The new UHRs

The new UHR Saint-Gaudens goes on sale tomorrow. Under the Mint's new
sliding price scale, it should start at $1,189.

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.

If I get one, it will be for the purely sensory pleasures of beholding
its design, composition and esthetics. If I get any more, they would
be held with an eye toward later resale. I doubt that I would lose
money on them, but if you can get close to 5% on safely investing the
same money elsewhere and if UHR resale pricing is stagnant, then
you're 5% behind in the game.

We're trying to read tea leaves here while the water isn't even
finished boiling, but the investment question is, will the UHRs be
"special" enough to outperform the usual record for modern gold
issues?

-- John Mazor
"The search for wisdom is asymptotic."

"Except for Internet newsgroups, where it is divergent..."
-- R J Carpenter

"mazorj" wrote in message
...

We're trying to read tea leaves here while the water isn't even finished
boiling, but the investment question is, will the UHRs be "special" enough
to outperform the usual record for modern gold issues?


The one item per household may help. But that could change. This could be
like the Platinum 20th Anniversary Proof set. Very rare but so expensive
most are not even interested.

The Presibux Gold Spouse coins looked like a winner - that is until after
Washington.

Ask yourself this - what recent coins from the US Mint have gone way up in
value in the after market? It seems to me it is mostly their silver
offerings. Admittedly though I have not been following their gold issues as
closely but last year's "Lucky 8" and Gold Buffalo were not exactly flying
out of the warehouse.

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.

"PC" wrote in message
...

"mazorj" wrote in message
...

We're trying to read tea leaves here while the water isn't even finished
boiling, but the investment question is, will the UHRs be "special"
enough to outperform the usual record for modern gold issues?


The one item per household may help. But that could change. This could
be like the Platinum 20th Anniversary Proof set. Very rare but so
expensive most are not even interested.

The Presibux Gold Spouse coins looked like a winner - that is until after
Washington.

Ask yourself this - what recent coins from the US Mint have gone way up in
value in the after market? It seems to me it is mostly their silver
offerings. Admittedly though I have not been following their gold issues
as closely but last year's "Lucky 8" and Gold Buffalo were not exactly
flying out of the warehouse.

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. IMO,
if there will be any price appreciation over the next ten years, the 1oz SG
should outperform the 1oz bullion coin, unless the new UHR were to be a one
time issue. Although I'm not into bullion as a collection item, I would
probably be interested in scraping enough money for one of the new high
relief examples, but no more. Too expensive for me as a series, the same as
the spouse gold coins. I felt the same way about the Buffalo gold coins,
but still never have bought one.

"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)

*snippage*

I felt the same way about the Buffalo gold coins, but still never have
bought one.


Ha! You know, I was pretty sure I wanted a Buffalo gold coin - wanted to
maybe even try to get the series - but I still have yet to come close to
ordering one. Hmmm....

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?

Jon Purkey wrote:
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?

My observation is that the nicer coins are in the custody of dealers who are
not in any hurry to part with them, so when the price of gold drops, their
owners view them as so much "money in the bank" and wait out the drop.

James

Bruce Remick wrote:

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,

Me too! Expensive gift ware just doesn't appeal to me.

JAM

"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.

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.

"Bruce Remick" wrote in message
...

"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.

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.

IIRC the original specimen UHR double eagle pattern was struck on 2
eagle planchets.

"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.

--
Michael Benveniste -- (Clarification required)
Nid wif yn y swyddfa ar hyn o bryd. Anfonwch ar unrhyw waith i'w
gyfieithu.