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1985 British Gold Sovereign Proof Set

1985 British Gold Sovereign Proof Set
Photo Credit: APMEX

1985 British Gold Sovereign Proof Set

Buy It Now Price: $2,987.50 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This impressive British gold sovereign proof set from 1985 contains four different coins: a 1/2 sovereign, 1 sovereign, 2 sovereign and 5 sovereign piece.

-All of the coins in this British gold sovereign proof set are struck from solid 22 karat (91.67% fine) gold.  A sovereign, or one pound, gold coin contains 0.2354 troy ounces (7.32 grams) of pure gold.  The 5 sovereign coin, in particular, is a monstrously large coin, weighing in at a hefty 1.2841 troy ounces, or 39.94 grams, of gross weight!

-This 1985 British gold sovereign proof set comes with its original Royal Mint presentation case and certificate of authenticity, which boosts its desirability.

-The original issue price of this British gold sovereign proof set was £1,150 back in 1985.  This would be an extravagant £3,404 in 2017, once adjusted for U.K. inflation.

-Although it had a medieval predecessor, the British gold sovereign as we know it today was first coined in 1817, during the waning years of the reign of George III.  The obverse has a portrait of the ruling British king or queen, in this case Queen Elizabeth II.  The reverse has the iconic rendering of St. George on horseback slaying a dragon, designed by the famous engraver Benedetto Pistrucci.

-Gold sovereigns were incredibly popular as trade coins throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.  They were renowned for their consistent weight and fineness, so much so that imitation sovereigns (often with full gold content) were sometimes struck by private goldsmiths in far-flung British colonies to supplement the existing supply.  In fact, gold sovereigns continue to be used for jewelry and trade to this day in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.

-The gold sovereign is one of the only coins to have made the jump from circulating coinage (before 1931, when Great Britain abandoned the gold standard) to modern bullion coin.

-Although 12,500 British gold sovereign proof sets were authorized in 1985, only 5,849 were actually minted.  This is an exceedingly low mintage, even for modern proof bullion coins.

-The total set contains 2.001 troy ounces (62.24 grams) of fine gold.  With gold currently trading at around $1,243, this British gold sovereign proof set has a bullion value of $2,488.  With a buy-it-now price of $2,987.50, this magnificent proof set has a premium of just 20% over its intrinsic value, which I find very reasonable.

 

Cons:

-If you just want to invest in gold bullion, it is possible to buy generic gold bars or American gold eagle coins for lower premiums, generally on the order of 3% to 5% over spot.  However, I like the optionality value that numismatically-oriented gold coins give the intelligent hard asset investor, provided you don’t pay too much additional premium.

French Art Deco Medal Set by Paul-Marcel Dammann

French Art Deco Medal Set by Paul-Marcel Dammann
Photo Credit: jamoni10

French Art Deco Medal Set by Paul-Marcel Dammann

Buy It Now Price: $420 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This Art Deco medal set by the French Artist Paul-Marcel Dammann was created in 1932 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Compagnie Parisienne de Distribution d’Électricité (Parisian Electric Distribution Company).

-This exquisite set contains two identical medals struck in different metals – one in solid silver and the other in bronze.  The medals feature an attractive rendition of the personification of electricity on the obverse and a woman bestowing light on the Parisian skyline on the reverse.

-The Compagnie Parisienne de Distribution d’Électricité, or CPDE, was founded in 1907 with an initial capitalization of 100 million gold francs and was subsequently listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1908.  It was eventually nationalized and folded into the EDF group (Électricité de France) in 1946.

-Both medals are impressively large, with a diameter of 64 mm (2.52 inches).  The silver medal weighs a massive 132 grams (4.24 troy ounces), while its bronze counterpart is a hefty 120 grams (3.86 troy ounces).  Art medals this large are rather unusual and very desirable.

-This Art Deco medal set was designed by Paul-Marcel Dammann, a French artist who lived from 1885 to 1939.  Although he was best known for his Art Deco pieces, his other work was also well regarded.  Paul-Marcel Dammann won many awards throughout his career, including the coveted Premier Grand Prix de Rome in 1908.

-This Art Deco medal set comes in its original, fitted case!  It is always a pleasure to be able to find a high quality antique in its original case.  The original case modestly boosts the value of the medal set, as well.

-The original case is stamped with the name of the medal manufacturer, “Arthus Bertrand Paris”.  Arthus Bertrand is a famous French medal-making firm that was founded in the early 19th century during the Napoleonic era.  The company still operates today and is responsible for producing the coveted French Legion of Honor medal.

-This Art Deco medal set is a magnificent celebration of 1930s artistic style.  The design is streamlined and bold, yet also sports a geometric sensibility that is characteristic of the Art Deco zeitgeist.  I especially enjoy how the artist subtly worked lightning bolts into the obverse design to pay homage to the issuing company – Compagnie Parisienne de Distribution d’Électricité.

-I believe that antique European art medals, especially French art medals, are ridiculously undervalued in today’s marketplace.  Therefore, I find the $420 asking price for this impressive Art Deco medal set to be completely reasonable.

 

Cons:

-This French Art Deco medal set is close to the top of the price range for European art medals.  Excellent examples can usually be found in the $100 to $300 range.  However, because of its superlative design, extraordinarily large size and original case, I believe this Art Deco medal set is well worth its premium price.

-Subject matter significantly affects the value of antique art medals.  Some topics, like automobiles, aviation and royalty, tend to have higher valuations assigned to them then other topics.  The 25th anniversary of the founding of the Compagnie Parisienne de Distribution d’Électricité is mid tier in terms of its desirability.

Brazilian 12 Guilder Gold Coin Restrike from 1954

Brazilian 12 Guilder Gold Coin Restrike from 1954
Photo Credit: Atlas-Numismatics

Brazilian 12 Guilder Gold Coin Restrike from 1954

Buy It Now Price: $604 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is an unusual and captivating Brazilian 12 guilder gold coin restrike from 1954.  The original coins were minted in 1645/46, a period when the Dutch controlled part of the Portuguese colony of Brazil.

-This Brazilian 12 guilder restrike is a klippe, or square, coin that measures 21.6 mm (0.85 inches) by 21.7 mm (0.85 inches).

-We do not know the fineness of these gold restrikes, but it is certain that they are very high purity.  I would guess they are .900 fine gold or better.  Given that this particular coin weighs 7.74 grams (0.2488 troy ounces), we can infer that the melt value is at least $289 with spot gold trading at $1,292.  This means the restrike is selling for a moderate 109% premium over bullion value.

-The obverse features the roman numerals “XII” (for 12 guilders) and “GWC” (for Geoctroyeede West-Indische Compagniev), while the reverse has “ANNO BRASIL” and the date, 1645.

-The Netherlands seized a large portion of Brazil from the Portuguese between 1630 and 1654, in an attempt to exploit the region’s valuable sugarcane plantations.  The coastal city of Recife became the capital of Dutch Brazil during this period.

-The original Brazilian 12 guilder gold coins were struck by the Geoctroyeede West-Indische Compagniev, or Dutch West India Company, in the Pernambuco region of Brazil from late 1645 into 1646.  The coins were made with West African gold delivered to the port of Recife aboard the Dutch galleon “Zeeland”.

-The original Brazilian 12 guilder pieces, along with their very similar 3 and 6 guilder counterparts, are among the rarest of Brazilian coins.  Although it is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 of each denomination were struck, almost all of them were subsequently melted down or lost.  As a result, there are only around 50 to 60 examples of all three denominations still extant, and perhaps 15 to 20 of those are part of museum collections.

-The Brazilian 12 guilder gold coin featured above was restruck in 1954 during the Exposition Numismatic in Sao Paulo in celebration of the city’s 400th anniversary.  It is prominently labeled “COPIA” (copy) on both sides so that it cannot be confused with an original specimen.  It is also stamped “S. PAULO IV CENT.”

-While the mintage of this Brazilian 12 guilder restrike is unknown, a clue is provided by the fact that they have all been individually serialized (numbered).  This specimen is number 119 and I have not seen any that are numbered above 200.  As a result, I would guess that the total mintage of these restrikes is very low – probably between 200 and 300 pieces.

-Two other examples of this Brazilian 12 guilder restrike sold at auction recently.  The first brought $800 plus an 18% buyer’s premium on October 25, 2012.  The other sold for $850 plus a 17.5% buyer’s premium on May 1, 2013.  These auction results compare very favorably to the $604 asking price for this specimen.  It is also noteworthy that both of those auction sales were made to dealers, indicating that they believed the coins could potentially be resold to collectors for even higher prices.

-There is a strong relationship between the collector demand for a nation’s coinage and its GDP.  Currently, Brazil is one of the largest emerging market countries, with a nominal 2016 GDP of nearly $1.8 trillion.  Therefore, this Brazilian 12 guilder gold coin could serve as a great investment substitute in place of Brazilian stocks in your portfolio.

 

Cons:

-An original specimen of this Brazilian 12 guilder gold coin would be vastly more valuable than this restrike.  In January 2011, an original example sold for $54,625 at auction, over 90 times the asking price of this restrike version.  However, these restrikes are now over 60 years old in their own right and are gradually coming into their own as desirable specimens.

-This gold coin is highly illiquid, a common trait among fine art and antiques.  I highly recommend that you hold this coin for many years if you decide to buy, otherwise there is a high probability that you will take a loss on any resale.

2002 American Gold Eagle Proof Set with Original Box

2002 American Gold Eagle Proof Set with Original Box
Photo Credit: APMEX

2002 American Gold Eagle Proof Set with Original Box

Buy It Now Price: $2,882.46 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This magnificent, heirloom-quality 2002 American gold eagle proof set comes with its original, satin-lined, U.S. mint-issued packaging and certificate of authenticity.

-American gold eagle proof coins are a specially struck version of the bullion series and are intended exclusively for collectors.  Carefully prepared coin blanks  are hand-fed into a die-press where they are struck a minimum of two times at low speed.  As a result, these proof coins possess a mirror-like background juxtaposed against frosted devices – a highly desirable phenomenon called “cameo proof” by coin collectors.

-This 2002 American gold eagle proof set consists of four pieces totaling 1.85 troy ounces of pure gold – a 1 troy ounce coin with a $50 face value, a 1/2 troy ounce coin with a $25 face value, a 1/4 troy ounce coin with a $10 face value and 1/10 troy ounce coin with a $5 face value.  American gold eagle coins are all U.S. legal tender, although their bullion value far exceeds their face value.

-All American gold eagle coins are struck in solid 22 karat (91.67%) gold.  The other alloying constituents are 5.33% copper and 3.00% silver.  The small addition of silver to the alloy ensures a rich, deep golden color without any reddish overtones from the copper.

-Mintages for the individual coins in the 2002 American gold eagle proof set were very low, ranging from just under 27,000 to around 40,000 pieces.  Although the U.S. mint does not publish the number of proof sets released, we know that it is limited to the lowest mintage coin of the series.  In this case, it is the 2002 1/2 troy ounce American gold eagle proof coin with a population of only 26,464.

-This 2002 American gold eagle proof set comes in its original presentation case.  Unfortunately, many of these proof sets have been removed from their mint-issued boxes and broken up for third-party certification by NGC or PCGS.  Although it isn’t widely recognized yet in the coin collecting community, I feel that original mint packaging will be become increasing desirable in the future.

-All American gold eagle proof coins are eligible for purchase in your precious metal IRA!  The precious metal IRA is one of the only ways for U.S. citizens to legally own tangible assets in their retirement accounts.

-With spot gold currently trading at $1,330.70 a troy ounce, this 2002 American gold eagle proof set contains $2,461.80 worth of gold.  This translates into a premium over spot of about 17.1%, which is very reasonable considering the low mintage for this date in the series.  Therefore, I believe the buy-it-now price of $2,882.46 leaves ample room for future price appreciation.

 

Cons:

-American gold eagle proof coins are significantly more expensive than their bullion counterparts.  You can expect to pay a premium between 3% and 8% over spot for a 1 troy ounce bullion American gold eagle coin versus 17.1% for this 2002 American gold eagle proof set.  However, these proof coins possess substantial numismatic investment potential while their bullion counterparts do not.