Parade of Rarities Leads Market Surge

The parade of spectacular rarities continues to cross the auction block as the coin market surges ahead once more. The recently auctioned Maverik Collection included several coins tied for being the finest known examples for their variety. The Harry W. Bass Jr. collection previously on display at the American Numismatic Association headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., is being returned to the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation. The collection will be prepared to be auctioned at some date yet to be announced. The collection includes gold die varieties and other seldom-seen rarities.

Modern coins should not be ignored. A 1958 Deep Cameo PF-69 Roosevelt dime drew significant interest in a recent online auction. Even foreign coins are selling at spectacular prices, some of them being offered in auctions overseas, but others being sold successfully at auctions conducted within the United States. This is not a market on which cold water is being thrown. It is a market onto which fuel is being added regularly, resulting in higher prices while enticing more collectors to bid.

Coin shows, be they local or regional, are drawing larger crowds. Coin clubs are experiencing a rebirth. Dealers continue to report it being challenging to keep sufficient inventory to keep pace with demand. Bullion dealers continue to do a brisk business. The U.S. Mint has been experiencing rapid sellouts of new made-for-collector products as well as traditional annual mint and proof sets. It has always been difficult to get reliable statistics by which to gauge the health of the business and hobby of coins, but if observations are any indicator, the enthusiasm for the hobby is still expanding.