Sources of Pricing Information

Today's coin buyer has more pricing information available than anyone has ever had before. Indeed, there is so much information at hand that sometimes it is difficult to understand and digest it all. There is no single source that infallibly points the way to what price to pay. In all instances it is to be remembered that coins of hand-selected quality often sell for more than the prices listed. For some pricing sources, the values listed are for the worst examples of the grades indicated, meaning that coins are worth at least those values, and often even more.

The Direct Sales Department of Bowers and Merena Galleries uses the following sources, among others, but these are the primary ones (listed in alphabetical order):

Auction prices realized: Results of actual sales at recent auctions are particularly useful in determining the value of scarce and rare coins of selected quality (assuming the auction catalogues in question describe the surfaces, etc. of the pieces). Krause Publications issues a yearly study of coin auction prices, which is valuable not only for price levels but for the frequency of appearance of certain coins. In order to study auction prices effectively you must maintain a file of catalogues issued by various dealers and also gain knowledge of which firms have a practice of buying-in a significant percentage of the items listed.

Certified Coin Dealer Newsletter: This weekly newsletter lists bid prices for certified coins in higher grades, primarily MS-61 to MS-67 (but not all grade ranges for all series). Prices given are for the lowest-quality examples traded on a sight-unseen basis. "Client or sight-seen sales may command a substantial premium," a notice in each issue states. The front page of the CCDN contains much valuable information concerning the current state of the market. Nickname: Bluesheet.

Coin Dealer Newsletter: This weekly newsletter, first published in 1963, gives market levels for non-slabbed (raw) coins in many different series, and in grades from Good to MS-65 or Proof-65 (but not all grade ranges for all series). Listed each week are popularly traded series such as commemoratives and silver dollars.