The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 12, March 19, 2006, Article 28

NUMISMATIC HEDGE FUND PREDICTED

[An article published March 15 by Investor's Business Daily
takes note of the boom in numismatics and suggests hedge fund
interest in the sector could be on the horizon.  The article
cites high-profile auction prices and notes that that some fund
managers, seeing good profits from numismatic investments on
their own accounts might begin investing some of their clients
assets as well.  -Editor]

"Maybe it's the fact that silver and gold prices have zoomed.
Or maybe it's the fact that the Internet provides a higher degree
of transparency so people know a market exists for them to buy
and sell. Whatever the case, coins and currency collectibles are
garnering lots of interest and seeing big sales."

"A report The Journal of Financial Planning several months ago
put the coin and collectible market (excluding gold and silver)
at $40 billion. An analysis of returns for the past 62 years
shows the market only underperformed the stock market by about
2%."

[The article mentions the Merrill Lynch and Kidder Peabody funds
set up in the heady days of the 1980s and 1990s.  It touches on
Bruce McNall as well. -Editor]

"But that's all sordid past. Since then, the Internet has
come along and markets, even those considered somewhat illiquid
like coins and collectibles, have benefited from transparency."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

[Given the high publicity around the state of Ohio's foray
into rare coin investing on top of the similar fates of the
earlier funds, I really doubt that many investment managers
would be willing to take the plunge.  But history has a way
of repeating itself, so stay tuned.  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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