Numi vs. Bullion in Gold IRA - My Experience + Need Your Thoughts!

• •I've been wrestling with a decision about my Gold IRA holdings and wanted to get some input from others here.
• •I ultimately decided on a mix of American Gold Eagles and some Canadian Gold Maple Leafs for my bullion allocation.
• •Lately, though, I’ve been reading a bit more about numismatic coins and their potential for appreciation beyond just the spot price of gold.

I've been wrestling with a decision about my Gold IRA holdings and wanted to get some input from others here. For context, I'm a professor here in Richmond, and about two years ago, I rolled over a good chunk of my old 401k into a self-directed Gold IRA – sitting around the $350k mark currently. Being research-driven, I spent a lot of time digging into the pros and cons of physical precious metals as a hedge against inflation and market volatility. I ultimately decided on a mix of American Gold Eagles and some Canadian Gold Maple Leafs for my bullion allocation.

Lately, though, I’ve been reading a bit more about numismatic coins and their potential for appreciation beyond just the spot price of gold. My current custodian, while generally helpful, mostly pushed me towards bullion, emphasizing liquidity and lower premiums. Makes sense, and I get that. But I can't help but wonder if I'm leaving something on the table. I'm thinking specifically about some of the more recognized pre-1933 U.S. gold coins. The premiums are certainly higher, and I know authentication and grading are critical, but the idea of owning something with historical significance that also has a potential collector's premium on top of its metal value is pretty appealing.

My concern is obviously the investability of these. While I'm not planning on selling these anytime soon, I want to ensure that if I do allocate say, 5-10% of my gold holdings to numismatics, it’s not going to be a nightmare to liquidate when the time eventually comes. I've seen some cautionary tales about the "dealer spread" on these types of coins being much wider than for standard bullion, which is definitely a consideration.

Has anyone here diversified into numismatic coins within their Gold IRA? What were your experiences? Did you find a custodian that was particularly knowledgeable or helpful in navigating that side of things? Any specific series of coins you'd recommend looking into (or avoiding)? I'm thinking about adding a small portion, maybe $20k-$30k, just to dip my toes in, but I'm still on the fence. Appreciate any insights!