A Strong Outlook for Silver Commemoratives
Silver commemorative coins beautifully capture a moment in time, and now they are set to capture the market. Because of the exquisite designs, large variety, low mintage, and the fact that they are largely undervalued, these coins are poised to become the next big opportunity for investors. Experts predict an extremely strong outlook for silver commemorative coins, driven in part by their popularity in Europe.
Interview With John Albanese, Renowned Numismatist, About Silver Commemoratives
BLANCHARD: Is there an affordable area of the coin market that you think may be undervalued?
ALBANESE: We have experienced a rare coin bull market over the past three years and as it increases, it becomes harder and harder to find high quality coins. However, there has been a slight lag in the silver commemorative market, which has just begun to rise, but is still well below historical highs. I think we will see an increase in this sector of the market based on the low mintage, large variety and exquisite designs.
BLANCHARD: What is the long-term outlook and potential for the silver commemorative market?
ALBANESE: This sector has a very strong outlook. In addition to new investors and collectors, many of the silver dollar collectors have begun to collect and invest in silver commemoratives. In order to complete a high quality silver dollar set it would cost in the range of $3 to $4 million dollars, where a 50 piece silver commemorative set can be purchased for as little as $25,000. These coins are also becoming popular overseas in Europe, which will only increase demand.
BLANCHARD: I have heard that key date coins are sought after and are popular. What are the key date commemoratives?
ALBANESE: The key date coins are the Lafayette
Dollar, Grant Memorial with Star, Hawaiian Sesquicentennial, and
the Isabella Quarter. These coins range between $1,500 and $3,600.
BLANCHARD: Would it be best to only focus on the key date coins?
ALBANESE: No. I think there is more of an upside for an investor in this sector to focus on non-key date coins. There is more potential in the Albany, Boone, Iowa, Cleveland, Pilgrim, Texas, and York than with the key date coins. The lower priced coins have the bigger opportunity to increase in value. These coins are currently priced between $100 and $1,200.
BLANCHARD: How many different types of silver commemoratives are available?
ALBANESE: There are 50 different types of silver commemoratives; however, a complete set is 144. The difference is due to the different dates and different mints that produced the 50 types of coins. For example, the Texas commemorative has 13 different varieties based on the fact that it was minted in 5 different years and at different mints across the country.
BLANCHARD: Is it possible to obtain a complete set?
ALBANESE: A 50 piece silver commemorative set is possible to obtain and would cost between $25,000 and $65,000. A 144-piece set is also obtainable and would cost between $50,000 and $100,000. However, these coins make a great addition to investor and collector portfolios as an individual or as a subset, such as the beautiful 13-piece Texas set.
BLANCHARD: What are your favorite silver commemoratives of all?
ALBANESE: My favorite commemoratives, and the coins which I believe have the most potential, are in the Texas set. Again, there are 13 coins in this set and each is superb. As an individual or as a complete sub-set, you will not be disappointed with these coins.
BLANCHARD: How do most people get started in this area?
ALBANESE: Most people get started by purchasing a subset with themes such as presidents, the Civil War, states, maritime, or animals in hopes of completing a 50 piece set. This area is beginning to get red hot so call your Account Executive today and secure part of history.
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