Would You Buy The1916-D Mercury If You Were I?

This is how I do it. You can always resize and then post the pics directly here, but what I do is upload the photos to Photobucket. I then copy the "Direct Link" they give you, and then you click "Reply to Topic" here, and then paste that "Direct Link." Highlight the link, and click the image icon on the posting toolbar, which looks like a picture frame. I think xshift has a tutorial in the Support area here, maybe you should check that out if I sound too confusing.

Altered-mintmark 1916 Merc's go back to at least the 1940's!

Crooks would add 'D' mint marks to common 1916 Dimes and 1914 Cents.

One coin dealer in Denver had the misfortune to have purchased an
altered 1914 Fake-D Cent as a teenager in the early 1950's....

Yeah....What Johnny said.

I thought you had a whole thread about how you were 14 and trying to raise money for coins...so that is what I was basing it off of. :-)

Back to the coin: Is the one you are purchasing certified?

I would save just a bit longer and move up the grading scale.

WHOAWHOAWHOAWHOAWHOA...

Okay... Coin collecting is a hobby - NOT so much an investment. True that coins do appreciate over time, augmented by the fact that the price of bullion has been climbing especially over recent years, but that doesn't make coin collecting in particular a strong investment. Do it because you love it and because it's fun!

That said, if your "savings" are simply in an account at a bank right now, they're probably not paying you much interest and a coin might do better - in the short term.

It's funny, when I encounter coin collectors or car collectors that look at their hobby as an investment, they really think their dollars are well spent as an investment! Coins and cars rarely do better than COL adjustments over the long term (10+ years), whereas unfortunately the market and a good investor should net you a few solid percentage points above that.

Your coins will not LOSE value, nor will they likely lose value compared to cost-of-living and inflation, but they will not make you much.

For me, it's much more fun to go treasure hunting - I would certainly not take too much out of my savings" for a single coin - diversify when possible - and most important - do what is fun to you. =)


btw - I do NOT disagree with wheatguy - he knows a lot more about this coin than I do! But, in general, if posed the question "should I use my savings to buy a coin", I'd say no...

I am fascinated by a coin that has proven to be a good investment, I honestly didn't think there was such a thing! All things traded wax and wane in value, but when spending your money (money that you have and are just fine with parting ways with) - buy the best you can. =)

The 1916-D Mercury dime has (at minimum) quadrupled in inflation-adjusted Red Book values since 1947!


I sold a bunch of stock in Dec. 1999 to restore my classic car. By
2005, my car was double its 1999 value and the stock was down 1/3
from 1999. My car has probably lost value since 2008 in terms of what
its real current selling price would be (if I had to sell it), but
its 'book value' is now 3 times what the stock would be if I had held
onto it. I knew the economy had gone sour when people stopped
making offers to buy my car! Someone wanted to buy my car a few weeks
ago (for the first time since fall 2008!), so that could be a good
sign! (or, a smart buyer trying to get a classic car 'cheap',
before the predicted inflationary cycle sets in!)


Except in 1929, 1987 and 2008.
Decades of long-term gains, wiped out quickly.
When the stock market goes bear, it can really go bear!
That said, this could actually be a very good time to get in the market,
because stocks should do well in an inflationary cycle.

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away, know when to run!"
I was gone from stocks by 2005, waiting for something to happen...
and it did!

So yes, Coincrazed could buy stock, and, if he gets out
before Wall St. takes its next huge dump a few decades from now, he
might 'do better' than the 1916-D, but all in all the 16-D isn't the
worst place to put the money (better than savings, for sure!) and he
gets to have a classic key date coin that he will always enjoy!