Here’s How Trump’s Presidency Could Affect the Price of Valuable Coins
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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Ordinarily, a new president doesn’t have much impact on the prices of valuable coins and other collectibles. But these are not ordinary times. Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has already had an impact on coin prices through a couple of policy moves, experts say.
Next, learn how Trump’s agenda for his first 100 days could impact your wallet.
Penny Potential
One of Trump’s moves was ordering his administration to cease production of the 1-cent coin — aka the penny. This “surprise order” followed decades of unsuccessful previous attempts to rid America of the much-maligned penny, the Associated Press reported.
When Trump announced the plan, the coin collecting market was quick to pounce.
“Trump’s mandate to discontinue the cent caused immediate demand for 2025-dated Lincoln cents out of fear that very few would be produced,” said Jack McNamara, co-founder of Rare Collectibles TV. “In the first day or so after the announcement, we saw certified proof examples selling for as high as $300. Rolls of fifty coins, which are normally available at your local bank for face value, have in some cases sold for over $100. Prices have settled down, but the interest is still strong.”
Jeff Starck, a market analyst for Numismatic News, World Coin News and NumisMaster, offered a similar view.
“The suspension of 1-cent coin production — coupled with the timing early in the production cycle of the annual issue — have sent prices for 2025-dates cents soaring,” he said. “This could bode well for collector-oriented products containing collector-grade examples of the ‘final’ one-cent coin. … The larger impact will be felt in the modern world coin market, where many new issues, created specifically for collectors and investors, could see their prices rise by 25% to 50%.”
The question is how long this dynamic will last — and how it will play out over the long haul. James Sego, founder of JMS Coins and president of the Professional Numismatists Guild, said collectors shouldn’t bank on getting rich from the Trump order.
“Every family in America has a jar or two of cents,” he said. “They are not rare, and won’t be in the future. I would not see any fortunes made by hoarding these coins.”
Tariff Impacts
Another Trump move that could impact coin prices is his proposal to impose stiff tariffs on imported goods from trading partners like Canada, Mexico and China. This has already contributed to stock market volatility and pushed many investors into alternative assets.
Those assets include collectible coins, according to John Feigenbaum, publisher of the Greysheet rare coins price guide and executive director of the Professional Numismatists Guild.
“With the uncertainty of the current financial markets, hard assets like collectible rare coins can be seen as a safe haven,” Feigenbaum said. “To date this year, we have seen commodity gold and silver prices rise steadily. These metals are foundational to the value of many collectible rare coins, so we’ve seen quite a bit of positive movement. Even gold coins whose values are much higher than their precious metal content are rising in value.”
“Big moves” in gold typically bring attention to coins, McNamara added.
“People start by purchasing precious metal bullion coins for their intrinsic gold or silver value, which then often sparks an interest in the artistry, history and rarity of more collectible numismatic coins,” he said. “Well-heeled collectors often find respite in their coin collections, especially so if they don’t feel they have a better place to park their money.”
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