GPA for Coins (GPA) reports that the certified coin market has shown overall strong growth in 2007, but median prices are where they were in the first quarter of 2006. However, the total gold coin segment has shown strong median prices steadily increasing to give a return of almost 40 percent for those who purchased in the first half of 2005.

Bob Green of Park Avenue Numismatics (www.parkavenumis.com) agrees: “It is clear that the rare side of the market continues to have support while the more common date material, dates easily obtainable in quantity, are slipping back to levels seen 12-18 months ago.”

Like any other collectibles market, the perfect time for buying and selling comes down to timing. The second half of 2006 generally saw prices fall, and this was a good time to buy. Almost every coin category saw a large jump in median price paid in 2007, and anyone selling after 2006 purchases would have made an excellent return.

DLRC Auctions has announced a new addition to its weekly Internet venues – the Thursday Auction. (www.davidlawrence.com). David Lawrence has been holding its Monday Internet Auctions for over three years, with bidding activity and consignments growing consistently.

According to DLRC Auction Supervisor and Senior Numismatist, Jack Robinson, “we have seen a steady increase in the number of bidders and the overall bidding activity has been stronger as we continue to innovate with our weekly auctions. Our president, John Feigenbaum, realized years ago that the auction format was a powerful way to offer great coins and currency to the public, allowing the market itself to dictate final prices and value. We are happy to add this additional weekly auc- tion to the site and it is likely to become just as active as our Monday Auction. It also adds flexibility for our consignors, allowing them to get material available for immediate bidding in a matter of days of us receiv- ing their coins. We feel that no other dealer in the industry has a quick- er receipt-to-auction time than DLRC Auctions.” (more…)

Woo-hoo! Start lining up at the mint, boys and girls, because this is the thing that’s finally going to get you into coin collecting: The Thomas Jefferson dollar coin is being released! Okay, so you can’t actually line up at the mint. (I guess.) The coin will go into circulation tomorrow, and you can get it at a bank. You can also get it at the Jefferson Memorial today — where the mint director will be quizzing people about Thomas Jefferson and selling the dollar coins for, um, $1 — and buy it on the mint website tomorrow. Using dollar coins would save money for the government, but since they’d just waste it on the Strategic National Eggplant Surplus or something, nobody uses ‘em. Also, they’re heavy.

Visitor reaction to the display of the award-winning number one PCGS Set Registry sets of circulation strike and proof Buffalo nickels at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money ® convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 8,12, 2007, was very positive. “We repeatedly heard comments such as “incredible,” “amazing” and “awesome”as people examined the coins at the PCGS booth, said BJ Searls, PCGS Set Registry Manager. “Several people said that Buffalo nickels are their favorite design, and they looked forward to seeing this exhibit.”