I wonder if the Mint lost plenty of customers a few years back when bots ruled the roost. I almost threw in the towel several times when issues sold out in seconds and showed up as confirmed on eBay seconds later. Talk about high prices! Try bidding against a group of other buyers going after the same sold-out coin. I hated having to deal with scalpers, scammers, and flippers. Recent purchases from the Mint have been MUCH more accommodating and peaceful.

The spot price on gold has made for some interesting “deals”, if you will. That is, if you are buying anyways, whether, collecting, gathering, accumulating, speculating, stacking, cost averaging or otherwise?

One can obtain today, either: 2, Random Year 1/10oz(.20oz) Canadian Gold Maple Leafs @ $248.99/ea($497.98) EBay and 1, Random Year Canadian Silver Maple Leaf $28.01, plus $9.95 shipping (Provident) for, $536.01. (Bullion)

Or

From GateWest for 527.95, plus $5.00 shipping($532.95) you can get a 2010 Piedfort Reverse Proof Canadian Silver Maple Leaf(1oz) and a 2010 Piedfort Reverse Proof 2/10oz(.20oz Gold Maple Leaf. Mintage of 9,000 for the Silver ML and 3,000 for the Gold ML.(Numismatic)

Gold spot today has been hovering right at about, $2,110. I saw it at $2,16.30 at 10:30 MST(?)! At that spot price, the melt value on .20oz of gold is $422. Silver was at $24.77 @ 10:33 MST(?), however we’ll value at $24.50. That is a combined melt value on the above outlined purchases, of $446.50. That puts the premium on the bullion deal at $89.51 and the numismatic premium at $86.45 BTW, Au @ $2,219 @ 12;41 MST!

Now Eagles are a different story altogether! 1 Random Year ASE will run you $28.96 w/free shipping eBay/(China), or $31.38 from Bold Precious Metals, plus $8.95 shipping(safer), and 2 Random Year AGE 1/10oz @ $248($496) eBay(?) or $265.37($530.74) Bullion Exchanges (safer). So, possible counterfeit ASE/AGE deal, would be $524.96. That price is less than the Maple Leaf Bullion deal! Price should be your first clue to fakes, imitation/counterfeits. That Silver Eagle I list from EBay has to be fake comi ng from China @ that price, guaranteed! Not sure, but a good chance the eBay AGE I list at $248 isn’t real either, but not sure. For the authentic ASE/AGE deal, it would run $571.07. A premium of $124.57.

So the prices for .20oz of gold and 1oz of silver products outlined above are, 2010 Piedfort numismatic coins from GateWest $532.95(premium $86.45), Random Year Bullion 1/10oz X 2(.20oz) GML and 1oz SML for $536.01(premium $89.51) or Random Year Bullion AGE/ASE, 1/10oz AGE X 2(.20oz) and 1oz ASE for $571.01(premium $124.57) .

Or
“Roll the Dice” on the American Silver Eagle and American Gold Eagle, suspect(fake silver for sure) deal for $524.96(premium $78.46)? (Gold price of $248/1/10 AGE, seems a little low, maybe fake?) Your choice…

Well, there isn’t a whole lot of “bang for the buck”, for starters. Here’s a comparison, not a fair, nor apples to apples per se comparison, other than the type of meta(Ag), I’m talking about and category(numismatic). One, today, could purchase 6oz($148.92 spot melt) of Royal Canadian Mint, numismatic reverse proof silver for $174.95. Or, one could purchase 6($127.82 spot melt) US Mint, Harriet Tubman Or Greatest Generation(on 3/30) proof silver $1’s @ $87/proof coin, for $522.00. (Above/below calc. using $24.82 spot price)

Another way to look at this, is $174.95 for $148.92 worth of silver or $522 for $127.82 worth of silver. I’m personally passing on, 98-99%, any/all present and future US Mint products, due to their pricing, value or lack there of, zero Innovation, poor QC/QA IMO, as well as some other caveats. I’ll still follow, “the Happenings” at the Mint, however that is the extent of my loyalty. Pre 65 Silver, Pre 33 Gold, deals on past products(ie: above $174.95), that appear to provide value, as well as coins from circulation, is where my focus will be. Better yet, look at it this way? 2 US Mint proof .859oz Commems @87 each for $174(1.718oz’s), + possible shipping or a full 6oz’s for $174.95, shipping included.

BTW, you end up .85 Troy ounces shy/short, of 6 full ounces as well, on the US Mint deal. Not to mention the huge price difference.

PS Yes I’m aware of the Metal difference, purity wise, LOL! .9999 Vs .999
PSS Or, I guess one could buy 6 proof ASE’s for $480($148.92 spot melt) , +possible shipping.

Weak designs, even GG not much to crow about, Again the half is best design. Prices too, way too high….some folk demand, pray for higher & higher price$…. Lower & lower sales, I’ll Ventris turn off the lights whe she leaves ❓

Good thinking CaliSkier. Except Mint missed out on NFLs 100th anniversary couple years ago which should have been the appropriate time to produce a football coin.

Guess no one from Mint or NFL even thought about producing a coin for the NFLs century mark.

Interesting stuff, CaliSkier. Thanks for the link.

https://www.mint.ca/en-us/shopping/archives/2017/1-oz.-pure-silver-football-shaped-and-curved-coin—mintage-8500-2017

PS You can still pick one up at GateWest for $119.95USD, the same as what the RCM issue price was. 2017 under “Sports Coins”. Also was offered in Au originally as well.(SO)