Best Coin For A Moderate Budget

I would agree that over the long term they have growth, but I would not call it steady growth. Most Keys will do a jump in price but then will stay flat for several years before they do another jump. One coin often mentioned is the 1909 SVDB Lincoln Cent. In 1963 an Unc coin was $280 In 1988 it was $480. A 58% increase. At first glance that looks good, but it works out to a little over a 2% per annum growth rate. Compared to the inflation rate during that 25 year period the 09 SVDB was a loser. And frankly if gets worse. If you look at the year to year prices you find the price was either flat or a loss.
1963 $280
1964 ?
1965 $275
1966 $225
1967 ?
1968 $180
1969 ?
1970 $155
1971 ?
1972 ?
1973 ?
1974 ?
1975 Don't have an Unc price but XF is $160 so the Unc would be going back up
1976 $205
1977 $230
1978 $250
1979 $345 After 16 years the price is finally above the 1963 price. A little over a 1% per annum growth
1980 $650 Big jump this year
1981 $600
1982 $465 We seem to be doing poorly again
1983 $450
1984 $450 Into the flat period
1985 $435
1986 $350 Remember this is a key date in Unc condition.
1987 $350
1988 $350 As you can see keys don't always show steady growth, and this is THE key in one of the most heavily collected series. Since 1988 the SVDB HAS made a major jump in price. Unfortunately I do not have detailed year to year prices but it would not surprise me to find that the the increase came as several jumps with more flat periods between them. The current price is $1680 from 1963 a roughly 3.5% per annum growth rate or just about the same as the inflation rate. If you bought it in 1988 you'd have done much better with a 7% return since then. (And over the last four years it has only had a 1% per annum growth.) So like stocks, and most forms of investment, timing is everything. Buy or sell at the right time and make a killing. Buy or sell at the wrong time and your return is poor or even a loss.

The problem with putting bullion into an IRA is you have to violate one of the primary rules of bullion hoarding. You buy it and then pay someone else to hold as store it for you. They always say that with physical bullion you should always take possession and not let someone else hold it for you lest when you go to sell the bullion isn't there.

You all have given wonderful insight. I think I will just do what the rest of you do buy because I like it. I started with 1913 Buffalo nickels. The year has significant meaning for me and I like the design.