Which Would You Buy? Investing For The Kids On This One.

IMHO, these are all relatively common coins, even in high grades. One can find them in quantity at most coin shows. As such, they don't seem like investment coins to me. The trade papers are full of ads, touting these plentiful, slabbed coins as investments. To my way of thinking, the true investment coins are those that don't appear in the ads; better dates in higher grades.

I think that full horn Buffalo nickels, like the 1921-S, '24-S and '26-S, offer great investment potential, being "condition-rare." Such coins without problems rarely appear on ebay. Today's semi-keys may well be tomorrow's keys; especially so, in higher grades (e.g. - early D/S Lincolns in XF-AU; problem-free, pre-1880 Indians with a full Liberty). Early type coins, problem free in XF and better, offer great investment potential, methinks.

Getting back to Walkers, the early dates in VF-XF and higher are getting harder to find. With regard to the Peace dollar series, well struck, high-relief coins will always be in high demand.

Back in the 1980's, many an investor learned a hard lesson, buying slabs. Those who bought "the book" and bought "the coin" fared far better in the 1990's and beyond. Whether it's coins, paper money, exonumia (my personal preference) or whatever, investments tend to better pan out when one focuses on material that is NOT so readily available in the marketplace.

It disappoints me that high grade in both Peace and early walkers does not mean a sharp strike. The appearance of an AU is often better, at a fraction of the price. The later walkers don't have that problem.

One high relief walker that's usually well struck is the 1916-D, and can be fairly affordable. Here's a really nice one. http://briangreerrarecoins.com/inventory.html?c=39

bamablue, this is one I have in the stack:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Clad-P...em27d2663b1c

$5.99 includes free shipping on a buy it now. I'd have to be really lucky to get $10 for mine.

Oh why didn't he just buy silver dollars then for $10 each...

ExoGuy summed it up perfectly. Ditto that for me. It takes patients and persistence and a little self control to wait for the coins that you don't see all the time. Common Peace dollars and common Walkers are available by the bucket loads. Maybe not all are high grade slabs, but collectors of these type coins don't buy them based on slab alone. They will scrutinize the strike and eye appeal. Knowing a well struck coin when you see one is important. Also, knowing what years had less common well struck coins and holding out for the better coin will pay off in the long run. For me, this means knowing the market, noticing coins that are undervalued in the market in general and buying them before the take their leap upward in price. Kind of like a lot of the Seated halves and quarters did recently. Good luck and go with your gut!

Sorry, grancap74, but neither is a good investment.
Coins which are common today will be common tomorrow, and if YOUR MS-65 has slightly less eye appeal than another's MS-65 which
do you think will do better?
Buy an educational account if your state offers one. And if you want to buy a few coins,
spend a few years seeking out the truly rare and desirable ones. They will hold their value in the long run.

Alternatively, a single Walker from the twenties or earlier or a Peace dollar from late in run is much more likely
to hold its value or to increase than the common dates you listed.

Then again, you may be among the many who like a lot of shiny coins instead of one or two used. To each his or her own.

Tip for the day: 1919-D coins of any denomination in high grades. Just try to find them! The half especially.

Good luck.

Good article in CoinWeek today:

The Coin Analyst: Coins are Not Investments; They are Assets and Collectibles to Be Enjoyed
By Louis Golino on May 13, 2013 10:59 AM

"Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker, in their recent 'Open Letter to Wayne Homren,' drew attention to wildly inflated predictions of future prices of classic U.S. commemoratives by Anthony Swiatek in his major reference book on the field, which was updated last year.

"I strongly agree that far too many coin dealers and other involved in selling U.S. coins make exaggerated claims about the future price potential of the items they are selling. This was, in fact, at the heart of recent lawsuits stemming from hard sale tactics by certain coin companies that resulted in multi-million dollar settlements and new FTC regulations on coin buying last year. And the conflict of interest inherent in recommending the very same type of products they sell is troubling indeed, and as Mr. Morgan explains, would not be tolerated in any other industry. In my view, the fact that it is tolerated is something that limits the coin market from reaching its full potential and from being taken as seriously as other industries.

"I believe that this same phenomenon played a key role in the creation and collapse of the great coin bubble of the late 1980's. As it happens, I was taking a break from collecting coins at the time, while pursuing academic and other interests. But I have studied that period, and I believe it offers important lessons and cautionary tales for those looking to become so-called coin investors. . . ."

continued: http://www.coinweek.com/commentary/...-be-enjoyed/

grancap, I admire your reasons and motivations for acquiring these coins. I wish you and your acquisitions the best, and I am sure your children will greatly appreciate your efforts.