Why Buy ASE

Who told you that? Even if you buy them through a self directed IRA the profits have to be rolled right back into the IRA and then when you're eligible to start drawing the proceeds are still taxed. Now it you buy them in a self directed Roth IRA you wouldn't have to pay tax on the profits as long as you don't take them out before 59 1/2.

One problem you have with the idea of gold or silver bullion coins in an IRA is trying to find someone willing to act as the caretaker and hold the coins for you. Most don't want to do it and if they do you tend to have to pay storage fees etc. You also can't buy or sell the coins, they have to do that. And you can't have physical contact with the coins. (This tends to rub people who believe that when you buy gold and silver you should take physical possession of it the wrong way.) You are frequently told you shouldn't let some one else store you PM for you, but with the self directed IRA's that is exactly what you have to do.

I collect all the varieties of the ASE - bullion, Unc and Proof and would agree, for the most part, as an investment they are not bringing the returns that many other coins would.

BUT, I look at them the as a parallel to the history of the Morgan dollar - a coin produced primarily to use up the vast amounts of silver being mined at the time - that was produced as a unit of currency, but also not expected to be of great collector interest.

No one at that time would have thought that A) the dollars would mostly wind up melted down for bullion or B) that they would ever have a premium (i.e. collector value).

I have been a fan and collector of the ASE's because I believe it is a low-cost way to get a pedegreed silver coin (in all the varietie offered) that you can still actually complete as a set (with the exclusion of the 1995 10 year anniversary version and the 2008 w/07 reverse for the Unc). In short, this is a great collector series with a fabulous design (a.k.a. the Adolf Weinmann Walking Liberty half dollar circa 1916-1945) that the new coin collector could probably complete, as compared to the Peace dollar, Morgan dollar or any other US silver currency (with a few exceptions, that will be readily found in this forum).

My biggest frustration is that the U.S. Mint does not take this seriously, as they dropped the ball by not producing a 2009 Proof ASE. By my estimation, based on the profits I estimate they make on proofs, they missed out on an easy way to add money to the U.S. Treasury (when people like me would readily buy these coins at well above the cost of silver and cost of production).

I hope the mint continues this series, as it is a fantastic way IMHO for the budget collector to begin, enjoy and possibly complete a silver dollar collection.

Best of luck in all your collecting goals and Happy Holidays!