When the design change is only very slight from a current design? What is the collector value really? With some having 1/2 a mil mintage to me they are just older minted bars that are not as good as new minted bars but demand a higher premium? Not sure what I am missing?
Of all the old poured bars that have been produced over the last 40 years that i have been collecting that were produced by say Engelhard or Johnson Matthey you will find that most were melted by refiners and restamped as their own branded bars. They are hard to come by thats why they are rare. There is a difference to stacking bullion and collecting bullion
I am talking "Minted" bars, i understand the appeal to some of poured bars. Older minted bars with a similar design to new minted bars from the same manufacturer should be just older minted bars? What is the rarity?
Minted bars? Meh don't think it is rare apart from the Gold Standard 100oz silver bar. Though there is a niche market for minted "art" bars.
I have two sets of the three bar set of Secretariat Triple crown winner limited edition 5500 commemorative ingot 1973 and from what few I have seen selling on E-Bay and what they sold for some people must really want these bars. Just saying.
Are you talking about the Johnson Matthey minted bars? I don't have any interest in them, but there's definitely a demand out there for the old original ones. The modern version is 3rd-party minted by Sunshine Mint, so it's not really "the same." I own a few other vintage minted bars in 5- & 10-oz versions from the 70's & 80's. Minted/pressed aren't my favorite category, but some are pretty neat.. And it's a great way to pick up a piece of history, especially when in good condition at a great price. 10-oz'ers are cool, but I've got a bit of a weird fetish for various 5-oz minted bars -- just something about them.. :lol:
