The Bret Leifer Rare Coin Letter
January 1999 NEWSLETTER
Professional advice you can trust
The end of 1998 was like a blast from the past. Gasoline prices fell to under $1 in urban, suburban, and remote areas alike. Mortgage rates for homes slipped to a low of roughly 6.49 in early November, and gold prices sunk to 1979 levels. What does this mean for you? The price of gold has remained steady around $270 to $300 for quite some time. But with the turbulence in recent markets and worry over what the Year 2000 will do to financial and stock records etc., many are flocking to add gold coins to their cache. Since gold coins provide a hedge against the uncertainty of financial assets, they have been a store of value for centuries-- and I don't think that will ever change. In FACT, in a chaotic WORLD market situation, gold could actually go up 10X from current prices.
Renewed Interest
It is important to note that in 1999, the public will want to buy coins and the supply of superior, properly graded coins is not enough to satisfy the current demand. Economics 101 suggests, then, that the price of gold coins will go up with such high demand. This is especially true for early coins and coins with punch. It seems that renewed interest from old-time collectors and investors, combined with the demand from new market participants is causing wholesale dealers' inventories to evaporate. Even dealers who import gold from Europe are finding high quality coins difficult to locate.
Selection
When you select coins, you must minimize your risk by assuring that the coins you purchase are rare, of high quality and represent strong current value. For the most part, gold bullion has been weak for years. However, the recent interest in the price of gold and increased demand has caused the lower end of the gold coin market to respond dramatically. Circulated $5, $10, and $20 gold pieces are in huge demand, as price premiums continue to grow. In the uncirculated grades of coins, prices have also increased. Coins do have a life and price cycle of their own irrespective of bullion. When gold bullion prices increase, it generally causes the price of numismatic coins to increase. But, numismatic coins do not need the gold price to go up for their prices to rise, a phenomenon we have recently witnessed.