Five Great Gift Choices for the Holidays

Whether the holidays mean a whole lot of fun, family, and friends, or the stress and dread of figuring out presents that will be appreciated – even by folks we have not seen for a year – there are some good possibilities for coins as gifts. Seasoned collectors always like to add something to their collections, even if it is unexpected. People who have never collected at all also like to receive eye-catching, gorgeous gifts, which describes many coins and coin sets that are available today. Let’s take a look at a handful of possible coins or coin-related gifts that will make somebody’s day – or at least lessen any holiday stress we might have when it comes to some serious giving.

Proof Sets

The United States Mint has been pounding out amazing-looking proof sets since the 1960s. Today, the fine folks at the Mint manage to produce several million of these sets each year. Was 2023 a particularly good year for you or for a relative or friend? A proof set could be an excellent item to commemorate that. Did someone have a baby this year? A proof set can then be a birth year set and become a lifelong keepsake. But the idea of a keepsake works for people who are considerably older than a newborn, as well. Do you know someone who was born in 1968, for example – admittedly a few years back? Well, there are certainly good-looking proof sets that go as far back as 1968. We might have to check with a few dealers or go to a few different websites, but they can still be found.

Curiously, in a wonderful development, there are now quite a few different types of proof sets from which a person might choose. What is sometimes called the classic sets contain one of each denomination made for a particular year. But starting in 1992, the Mint got back into making proof sets in which the silver coins were once again made of the same silver alloy that was used in our circulating coins prior to 1965. There are also proof sets packaged with a 1-ounce Silver Eagle. There are proof sets of just the five-quarter designs for each year as well. There are a few other possible choices on top of all that. And the proverbial cherry on the top, at least for all this, is that the prices are often not all that high. For those sets minted without precious metal, we’ll not even have to spend $50 to land one. That’s a decent price tag for an absolutely beautiful set of coins.

Silver American Eagles

We just mentioned proof sets that include a silver American Eagle as a good choice for a holiday gift. Why not strip away the proof set and just go for the silver Eagle as the gift?

The United States Mint has been churning out a veritable river of silver Eagles since 1986, which means there are plenty from which to choose. We also just mentioned that a proof set could make a wonderful birth year gift. Well, if we have a relative or friend who was born somewhere between 1986 and now, we have another possibility for a birth year commemorative. But any one of these, from any year, can be a welcome item at a holiday party or under the tree.

Virtually all collectors know that every year of the Silver Eagle program has seen what gets called regular issues as well as proof coins. The former is what gets traded as precious metal; the latter is marketed for the collector community. These proofs are always attractively packaged and will perhaps obviously cost more than the regular version, no matter what year we are looking at. But there might actually be an advantage to buying one or more of these big coins without any glitz or packaging – one related to the kids in our lives. What we mean is that it seems like most kids love to grab a big coin in their hands. Yes, that is a no-no for serious collectors, but why not allow small hands to grab that big silver Eagle, especially if it is the regular issue? It can undoubtedly survive a bit of handling, which in turn can bring out a big smile on a youngster’s face.

Classic Silver Dollars

If modern proofs and bullion coins are not the items you’d like to give, why not put some history into your gift-giving and present folks with one or more classic silver dollars? We are thinking of the classic Morgan and Peace dollars since both series had years in which enormous mintages were recorded. Big issues back then tend to translate to affordable prices today.

When it comes to Morgan silver dollars, there is definitely a huge date and mintmark run from which to choose, but for anyone giving them as holiday presents – especially to friends who have never seen them before – start with a 1921 from any of the three Mints that issued them. The Morgan series had not been issued since 1904, and when the trigger was again pulled in 1921, all three Mints outdid themselves. These are the most common of the Morgan dollars, and even examples in Mint State can still be very inexpensive.

If it is a Peace dollar you think might make a good gift, well, the 1922 is the date that swamped even the previous record for the Morgan dollars. The 1922 Peace dollar reigned as the most common dollar coin the United States ever made all the way up to 1971 when the Eisenhower dollars came out. Once again, a titanic mintage like this means that we can purchase quite a few of them as gifts today without flattening our wallets.

One-Ounce Silver Pieces from Around the World

We’ve already suggested a silver Eagle as a handsome holiday gift, but sticking with this theme and expanding it, we will suggest the idea of 1-ounce silver bullion coins from the mints of other nations that have decided to play in this arena. Just north of us, our Canadian neighbors have seen silver Maple Leaves for decades now, once again as regular issues and as proofs. These make attractive gifts and do not cost a fortune. Just south of us, the Mexican silver Libertads are another well-established silver bullion coin that might make some eyes open when one is presented as a gift. But Chinese silver Pandas, the British silver Britannias, the Austrian silver Philharmonikers, as well as all the issues from Australia and a host of other nations, make great gifts. They all have that heft in the hand, the value of one ounce of silver, and usually a great design to lend themselves to being very attractive presents.

Gold

OK, we have gotten to the element that comes quickest to mind when people think of precious metal. Very often, we think of gold as a great gift but one that will be far too costly for us. Let’s burst that imaginary bubble and focus on a few pieces that we collectively overlook too often.

If we are looking for gifts of gold coins, why not begin with the 1/10-ounce U.S. gold Eagle? They have been made for decades and generally cost 10-20 percent more than the cost of the metal in them, assuming we are not purchasing proofs. In a similar vein, the 1/10-ounce version of any nation’s gold bullion coin – including the Maple Leaves, Pandas, Britannias, and Philharmonikers we just mentioned – comes in at about the same price range. Obviously, these will never be as inexpensive as any of the silver coins we’ve listed, but the prospect of being able to give out a little bit of gold is always exciting. If we opt to make this an annual gift, those on the receiving end might start to look forward to the holidays, or at least to our visit, and to add to their small yet growing collection of gold.

Overall?

We’ve just outlined five neat possibilities for gift-giving ideas that are related to beautiful or classic coins. There is definitely more than this quintet. But hopefully, we have hit on a good idea or two for everyone on your gift-giving list. Happy holidays!

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