin series, which attached a piece of Venetian glass to a coin. The 2011 silver $20, featuring a ladybug and a tulip, was the world’s first coin to have an embellishment of Venetian glass. Cataloged as KM-1135, this coin previously traded at $1,000 in Proof-65 condition and is now $500.
The majority of collector coins made in the last 25 years are going to grade in the upper ranges, 69 or 70. It is our understanding that the previous policy was to list raw coins, still in official government packaging, at the 65 level (with Proof or Uncirculated applied based on the method of manufacture). As we reevaluated these numbers, the value of this coin has been halved to $500.
While the stated value for that coin took a major haircut, the other side of the coin (so to speak) was the vastly multiplied price for the 2016 Traditional Ukrainian Pysanka silver $20 coin (KM#2160). Previously priced at $250, we multiplied it to $2,000, based on recent sales of $1,800 and $2,138, respectively.
Prices for many of these coins were only mildly adjusted, as the precious metal value finally approached the stated market value. However, base metal coins proved trickier, since their real market values were never tied to metal value to begin with. One of the hardest-hit areas was the Royal Canadian Mint’s series of bird 25¢ coins, issued from 2007 to 2014, for which prices were reduced significantly across the board.
But not all base metal coins suffered this fate. Prices for the 2009 50¢ coins showing logos of the six Canadian teams then in the National Hockey League were all adjusted upward, some significantly. With mintages ranging from 248 to 1,266, these are just scarce in the market, driving their value. When it comes to staying power for Canadian coin themes, pitting birds against hockey, hockey has done surprisingly well. That’s some heated rivalry.
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Jeff Starck is the Market Analyst for Numismaster.com and is a lifelong collector and writer. His appreciation for and interest in world coins and writing allows him to share the hobby with others.
