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European Fractionals - what do you folks think about them? I've always been a 1oz., 1/2 oz., guy sticking with Eagles, Maples, Krugs, etc. Lately I find myself tempted to buy some Ducats, Lires, Marks, Sovereigns, Francs, etc. Anybody with experience buying/selling them? What are your thoughts on the extra premiums on them - do they retain them when you sell? I'll probably buy some, it just a question whether I just get a couple to satisfy my lust or enough matter in the long run.

I love these coins. The trick is to buy them at or near spot, which is the dealers' buy price. If you have to pay a hefty premium, make sure that the coin has commensurate numismatic value. This past weekend I bought a BU GB 1911 Sovereign (show special), a worn France 1856 10F (.0933 AGW), and a nice France 1855 20F (.1867 AGW) all purchased at GOLD spot. The best place to get these historical coins (some are restrikes) is at coin shows, but sometimes you can get lucky elsewhere. I think these coins are little pieces of history that you give new life to by adding them to your collection/stash.

In my experience, they sell slightly above spot here and on Ebay, and at spot (or at least 98% of spot) at dealers. So they are great imo, since they are so much more historical than modern bullion. They have potential to be numismatic coins someday in our lifetimes, whereas gold eagles/maples do not.

Hi there-

Huge fan of foreign gold myself. Great advice from previous posts. Basically, as long as it's a semi-well known country (I wouldn't mess around with any gold from Uzbekistan or Mongolia), you'll have no problems. Ducats, lire, francs, etc- all big time coins. Sovereigns are especially well known, they're actually one of my favorite coins. Get what YOU like. The gold will speak for itself.

JMO wags