Purchasing New Coins From The Mint Vs. Buying Old Coins.

It sounds to me like you haven't really decided what you want to collect. That's what you have to decide you want to invest your money and effort. Mint product are nice because they're (often) beautiful, displayable items that you could put on a shelf and show off to the world. However, there isn't the same sort of adventure when it comes to circulation numismatics. Everything from the hunt for THAT coin that you want, to collecting a series, but also finding a hoard of coinage that you can hunt through and just identify and establish the history of. I have many customers that like coins of all condition, just so they can research, establish, and document what has likely happened to the coin using numismatic forensics.

It all comes down to what you want to collect and what you want to do with that collection. There is one thing I tell EVERYONE that wants to collect: the moment you make it about monetary value and value retention, you are no longer a collector -- you are an investor. It is very difficult to wear more than one hat, and trying to do so becomes a major funsuck.

You don't have to decide everything right away and you don't have to end up where you started. Start small with something you're pretty sure you'll like and then grow from there in whatever direction interests you or jump to a completely new starting point. You can always sell your old stuff off. If you don't make money off it, so what? It's the cost of the entertainment. You go see a movie and a couple of hours and $20 later, what do you have tangible to show for it? That's a 100% loss but most don't think twice about it. Coin collecting you might lose 25%.

Try not to buy proof sets or commemorative sets especially. The price of proof sets goes down substancially in 5 years! Just look at the list in the Red Book or Blue Book.

Yup. Always buy what you enjoy and buy for pleasure not profit.

Think about it like this. You keep a coin five years and sell it for $50 less than you paid? Don't look on it as a loss. Rather the pleasure of having that coin to look at, to show to your friends or kids, that's cost you $10 a year!

How many antiques can you rent for that sort of money? Not many I'd guess, so pretty cheap entertainment I think. Particularly compared to the contract cost of a mobile phone or depreciation on a new car!

And I you make a profit? You have a bit more to buy something you like better to enjoy!




Thanks AgHoarder. Not mine. I found it on Antony Wilson's York Coins website! (To whom I have no connection, though I have bought from him in the past).


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As others have said, 90% of the RCM products are overpriced to begin with and lose up to 50% of their value in the first 3-4 years. If you like the RCM stuff, buy it a few years down the road at coin shows and not from the Mint upon issue.... you'll get much more for your money by delaying.

Very well said!

Thank you for all the advice! I think I'll start with pennies and try to buy best quality of pennies as I can. When the time is right as said previously, I will look for the older mint issue products.

I'm new to collecting since 2010 and will admit I started with the New coins from R.C.M and soon discovered they pump way too many out every year. I also discovered 90% of them lose value and you won't recoup all your money back. I lucked out and managed to get my hands on the 2011 lady bug coin for retail and when I sold the other coins on e bay to recoup some of my money back the lady bug coin saved the day for recouping all my money back
You see in the time frame I was collecting all these fancy coins the only one, out of my collection that went sky high in value is the lady bug and the rest just lost value.
So if your collecting to invest your money then I would recommend you stay away from the pretty shiny coins from R.C.M. but if your just collecting for the hobby and don't mind taking a loss on some of your pretty coins then giver!

My self I'm collecting Numismatic and the odd coin from certain mint dealers. Right now I'm just sticking with modern coins between 1937 - 1967 Until I get more familiar with older dates like Edward and Victoria. I would love to start collecting older dates but I wouldn't know how to spot a fake one and you have to be very careful because there's a lot of fake coins out there unfortunately.

Also collecting Numismatic I find more challenging trying to hunt down that certain date in Mint State condition.

Hope this helps