Million-Dollar Coins Becoming Commonplace

In the recently released 2022 Issue Two of the American Numismatic Society journal, Executive Director Gilles Bransbourg said, “The future impact on the art market and, more generally speaking, on the collectible market, remains to be assessed ... At the end of the day, rarity, quality, and pedigree will retain their appeal.” 

Rarity, quality and pedigree continue to be paramount. The business of coins continues to reach new heights as coins selling individually for more than $1 million appears to becoming more commonplace. This trend is unlikely to slow soon. The only known example of an 1870-S Seated Liberty half dime will be crossing the auction block in August at what is likely to be the biggest coin show of the year – the American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money. The sale of this coin is only one individual example of what should demonstrate the breadth and depth of the rare coin market. 

What about the less-than-rare coin market? The U.S. Mint is failing to keep up with collector demand for new issues. Dealers continue to scramble to keep sufficient stock of both bullion and what should be called “collectible yet generally available” coins, while, despite the U.S. economy stumbling, collectors continue to collect at a record pace. 

There is no area of coins that can be singled out as being “hot.” The arrows continue to point up for just about any coin that is collectible. As always, problem coins continue to be a problem, but overall anything that is collectible won’t sit for very long. This is a great time to sell, but it is also a great time to buy.