In addition to their investment value, collecting gold coins is a worthwhile pastime because of the thrill of the chase. For collectors, finding unusual gold coins is a fulfilling and rewarding benefit of their hobby.
There are all sorts of unusual gold coins available on the market. Some gold coins are unusual because of their scarcity, others may be unusual because of a historical incident related to them, such as their sinking on a treasure ship, some others may be unusual because of the way they were designed or because of a unique flaw.
Collecting unusual gold coins is sort of like playing in the major leagues among gold coin collectors. It requires an elevated knowledge and level of skill in identifying coins and features of coins. These skills only come with many hours of research into gold coins and how to identify various characteristics of them.
Here’s a few examples of unusual gold coins:
The 1874 Dana Bickford Ten Dollar Gold coin was the result of inventor Dana Bickford’s trip to Europe. Bickford proposed an coin that displayed its value in several different nations currency to the then-director of the U.S. Mint. A limited number of the coins were minted, and currently there are only two known specimens of it extant.
Another unusual gold coin was recently on display at the British Museum. The coin, a gold piece celebrating the assassination of Julius Caesar was struck as a piece of political propaganda by one of the assassins, Marcus Junius Brutus. Only two gold specimiens of this coin are known.
One of the more unique American gold coins is the Indian Head gold coin. Only a limited number of these coins were produced in the years prior to the Great Depression. While not as rare as other gold coins, they do have some unique design qualities that make them sought after.
Dealing in unusual gold coins can also be financially rewarding as well. Because of their scarcity, unusual gold coins can often draw high prices from dealers and at auctions. For example, the Augustus Humbert $50 gold slug is an unusual coin in that they are octagonal. Recently one of these coins sold for about $290,000.
Coin collectors considering going into unusual gold coins should start by doing a little research into gold coins. It helps to narrow your field to just a few specific types of unusual gold coins. Once you’ve become thoroughly schooled in the types of unusual coins you’re interested in, you can begin searching for them online or at coin shows and auctions. Be sure you become knowledgeable enough about them to avoid being conned by shady dealers who may offer counterfeit coins.
With the right knowledge and enthusiasm, you can make collecting unusual gold coins into a rewarding experience.
