Tom’s Five Year Plan
I’ve experienced remarkable, if not downright amazing success using this strategy. It applies equally well to both collectors and investors.

When the Royal Canadian Mint creates a new product that seems like something I’d like to have I add it to my RCM list and date the entry. When about five years have passed since the item was issued I again consider the purchase. If I’m no longer still intrigued then I scratch the product off my list. I feel pleased about having avoided previously buying something that couldn’t stand the test of time. If I am still interested in this coin or set chances are very good it is now available in the aftermarket for considerably less than the issue price. Certainly there is the historically rare possibility the product is actually selling for more than the issue price. That would make it an even better buy.

For the investor who is interested in modern Canadian coinage having the patience to allow the aftermarket to sort the needles from the haystack is an absolute necessity. If you must have the latest and greatest RCM products right now then chances are extremely good that you will lose money when it comes time to sell. I’d really like to be proven wrong. Take a few hours and go through all the non bullion related RCM products that were minted during the last ten years and send me your list of those you’d buy at more than the original issue price. Test me! I could be wrong.

The 1961 Proof-Like Set
I like this set because it is the last of the lower mintage silver sets and the first to come in the modern pliofilm packaging. It was also distributed prior to the intense Proof-Like set craze and speculation that prompted many to purchase and hoard hundreds of the Proof-Like sets produced in the following years. Even today it’s not uncommon to be offered 1963 through 1967 sets in fresh hundred set batches. My experience has been that this is seldom the case with the 1961 set.

In the United States, during 1979 and 1980 many Canadian P-L sets were sold as scrap and melted. The dealers I knew at the time held nothing back and the scarcer 1961 sets got tossed in the melting pot along with the others.

Because of its fragile cardboard and cellophane packaging, collectors often make a big deal out of finding perfectly preserved 1960 PL sets. In my view, this is a case of buying the package and not the coins. The interest in acquiring single P-L coins is growing and will continue. My experience has been that choice and gem quality 1961 coins are as difficult to locate as the 1960 issues and yet the 1961 sets can be purchased for considerably less.

Thinking Like The Next Guy
Investing in coins can be lots of fun but it is not the same as collecting. The collector can be capricious and impulsive. They can allow unorthodox tastes and preferences to influence their purchases. The serious investor can’t afford this luxury. They must properly anticipate what future collectors and investors are going to be most interested in buying.

Having been involved with the hobby for many years, I’ve learned to rely on historical collecting patterns and to believe in them. For this reason the coins I think will prove to be excellent investments may seem like predictable choices. I’m sorry to disappoint those who were hoping for some wild off-the-wall picks and sensational sleepers. If nothing else, maybe reading this series of articles confirms what you already know.

The 1989 Proof Silver Maple Leaf
This is the first of the silver maple leaf bullion coins to be produced with a proof finish. The coin comes in an impressive maple wood box. It’s just a neat coin that fits right in with the other standard issues. Proof Maple Leaf bullion coins have been made since and only the RCM knows what contrivance they may think of next. The 1989 Proof issue will remain a special coin produced for a legitimate reason and thus highly collectable.

1992 125th Anniversary of Canada Proof Silver Quarters Set
Unless Canada and the United States go to war this set is certain to explode in value once the U.S. State Quarters program is concluded. It was the obvious inspiration for the State Quarters and as such will be in great demand among those who wish to have a complete collection of North American twenty-five cent coins representing all provinces, territories and states. Compared to the U.S. counterpart, the presentation of the 1992 Canadian coins is outstanding. The coin designs are much more interesting. I’d suggest only buying sets in the blue box of issue. Stray single coins won’t work nor will any of the coins in less than silver Proof quality.

Modern Obsolete Coinage
The 1968-1986 Nickel Composition Dollars
Can you ever imagine Canada deciding to again produce for circulation a 32mm pure nickel dollar coin? Trust me. It will never happen. Of all the post 1967 Canadian coinage these nickel dollars in Uncirculated, Proof-Like and Proof when available, are the most undervalued. As a complete set the coins are highly collectable. The series includes a nice mixture of commemorative issues. The mintages are small when compared to those of the Loon dollar coinage that followed. Most importantly, because they contain no silver these coins were not saved in great quantity and many of those that were initially put aside have since been dispersed due to lack of collector demand.

I’m guessing it won’t be long before collectors “discover” this long obsolete series. As of this writing, many of these coins in uncirculated condition are still available at face value or close to it. The P-L and Proof quality coins are also often found at very reasonable prices. The investor would do well to acquire these coins with the intention of building complete date sets, 1968 through 1986. Don’t bother with the varieties. The downside risk with these coins is insignificant and the upside potential is outstanding. This is the type of collection that if marketed in Asia and Europe could be meet with very positive response. The problem is finding the coins and assembling the sets. Such sets would be great items to put aside for the kids or grandkids.