Gold Coins: Mass Production
Make sure you do your homewrk when you are tempted to buy "limited edition" gold coins.
When you see ads on TV stating that these are coins that are part of the limited edition collection or they have been minted for some special event or even a commemorative event you really cannot be certain about the authenticity of the claim. There could be some doubt about the actual worth of the deal in terms of time, effort and the money spent. They are tempting of course but you really need to do a background check before you take the leap.
The first decision has to be an analysis of your reason for collecting gold coins. What are you looking for? A coin collection that is a lot in monetary value or are you building a large collection for an exhibition or show? It is a known fact that the coins offered on the TV are really beauties. You would like to own one irrespective of your reasons. But if you are looking to increase the intrinsic value of your collection then you should research the data that is being advertised against these coins.
You can take it as fact that the coins that are shown on the TV are generally mass produced. These could be at discounted prices too. There may be some people who buy the coins but there are lots of coins still available for circulation and this brings down the value of the coin for those who are collecting with the intention that the value will appreciate at a later date.
You do have an option of researching the exact number of coins minted for that particular coin. A true commemorative coin will have very few in the initial mint run as against the others which are being advertised which in all probability will have a large number put out. But do note that just printing a few will necessarily mean that the value of those few will definitely increase.
What you really need to understand carefully is where exactly to put a stop. Mass produced gold coins get turned down by genuine collectors because they are not so interesting and there is no excitement in owning one of them. There are times when the coin is added to the collection only because it is very attractive to look at. There are those who are looking at this only from the profit point of view and then there are those who will collect only rare valuable gold coins for the sheer pleasure of owning them.
If you are certain that the coins you are buying are not being mass produced, than it can prove to be a lucrative investment.