The Rare Coin Values Index follows the percent
change movements of 87 carefully selected United
States coins. The purpose of the Index is to assess the overall
direction of the U.S.
rare coin market over a period beginning in January 2000 to the current
month.
Rare Coin Values Index: Since Year 2000
The chart above graphs the combined percent change in retail
prices for 87 rare United States coins since
January 2000, starting at an index baseline of 100. The purpose of the
Index is to estimate the direction and strength of the market for rare
United States coins. The coin market was very strong from 2003-09,
reaching its peak in March/April 2009 at an Index rating of 370.51. For
the next dozen years or so, the Index continued to move higher, albeit
at a much slower pace, not breaching the 400-point level until late
2017. The Index in 2022 is now increasing at an accelerated pace,
exceeding anything we’ve seen in years. See chart below for blow up of
Index movements over the last 12 months.
Embed this chart
The next Rare Coin Values Index chart focuses on
the
last 12 months. It is generated from the same body of data as the
chart above, except it's "blown up" to give the reader a closer view of
the most recent coin market activity.
Rare Coin Values Index: Over Last 12 Months
This chart is a close up of the most recent 12 months of Rare
Coin Values Index activity. As we move deeper into Q2 of 2022, the coin
market steadfastly continues to enjoy gains. In May, the Index gained
another 0.82 points, reaching yet another record high at 457.17. There
are indicators we have entered a bull market environment: A new
all-time Index high has been achieved for seven consecutive months.
Record high scores have been reached in 10 out of the last 12 months.
The last negative month was March 2021. Prior to all this, the Index
was in a flatline mode (but trending barely upwards) since about 2010,
but now -- action. The good news about this positive Index direction is
that no one is talking about a “bubble” popping, as what occurred in
the late 1970s and again in the late 1980s, following a ridiculously
fast run up in coin prices. At the beginning of Q2 2022, the rare coin
market is strong and stable, and appears to be building momentum. The
Rare Coin
Value Index is based on the combined percent change in retail prices
for 87 rare United States coins and is updated monthly.
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How is the Index calculated?
Once a month, for each coin in the Index, the
current retail value is
estimated and compared to the previous month's estimated value, and a
percent difference is computed (it could be positve, negative, or no
change). The percent difference for all 87 coins are added together and
divided by 87 to come up with an average percent difference of the
entire group. Thus, each
coin in the Index carries equal weight. Let's call this result the
Current Month Index, or CMI.
The previous month's Index score is multiplied by (1+CMI) to arrive at
an updated Index score.
How should I interpret the Index score?
You should interpret the Index score as a
percent change in value collectively of the 87 coins
that comprise the
Index,
which were chosen to represent the rare U.S. coin market as a whole.
The Index begins in January 2000 at a baseline score of 100. Since, for
example, the Index reached 400 in November 2017, you could say overall
the
prices of rare U.S. coins quadrupled over that nearly 18 year period.
In May 2022, the Index stands at 457.17, indicating the rare coin
market as a whole is
about 4.57 times higher than it was in January 2000.
Where does the value data come from?
We obtain coin values to input into the Index
computation from a variety of widely respected coin price guides.
How were the 87 coins in the Index chosen?
Our objective was to choose a cross section of
coins whose value fluctuations represented that of the overall market
for rare United States coins. We focused on key dates the serious
collector of average to above average means commonly aspires to own.
The vast majority of coins tracked in the Index are in circulated
grades, typical of
the examples residing within the holdings of the rank and file
collector. There are no ultra rarieties in the Index.
Which coins were chosen for the Index?
Meet the 87 coins that comprise the Rare Coin
Values Index:
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