It depends. If you are really knowledgeable about all the details and intricacies of numismatic coins, know all the ins and outs of particular coins or are an expert at spotting exotic coins, you certainly could make a killing in numismatic coins. This may be similar to owning a Strativari violin, a Van Gogh painting or a collection of rare wines. For the average investor though, numismatic coins may not be as suitable. What’s more, numismatic coins do not offer much in the way of protection against the risks that precious metals investments are supposed to alleviate (see section Should I store…, above). Other than bullion coins and bullion bars which are commodities having a price consisting of intrinsic value and usually almost nothing else, numismatic coin prices depend on a wide range of factors of which precious metals content is only a lesser part. Numismatic coins are graded and primarily depend on condition, but at the same time collector demand is a major ingredient in numismatic coin prices. If you invest in physical gold and silver bullion and bars as a hedge against any of the risks mentioned earlier (see Currency Risk, Market, Risk, Systemic Risk in the Should I Store… section, above), then you would not want to depend on normal and”sunny” market conditions all around to be able and sell your valuables. You would rather want to have something of raw material value that can be carried around without an air-conditioned container or a cushioned box and can easily be sold in the streets (or bartered, if needed).

For numismatic coins, the premiums charged -– not only over precious metals content, which is due to those other factors mentioned, but also over the “going rate” of comparable coins elsewhere – can, and do, wildly fluctuate with dealers being the ones usually making a killing in the process. Just watch a few commercials and the “incentives” to buy which include either ridiculous “specials” (percentage-wise) or “great” affiliate and multi-level marketing “opportunities”. Both were economically impossible, were it not for the outrageous markups numismatics dealers tend to charge. Also be aware of a number of “bullion dealerships” that turn out to be high-pressure selling outfits talking potential bullion buyers into numismatics because of the higher margin they can make on numismatics. (Many of these uninformed buyers who fell for the numismatics trick are still waiting to see any significant profits in their “investments”, even at today’s dramatically increased intrinsic values and high precious metals prices; please also read the Beware of the Pitfalls section.

How Do I Buy and Sell Physical Gold and Silver?
Do I Have to Pay Sales Tax (or VAT or Similar) on Precious Metals?
Should I store my precious metals locally or overseas?
How Much Should I Pay for Physical Bullion?
What Is a Reasonable Premium Over Spot?
Should I Buy Bullion Bars or Bullion Coins?
Should I Buy Bullion Online?
Should I Buy Bullion Over the Phone?
Should I Buy Bullion Using eBay or Amazon Marketplace?
Is Confiscation of Gold a Real Risk?
Are There Any Reporting Requirements for Gold or Silver?
Should I Buy Vaulted Allocated Gold or Silver?