Editor's Message: CPG Market Review Winter 2024

The passing of each year and the beginning of a new one can be an opportunity to evaluate where one has been and where one is going on their collecting journey. Throughout 2023 at various shows I attended I had the pleasure of having numerous conversations with collectors at stages, from long-time advanced specialists to those who were just getting started. A common theme among those who were in the beginning stages was the sheer variety and breadth of numismatics. A person’s first visit to a major coin convention can be overwhelming, with a huge amount of U.S. and world coins to look at. Often one wonders “where do I start?”

My advice is always to start—after also buying some basic books—by looking around and buying whatever first grabs your interest, almost an instinctual approach. Generally, whichever coin series or type initially captures one’s attention is the one they will return to after seeing what all is out there. As the collecting journey progresses, other factors begin to become important: investment, condition, completion, and in some cases, legacy. I strongly believe that each passing year is a time to check on one’s overall collecting plan and make action items for the coming year.

Some questions that can be asked include:

• What is the overall plan for my collection and am I sticking to it?

• What are the major acquisitions I want to make this year?

• Are there pieces that no longer fit with my collection or are there pieces I want to upgrade?

• Are there any new sets or series I want to start exploring?

As can be seen from this issue’s feature article, collecting can go beyond coins and paper money and include medals as well. Incredibly beautiful and historic medals were struck by not only the early United States, but nations such and Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Europe has an extremely long and deep tradition of medallic art, and prior to the 20th century medals were considered an essential part of any numismatic cabinet. I feel more and more collectors are combining coins, paper money, and even medals and tokens within their holdings, as so many markets have expanded due to internet sales and greater access to research, catalog, and pricing information.

Here at Greysheet, the year of 2024 promises to be our most ambitious one yet, as our acquisition and merger of Whitman Publishing unites the two most important publishers of numismatic catalog and pricing information. (Note: the newly formed parent company is now called Whitman Brands). While the long-standing publications produced by each brand will continue with the same excellent standards the collecting community has come to expect, the combined resources of both companies open up considerable opportunities.

Despite the greater access to numismatic information I mention above, there are still significant gaps in published works for dealers and collectors, particularly in world coins and paper money. There has never been a company that can bring a comprehensive digital and print solution to address these much needed reference books. In today’s collecting environment, and especially to appeal to the next generation of collectors, it is not enough to simply publish a catalog and update it every few years. There must be a digital component, involving websites and apps, to quickly update and access up-to-date information. We have a vision to create a numismatic ecosystem that can meet the needs of today’s collector, to make it enjoyable and profitable to collect across multiple genres. Stay tuned!

Sincerely,

Patrick Ian Perez, Editor

patrick@greysheet.com

Cover images courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries, www.StacksBowers.com.