Bullion vs. Numismatic for an IRA - What's the real deal?

Helen Turner

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Bullion vs. Numismatic for an IRA - What's the real deal?

helen_turner💰Established (100-250k)

about 8 hours ago

Key Takeaways

•I’ve been eyeing adding some more gold to my IRA, finally getting around to putting that 100k or so I've earmarked for precious metals to work.
•Now, though, for the IRA, I'm getting a lot of different advice about numismatic coins versus just sticking with bullion.
•My original thought was just more of the same – well-known bullion like Eagles or Canadian Maples.

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I’ve been eyeing adding some more gold to my IRA, finally getting around to putting that 100k or so I've earmarked for precious metals to work. I bought some physical gold a few years back for personal use, mostly 1 oz American Gold Eagles, and a good chunk of silver bars (still love having those in the safe). Now, though, for the IRA, I'm getting a lot of different advice about numismatic coins versus just sticking with bullion.

My original thought was just more of the same – well-known bullion like Eagles or Canadian Maples. Practical, straightforward, easy to track. But I had a broker recently try to sell me pretty hard on some numismatic coins, going on about their "collector value" and "premium potential." It got my ears perked up, especially as a Kentuckian who appreciates a good heritage play, but also feeling a bit wary. I run a horse farm out here in Louisville, and while I understand the value of a good pedigree and unique assets, I also know when something’s being overinflated by a good story.

For those of you with experience in this, especially in a Gold IRA, what has been your reality with numismatic coins? Is that premium really worth it in the long run for retirement savings, or am I better off just sticking to the raw metal value with bullion? My main goal here is wealth preservation and a hedge against inflation, not necessarily trying to hit a home run on a rare coin, but if there's a conservative upside, I'm all for it. I'm trying to be smart about this next 100-150k allocation.

I even took that Gold IRA Quiz I saw floating around to get a better handle on the basics, which was helpful for the overall process. But it didn't really touch on the nitty-gritty of numismatic vs. bullion for an IRA. So, any first-hand experiences or hard-earned lessons you guys could share would be hugely appreciated. What should I be looking out for if I even consider numismatic, or should I just shut that door entirely for an IRA?

3 comments

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Best Answer▲ 8 upvotes

paul_hill🏆Advanced (250-500k)

Haha, "the real deal" is right! I had a similar headache a while back when I was looking to add gold to my IRA. Ended up going with mostly bullion coins after talking to a few different companies. Seemed like the most straightforward path for long-term growth without getting too bogged down in collector value. Still wonder sometimes what I missed out on with numismatics, though!

Comments (3)

paul_hill🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•less than a minute ago

karen_robinson💼Starter (0-50k)•less than a minute ago

Hey, cool you're getting serious about this! You mentioned you've already bought some physical gold for personal use – were those also American Gold Eagles, or did you go with other types of bullion for that?

diane_bailey💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•less than a minute ago

I hear you on the IRA gold, but honestly, I'm a little surprised at how much emphasis people put on numismatics for *IRA* purposes. I get the appeal for collectors, absolutely. But when you're talking about an IRA, isn't the primary goal wealth preservation and growth, not collecting? The premiums on numismatics can eat into that pretty significantly. For an IRA, I'd personally lean heavily towards straightforward bullion – easier to price, easier to liquidate, and you're paying for the metal, not the collector's market.

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