By Mark Ferguson for COIN VALUES

Reader surveys conducted regularly by Coin World show that State quarter dollars and Morgan dollars are the most actively collected series of U.S. coins. However, without a doubt, “better-date” (of higher quality and rarer than type coins but less rare than key and semi-key dates) gold coins are the most talked about coins when people approach me at major coin shows and auctions, by telephone and via e-mail.

It’s no surprise that the majority of collectors cannot afford to collect gold coins by date, but dealers are obviously doing a lot of business in the gold coin market as compared to other segments. Some of this activity is due to investment promotions by dealers, while other activity is due to some collectors making investments in their collections.

Inquiries about valuations for better-date gold coins far outnumber requests for values for smaller denomination coins.

Of course, when the price of gold bullion makes substantial moves up or down, prices for gold type coins must be adjusted accordingly. However, better-date gold coins - which are not necessarily affected by bullion moves because of their higher numismatic premiums - have been holding their own through these moves in gold bullion. Their rising trend has not let up for many years.