During my childhood, I had a strong passion for collecting coins, but as a teenager, I abandoned the hobby. However, now that I am in my thirties, I am considering returning to it with the hope of a potential financial gain in the future. Nowadays, the Royal Mint produces a vast array of coins.
From ACDC to wiggles
https://eshop.ramint.gov.au/2023-curponickel-coloured-uncirc…
https://www.ramint.gov.au/publications/celebrating-30-years-…
Is there any value in collecting coins?
Just eBay ‘Royal Australian Mint silver proof XXXX’ and change XXXX to the year you’d like and you’ll see majority are selling for less than they were purchased for.
But if the value of gold has gone up 30% since the year they were minted, and the premium over the gold value for the coin was like 20%, then haven't they increased in value just from the gold value alone even if the coin premium vanished?
I say gold coins are a good investment if the alternative was spending the same money on booze and zinger boxes.
Mmmm only if gold keeps going up.
I’d say the better option on that case would be skip the coins and just buy gold bars with no numismatic value.
Skip the markup if it’s purely for investment reasons.
Gold will keep going up. No single country has enough gold reserves to tank the value of gold by releasing it all at once, and none of those countries would ever do that anyway. The US has the largest reserve and even they only has about 8,000 tonnes.
And we won't be mining asteroids for gold in our lifetime. If you plan on living another 40 years I don't see what could lower the value of gold in the long run before you die. Money will always be paper, but gold will always be gold.
I have over $100 worth of coloured $2 coins that I've been collecting for over a decade. Are they worth anything more than their face value?
Some of them are. The first purple coronations that came out, as well as any red Poppy ones are worth shitloads!
I have like sixty of them in different colours. Will check them tonight. Ta
Anything coloured $2 seems to go wild with collectors
Before the local pinball arcade went token I used to get coloured $2 all the time. I'll have to check their worth as I kept them all.
If you manage to find a 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 coin in your collection, look after it.
An example sold at the most recent Gowans auction for $340 + commission.. Admittedly, that example was where the coin was still with the donation certificate and was still in the plastic shrinkwrap, so any example you came across from your arcade days definitely would not fetch that much, especially since the paint on those coins was not very robust.
Having said that, a circulated example where the paint was damaged still sold for nearly $180 recently, and this very damaged example still fetched nearly $130 recently! As you can tell, the market is absolutely crazy for any these coins, especially since only 0.5 million were ever minted.
If you manage to find a 2013 Coronation $2 coin, look after it… although you probably should not expect sky-high prices for it when compared with the 2012 red poppy coin, especially since 1 million coronation $2 coins were minted.
I think this coin was the first coloured $2 coin to be released into general circulation, which explains the reason you see a lot more circulated examples floating around when compared with the 2012 red poppy.
Gowans recently sold this example for $70 + commission… and without actually inspecting it in person, I think it was a very good circulated example.
Coronation $2 coins generally fetch around $35-$50 on eBay for a good condition circulated example.
If you wanted to strike gold with the coronation $2 coin, you would have needed to have purchased the trifold with the C mintmark from the Royal Australian Mint.](https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/204293510505)
Any coloured $2 coins minted after the coronation coin is generally not worth as much to collectors, but you could probably still fetch above face value for each of them (at least the ones on the RAM website), as these coloured $2 coins were never minted in the same numbers as regular $2 coins. I am not so sure about the value of the coloured $2 coins released through Woolworths (e.g. Olympics Games, Commonwealth Games, Wiggles, Mr Squiggle), as I am not sure about of their mintage, plus it was admittedly easier to get your hands on those coins (i.e. go to the local Woolworths with cash self-checkouts - assuming your local Woolworths has self-checkouts - and do a $4 EFTPOS cashout).
If you manage to find a 2013 Coronation $2 coin, look after it
That's what I have. Looks like that'll be kept safe. Seems I have quite a few from the RAM website too. Thanks.
I think it is better to approach it as a hobby with no financial aspect.
Decide to add a coin every month (or whatever) and spend time researching, choosing, hunting down a bargain etc.
Enjoy the collection for its aesthetic value and the pleasure it brings.
If one day it is worth something, bonus.
I reckon the gold coins will be worth more before you die, assuming you're young. Right now it looks like you pay a good chunk more for gold coins than their gold value, and imo gold will always be favoured by investors. It may dip for like five years at a time but it always comes back and comes back higher. People will still want gold when BTC is a distant memory. Does it make sense to pay a premium for gold coins when you could just buy plain gold or gold certificates? In 30 years time people may collect them who knows.
But are Krugerrands worth a good chunk more than their gold value? Generally no, especially proof Krugerrands. Compared to just buying ordinary gold the premium probably will never be worth it. But gold coins will always be cool objects imo. You can't put a price on the thrill of owning and holding a handful of solid gold coins.
hope of a potential financial gain in the future
🤦♂️ collect them as a hobby, not for any financial gain. The stress you build up over the years with the intention of someday it’s of any worth is not something you need in your thirties and above
I have been down that road with a portfolio of rare notes and coins.The GFC came, 3 of the biggest coin dealers went under and the market tanked and never recovered.
As prevoiusly said , buy as a hobby only and enjoy them
There are no dividends ,only capital growth( if you are lucky)
In my case, buying an index ETF instead, my money would have doubled in that time ,not halved .
As others, treat it as a hobby
It’s a bit like any ‘alternative investments’; in all probabilities it is a bubble. Buy stuff because you like it and what to collect/consume it, what happens to it financially is a bonus if ever you need to sell. I’ve gotten loads of things over the years because it was something I’m into, by mostly dumb luck, they are worth a lot more than I paid for them.
I never think of them as being an ‘investment’ though, just dead money.
The most recent release sold out in less than a day.
$2 Colour Vietnam (silver) 5000x$80=$400,000
$2 Colour Vietnam 80000x$15=$1,200,000
50c Colour Emperor Penguin 25000x$15=$375,000
50c Colour Humpback Whale 25000x$15=$375,000
total $ 2,350,000
It's a Very Nice! I Like!
Forget the coins and buy the physical gold bullion. Used to be much easier getting a lot from Perth Mint if you have a dodgy background.
Bury a shipping container and you're good to go.
Only very few coins actually go up in value. Usually they are highly limited and require a ballot to purchase.
Anything coloured $2 seems to go wild with collectors. Your average silver proofs don’t, and your average gold proofs cost far more than the gold content and are too expensive for most collectors. Just eBay ‘Royal Australian Mint silver proof XXXX’ and change XXXX to the year you’d like and you’ll see majority are selling for less than they were purchased for.
Plenty of money in vintage coins like florins and pennies, but again the market has been swings and roundabouts for quite a while in the vintage market.