Numismatic vs. Bullion for Gold IRA - My Experience & Questions

Elizabeth Johnson

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Numismatic vs. Bullion for Gold IRA - My Experience & Questions

elizabeth_johnson💰Established (100-250k)

about 5 hours ago

Key Takeaways

•I've been seeing a lot of chatter lately, both here and on other finance subs, about the whole numismatic vs.
•bullion thing for Gold IRAs.
•I'm an accountant here in Atlanta, so I definitely appreciate the tax advantages of having physical gold in a retirement account.

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I've been seeing a lot of chatter lately, both here and on other finance subs, about the whole numismatic vs. bullion thing for Gold IRAs. As someone who’s had a Gold IRA for a couple of years now – started with about $150k rolling over from an old 401k – I wanted to share my perspective and also hear yours. I'm an accountant here in Atlanta, so I definitely appreciate the tax advantages of having physical gold in a retirement account.

When I first set mine up, my Gold IRA provider really pushed the numismatic coins, talking about their "collectible value" and "higher appreciation potential." I ended up going with a mix, about 70% bullion (mostly American Gold Eagles and Canadian Maples) and 30% numismatic (some pre-1933 Saint-Gaudens and Liberty Head coins). The premium on those numismatic coins was pretty steep, I won't lie. I felt a bit of pressure, like I was missing out on a "better" investment if I stuck purely to bullion. Now, looking at the performance, the bullion has pretty much tracked the spot price of gold, which is exactly what I expected and wanted for diversification. The numismatics? They've been a different story. Some have done okay, but others haven't really budged much beyond their initial premium. It feels like I'm paying for speculation more than anything else.

My main goal with my Gold IRA was capital preservation and inflation hedging, not chasing speculative gains. I'm in my late 40s, so I'm not looking for moonshots with this portion of my retirement. I'm starting to think I should have just stuck 100% to bullion. The transparent pricing and lower premiums just make so much more sense for an IRA, especially when you factor in the storage costs. I've been considering selling off my numismatic holdings within the IRA and reinvesting in more bullion, but I'm a bit hesitant given potential transaction fees and trying to time it right.

So, for those of you who have Gold IRAs, especially if you have a decent chunk in there (say, $100k+), what’s your take on numismatic vs. bullion? Did you go with one over the other, or a mix? Are there any arguments for numismatic coins in an IRA that I might be missing from an accountant's perspective? I'm talking about long-term retirement planning, not short-term collecting. Really curious to hear if anyone has had a vastly different experience or if there's a consensus on this for IRA investors.

3 comments

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Best Answer▲ 7 upvotes

janet_cook📊Growing (50-100k)

Interesting take. While I totally get the appeal of numismatics for the potential upside beyond just the metal's spot price, I've always leaned more towards pure bullion for my IRA. The lower premiums and greater liquidity just feel more secure to me, especially for something meant for long-term retirement savings. I'm not looking to hit a home run with a rare coin; I just want the stable value of gold.

Plus, the whole "collectible" aspect can get a bit muddy with IRAs if the IRS decides to scrutinize the valuation down the line. Feels like an unnecessary layer of potential complexity when simplicity is often king for these types of investments.

Comments (3)

ashley_baker💼Starter (0-50k)✓ Verified•less than a minute ago

Hey, I hear you on this! I ran into the exact same dilemma when I was setting up my Gold IRA a few years back. My initial thought was "ooooh, fancy coins!" but after talking with a few different reps and doing my own research, the bullion just seemed like the more straightforward play for a long-term retirement investment. Didn't want to get caught up in the premium games.

Curious to see what others say who went the numismatic route and how it's panned out for them. Good thread!

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

Hey, interesting post! When you say you "started with about $150k roll," are you referring to a rollover from an existing traditional IRA or 401k, or was that new funds you contributed directly? Just curious about the initial funding mechanism.