Best Classic US Coins To Buy & Hold Long Term?

Joe2007..........

Newbie here......

I bought (2) 3 cent silver coins back about 50 years ago

One was 1868 ... the other was 1870.

Paid (about) $2.00-3.00 the pair. Really can't remember the exact amount. But I was (am) supper cheap. So I am sure I didn't pay too much.

I can remember buying them. It was because (3) was an ODD amount for a coin.

Always did like that series, after I looked up the current suggested prices.

G-4 equals (about) $700 the pair now.

I've come up with what I call "The Four C's of Investing in Coins" (which works much better when said aloud than it does when written out):

1. Condition -- The higher the grade, the more likely it is to increase in value over time.

2. Collectibility -- Avoid obscure coins for which there is a limited market. The more desirable a coin is to average collectors, the better the chances the price will go up.

3. Quantity -- The fewer made, the more likely they will go up in value. For classic coins, this includes key dates but would also include things like proof versions.

4. Cost -- This is the tricky one. Any coin that is high grade, desirable and rare is probably already a very expensive coin, and buying extremely expensive coins may not be a sound investment strategy. Optimally, you'd want to buy coins that are currently undervalued for some reason, but this can be dangerous since they may remain undervalued. I suggest a compromise by setting yourself a budget and buying the best coins you can for that price.


Lately, I've started investing in some classic proof coins, such as proof Barber quarters and dimes, proof Liberty and Shield nickels, etc. Some have mintages as low as 500-800 for the year they were produced, and I strongly believe that proof coins will always be desirable. I set a budget of around $1000 per coin and have been able to pick up some nice examples in PR64-PR65 (the nickels were significantly less than $1000 each, while the Barber dime and quarter were a bit more).

Ask me in 20 years and I'll let you know if my strategy worked...

May I please add all error coins in this category?

Thank you for your comments!

baseball: I agree on Classic Commeratives. Since they are so common and not that much more expensive in uncirculated grades it makes sense to buy better coins.

barryg: I like your "The Four C's of Investing in Coins". Obscure coins like 3CNs are really neat and relatively rare when compared to their price points but they just don't have the collector base to move prices significantly.

It seems that larger denomination coins generally do better than smaller denomination coins, with dollars and half dollars doing better and have a larger collector base than quarters, dimes, nickels, Three Cents, and Half Cents. Pennies seem to be the exception to this rule.

Despite the recent Saddle Ridge Hoard, large amounts of previously unknown early to mid-19th century coins don't come to market very often and thus their values are less likely to plummet due to increased populations of rare dates.

More modern keys like the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent, 1916-D Mercury dime, and the 1877 Indian Head cent are usually easily available if you are willing to pay up -- every dealer seems to have one or two -- but many earlier 19th century key dates appear to be legitimately rare with very low populations. There are also sleepers out there, especially in the Barber and Seated Liberty series.

Although I'd like to retain what I paid and possibly make a little bit long term -- I don't consider coins an investment -- I consider them a fun hobby where I should be able to retain some value unlike other hobbies where money spent is basically gone.

Semi key and key morgans or key date/ high grade gold has been doing quite well lately.

with just Carl. I never, ever think of potential value. This is strictly a hobby for me. But I also understand that speculation can be fun in its own way.

Eventually I think it's going to come down to eye appeal as more and more coins are being slabbed, a 53 is not going to be "just" a 53. I wouldn't buy the grade or slab (where have we heard THAT before?) but start being very selective in regards to others of the same grade.

I mean heck. Some of these $100 Morgans are bringing monster money for awesome eye appeal. Now imagine scoring a semi-key to key date that stands above all others! Nothing but increase in value.

If I had the money, that's what I'd do. I don't, so I just buy what I like and if I profit from them later.......good for me.