Getting Started in Rare Coins

For centuries, gold and silver have been a haven for investors in times of economic uncertainty. In today's economic climate, the prudent investor will consider converting at least part of his or her paper assets into precious metals and rare coins.

Right now, the prices of these hard assets are at a fraction of their all-time highs. This presents a superb opportunity to diversify your traditional portfolio and aim for attractive returns.

Five Reasons to Own Hard Assets

1. Uncertainty in the Markets The last stock market collapse has the economy in a post-bubble depressed state. With equities still at overvalued levels, many believe the market is overdue for further corrections. There has been tremendous volatility in most markets as public expectations regarding the future of the economy change. Concerns about the collapsing dollar and the runaway government deficit has the public looking for alternative assets to preserve wealth. This uncertainty strongly supports portfolio diversification to protect or expand your wealth, and tangible assets should be an important part of that diversification.
2. Many Economies are in Shambles Many individuals worldwide are converting their local currency into precious metals in an effort to preserve their assets. In addition, instability in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East has put additional pressure and uncertainty on the U.S. and other world economies. The global "ripple effect" could wreak havoc on the US stock market.
3. The Prospect of Inflation In order to avoid recession, the U.S. administration may be forced to inflate the U.S. economy with an easy monetary policy and increased spending. Recently, the U.S. Dollar has been weak, yet there are concerns that it may be just the beginning of a major trend. Precious metals and rare coins can offer inflation protection and profit opportunity, as evidenced by the skyrocketing precious metal and rare coin prices in the 1970s when there was double-digit inflation.
4. A Question of Value The stock and bond markets ballooned to record highs, while hard assets are relatively low as compared to historical values. Many experts believe that the stocks and the mutual funds that invest in them remain overvalued compared to historic values. Precious metals and rare coins offer excellent alternatives and should benefit dramatically if there is a flight to quality. Every stock market investor should consider balancing his risk with tangible assets while the relative values of stocks versus hard assets suggest an extraordinary opportunity.

Why Rare Coins?

Rare coins offer you the best of both worlds the beauty and romance of coin collecting and the rewards of an historically sound investment.

On the one hand, rare coins represent pieces of history. They are works of art that offer tangible links to the past. Their timeless beauty transcends today's cultures and changing styles.

On the other hand, rare coins have often proven to be an outstanding investment over time, offering investors a unique combination of benefits, including:

• Rare coins are a convenient and popular way to diversify an investment portfolio. In today's economic climate, many financial advisors recommend that investors have 10% to 20% of their portfolio devoted to hard assets like precious metals and rare coins.
• Historically, rare coins offer significant profit potential above and beyond the price appreciation of the underlying metal in the coins. Prices of select coins appreciated over 1,000% from 1976 to 1980 and 600% from 1982 to 1989. Even a return to previous highs would suggest 300% appreciation potential.
• There are limited supplies of rare coins available, but at the same time, there is an ever-increasing demand for those coins. As such, rare coin pricing is not based solely on the rise and fall of gold and silver prices, but more on the scarcity of the coin and its desirability by collectors.
• Rare coins now offer certified quality and greater investment protection. Two organizations the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) have graded, certified and protectively packaged select U.S. rare coins since 1986.
• Rare coins are one of the few remaining investments which can be accumulated with complete privacy and transported easily.
• Coins are highly liquid. Thanks to certified third-party grading services and expanding electronic buy-and-sell networks, rare coins can be sold easily at fair market values all over the world.

Rare Coin Quality vs. Quantity

Is it possible to acquire truly exceptional rare coins with limited resources? Yes! And one has only to look at the story of John Jay Pittman to see how it's done.

Pittman was a man of modest means - a family man with traditional values, an employee of Eastman Kodak for over 35 years. He was not a wealthy man, yet he assembled what most people acknowledge was one of the finest rare coin portfolios in the world.

He did it by having a goal and a plan, sticking to it, and concentrating on value, not just price. In short, "buying smart."

One thing Pittman did throughout his 50 years of building his "world-class" rare coin portfolio was always buying the finest coin specimens he could afford. For it is well-known that the higher the quality and rarity of a coin, the more and faster that coin should appreciate over coins of less importance.

At Monaco Financial, we think that's a pretty good rare coin acquisition strategy one that certainly worked out well not only for John Jay Pittman, but a vast number of less-famous investors and collectors as well. Pittman, for example, though with limited means, amassed a fortune in rare coins worth tens of millions of dollars.

Another key to building a world class rare coin portfolio cost-effectively is finding top-quality coins that are a good value now, and also have exceptional appreciation potential for the future. And for that, your best bet is to rely on an expert with the knowledge, experience AND worldwide contacts to find tomorrow's best values . . . today.

Finding exceptional rare coins with both value and high potential for our clients is what Monaco Rare Coin is all about. In our multi-million dollar inventory, we have an impressive number of coins which can be acquired at a relatively modest cost, yet have outstanding appreciation potential.

In addition, through our associations and relationships with collectors and dealers throughout the world, we often learn of late-breaking, special opportunities that we then make available to our clients. If you would like priority notification of these exceptional opportunities, please sign up for our exclusive eFlash service.

Couple that fact with Monaco Rare Coin's significant financial muscle and negotiating power, and you have a valuable resource ready, willing and able to help you acquire the finest rare coins in the world . . . and do so effectively in a private, confidential and efficient manner.