The new UHRs

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:56:24 -0500, "Bruce Remick"
wrote:

"Jon Purkey" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:37:49 -0600, "PC" wrote:

"Bruce Remick" wrote in message
...


I will probably get one for myself to actually collect. If the price
goes way up then I might sell. I am personally loathe to throw a lot
of
speculative money at this one.

When the price of a Mint-produced bullion gold coin is comparable to a
nice BU St. Gaudens $20, I would be more inclined to spend my $1,200 on
the St. Gaudens, especially when the price of gold keeps trying to
retreat
back beneath $800 while the price of BU SG's seems to be creeping
upward.

Sound advice indeed. Why not get the real McCoy? (Wow, I am almost too
young to have actually heard that term)

If I decide to get one I will go for a common date original. Even a
certified one should not be much more than the new version unless the
resale price drops significantly in the next couple years.

Does the price of the original coins fluctuate with the price of gold
or is there a minimum numismatic price they never go under?


If the prices asked by the big 2-page advertisers in CW and NN are any
indication, as the price of gold has trended downward since mid-2008, the
asking prices of a BU St. Gaudens in these same ads has crept upward some
$300 in that time. Meanwhile, the asking price of Gold American Eagles has
more closely followed the price fluctuations of gold.

Thanks. That's interesting. I wonder if the pricing partly has to do
with what they bought the coins for or what gold was selling for when
they placed their ads? I assume there is a considerable lead time for
publishing like with other magazines.

I would be more excited about buying one of the new high relief bullion
coins if it had been made in the same thickness and diameter of the
original. This new version is essentially half the diameter and twice the
thickness and looks more like a novelty than something reminiscent of the
original. The real test will be to hold one in person-- not actually
touching it of course, just holding the holder that holds the gold.

I should probably Google it, but what are the measurements of the new
UHR coin? I believe the original St. Gaudens was 34 mm in diameter?

A coin with twice the thickness needs about 70-71% the diameter to
have the same amount of gold, not factoring in the 22k vs. 24k
difference. 24mm would be my guesstimate.

"Michael Benveniste" wrote in message
...
"mazorj" wrote:

Any thoughts out there on how well the demand and resale price for
it will hold up as a collectible? It's priced way too far over
melt to hold as bullion, and as we all know, certain coins and sets
are like new cars. They start depreciating as soon as they come
off the lot and never make a come-back. Others hold their value
well and even appreciate because in later years the demand
outweighs the supply.

FWIW, the US Mint site is currently totally overloaded. Again.

They apparently never learn. I hope it clears up by tomorrow, when
IIRC they start selling the Lincoln cent sets. Gotta get a few for
the kids and me.

From the investment angle, I'll still be interested to see how much
the UHRs will appreciate over 5-10 years, especially after we see the
end of the short-term waves of flipping them on e-Bay and Craig's List
at $100-$200 over Mint prices. Based on my impression of how the gold
Buffalo issues fared, I suspect that the UHRs won't be significantly
outperforming even the safe 4%-5% investment fund options that
currently are available.

So if I do get one, it will be for the esthetic pleasure to have and
to hold, until death or insolvency do us part.

"Michael Benveniste" wrote in message
...
"mazorj" wrote:

Any thoughts out there on how well the demand and resale price for it
will hold up as a collectible? It's priced way too far over melt to hold
as bullion, and as we all know, certain coins and sets are like new cars.
They start depreciating as soon as they come off the lot and never make a
come-back. Others hold their value well and even appreciate because in
later years the demand outweighs the supply.

FWIW, the US Mint site is currently totally overloaded. Again.


The first opportunity I had to see it actually in the catalog and it says:

"Product will be available for shipping 02/06/2009"

:-(

"PC" wrote in message
...

"Michael Benveniste" wrote in message
...
"mazorj" wrote:

Any thoughts out there on how well the demand and resale price for
it will hold up as a collectible? It's priced way too far over melt
to hold as bullion, and as we all know, certain coins and sets are
like new cars. They start depreciating as soon as they come off the
lot and never make a come-back. Others hold their value well and
even appreciate because in later years the demand outweighs the
supply.

FWIW, the US Mint site is currently totally overloaded. Again.


The first opportunity I had to see it actually in the catalog and it
says:

"Product will be available for shipping 02/06/2009"

It will be interesting to see how many dealers have multiples of 1200
bucks + grading fees to toss around.
No doubt the coming months will present us with eBay auctions and ads
for MS70 "First Strikes" for $2000+
It IS a pretty coin but $1200 is too rich for my blood.

mazorj wrote:
snip
They apparently never learn. I hope it clears up by tomorrow, when
IIRC they start selling the Lincoln cent sets. Gotta get a few for
the kids and me.
snip

Could you point me to where on the US Mint website there's any
information on when they'll be selling the Lincoln cent sets? Thanks.
..

"PC" wrote:

"Product will be available for shipping 02/06/2009"

:-(

By the time I could get my order through and paid for, that's
the anticipated product ship date I got as well. Good thing
that wasn't planning to resell ASAP.

--
Michael Benveniste -- (Clarification required)
The man who sets out to carry a cat by its tail learns something
that will always be useful and which never will grow dim or
doubtful. -- Mark Twain

"Rav" wrote in message
...
mazorj wrote:
snip
They apparently never learn. I hope it clears up by tomorrow, when
IIRC they start selling the Lincoln cent sets. Gotta get a few for
the kids and me.
snip

Could you point me to where on the US Mint website there's any
information on when they'll be selling the Lincoln cent sets?
Thanks.

Actually, I got it from one of Susan Headley's columns. She stated
the date from Mint sources, I just put it on my calendar to check the
Mint site then.

"Michael Benveniste" wrote in message
...
"PC" wrote:

"Product will be available for shipping 02/06/2009"

:-(

By the time I could get my order through and paid for, that's
the anticipated product ship date I got as well. Good thing
that wasn't planning to resell ASAP.


No doubt someone is sweating out a pre-sale action on eBay :-)

Clearly, all that was available today was the ability to order the product.
The product was not at all available today from what I can tell. Makes me
halfway seriously wonder if they get the money first, buy the gold, then
mint them?

"PC" wrote in message
...

"Michael Benveniste" wrote in message
...
"PC" wrote:

"Product will be available for shipping 02/06/2009"

:-(

By the time I could get my order through and paid for, that's
the anticipated product ship date I got as well. Good thing
that wasn't planning to resell ASAP.


No doubt someone is sweating out a pre-sale action on eBay :-)

Clearly, all that was available today was the ability to order the
product. The product was not at all available today from what I can
tell. Makes me halfway seriously wonder if they get the money
first, buy the gold, then mint them?

I doubt that the Mint practices the old entrepreneur's dodge of "get
enough advance buyers' money to make the item, then make and ship it".
The ship date is listed as exactly two weeks, so maybe that's just SOP
now under some policy of "honesty in shipping times for new products".

"mazorj" wrote in message
...

"Rav" wrote in message
...
mazorj wrote:
snip
They apparently never learn. I hope it clears up by tomorrow,
when IIRC they start selling the Lincoln cent sets. Gotta get a
few for the kids and me.
snip

Could you point me to where on the US Mint website there's any
information on when they'll be selling the Lincoln cent sets?
Thanks.

Actually, I got it from one of Susan Headley's columns. She stated
the date from Mint sources, I just put it on my calendar to check
the Mint site then.

Oops. It's on my calendar for next Friday, the 30th. Sorry.