December 4, 2025 • 13 mins
Is it a hobby, a history lesson, or a legitimate asset class? In this episode of The Wealth Effect, Bob takes a detour from traditional finance to discuss his latest obsession: Numismatics (the art and study of coins).
What started as a curiosity fueled by a random YouTube video turned into a full-blown journey into the world of silver, gold, and graded slabs. Bob breaks down why coin collecting is more than just a "treasure hunt"—it’s a unique intersection of scarcity, demand, and intrinsic value.
In this episode, we cover:
- The Origin Story: How a trip to the bank and a few rolls of change reignited a childhood passion.
- Coins vs. Cards: Why coins share the "hype" of Pokémon trading cards but offer a safety net that cardboard can't match.
- The Mechanics of Value: Understanding scarcity, the grading scale (MS69 vs. MS70), and the silver "floor."
- Tangible Wealth: Why holding a piece of Mexican Silver or a Roman coin feels different than checking a stock portfolio.
- The Challenge: Why you should buy just one coin—not for the profit, but for the story.
Join us as we explore how this
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome back
(00:00):
to The Wealth Effect.
Today, we're talking about something a
little bit different, but in a good way.
We're talking about my relatively new
hobby and investment in Nuismatics,
the art and the
study of coins.
I'm always exploring new ways to build
wealth, protect assets, and enjoy the
process along
the way.
But this one, I started purely out of
(00:21):
curiosity and turned into
a little bit more than
just a hobby.
So, I wanted to share what pulled me in,
what I've been learning, and why this
hobby has real value beyond
the collector's high.
And how it unexpectedly ties to a
bigger theme of wealth building.
Let's fill
your pocket.
My curiosity started when I was younger,
collecting coins, but didn't really
(00:43):
understand it or got into
it and it faded pretty fast.
And more recently, around the beginning of
the year, I saw a random video where you
can still find silver
coins in change.
And in that moment, I went to
the bank and asked for coins.
And to my luck, I actually found
four silver coins in my first roll,
which fueled it,
(01:04):
to be honest.
If I didn't find anything at the first
try, I probably would have been pretty
discouraged to actually
continue this hobby.
And that's when I started to realize that
this wasn't just a random piece of metal.
It felt like a piece of history
that still stored value in it.
And holding it felt different
than other investments.
(01:25):
And I started collecting mainly Mexican
silvers from silver and gold libertas and
coins that were used as
legal tender in the 18-1900s.
Also, graded slabs
from NGC and PCGS.
Gold and silver monopoly coins,
like real ones, not just fake ones.
Silver coins from countries
(01:46):
all over the world.
And a lot of
Valkambi bars.
And the crazy part is that I started to
get better at eyeballing
prices based on weight or
coin value.
I used to start to study coins under a
microscope to get an idea of what would
land on the
grading scale.
And to me, it felt like discovering
treasure in plain sight, in everyday
(02:08):
products, that everyone
exchanges coins.
And Nuismatics share similar
characteristics to all their alternative
assets, like Pokemon cards
and other collectibles.
They mainly strive from scarcity that
is the foundation of
most collectible markets.
Coins, Pokemon cards, sports cards,
comics, and all of the above.
(02:28):
But coins bring a little bit different
feeling, like knowing how they were minted
in some cases.
Because some coins exist in the tens
of millions, in like modern pieces,
modern coins,
quarters.
Others exist in thousands, like
limited mintages and special releases.
And some exist in the hundreds or fewer,
(02:51):
especially older pieces that survive
centuries of circulation,
melting, and world events.
And this is where it hits a bit
different than Pokemon cards.
With cards, scarcity
is manufactured.
The companies decide how many booster
boxes get printed, how they create choice
cards, and how to
engineer a rarity.
(03:11):
Coins, on the other hand, earn their
rarity through time, history, production
limits, and
pure survival.
Mintages can be low, not because someone
wanted them scarce, but because the world
wars, silver was scarce, governments
changed, and mints closed.
When you realize there might have been a
handful of perfectly preserved examples
(03:33):
left on the planet, it's a little
different scarcity, as
it's created by reality.
And a coin can be increasingly scarce,
but if there's no demand,
the price sits flat.
But the moment collectors, countries,
or even online communities fall in love
with a design, a year, or a
mint, the prices shift fast.
(03:54):
And just like Pokemon cards, part of the
market is driven by fandom, nostalgia,
community hype, long-term collector
interest, influence, and market leaders,
trends, and
attention cycles.
Pokemon cards can spike because a wave
of collectors decide a
specific set is nostalgic.
Sports cards can jump because
(04:15):
an athlete became a legend.
Coins can do the same, except demand can
also be fueled by things like national
pride, the value of the metal itself,
historical significance, new discoveries,
changes in world silver supply or gold
supply, and generational interest.
(04:35):
So demand can come from fans,
in the same way Pokemon does.
Sometimes an entire
nation loves the design.
Sometimes collectors worldwide
chase a certain rarity.
Sometimes there is no appreciation for
coins that had just
passed a couple of years.
Demand in coin collecting can
be emotional, but also logical.
And there's something very
(04:57):
different about coins.
It's that they have
intrinsic value.
Pokemon cards have value because
people agree that they have value.
They're fully
collectible.
Coins, on the other hand, can have their
value based on pure collectibility,
but also can be
commodity-backed.
If you're holding bullion like Mexican
Libertats, American Eagles, or Canadian
(05:19):
Maple Leafs, your baseline of the price
is the metal that the coin is made from,
which in this case, most
of them are made of silver.
Even if the collectible premium
disappears, the physical gold or silver
still holds
its value.
When silver rises, your
coin rises with it.
When gold strengthens, your collection
(05:40):
does the same because
of its inherent value.
So it's not purely based on speculation
whether the coin will become more desired,
but it also has
a built-in hedge.
You're holding something that the world
has valued for thousands of years.
So it's not likely to go to zero,
and it's not all dependent
on hype or nostalgia.
(06:01):
No matter what happens, one ounce of
silver is still one ounce of silver.
Pokemon cards can lose their value if
the hobby shifts or artificial demand.
Coins, on the other hand, have a
floor, a hard floor, the intrinsic one,
that makes them both collectible
and wealth-preserving assets.
And the two do share common
(06:23):
things, like condition.
Two coins can have the same mint year,
same press, but can have wildly different
values depending
on grading.
From a mint state 69
versus a mint state 70.
And this is the scale that is from
genuine, which is the lowest at
practically a zero, to a
(06:43):
70, which is a perfect coin.
And a 70 is equivalent to like
a gem 10 on a Pokemon card.
And there's tiny differences
that can affect the value.
It can double, triple it, or even 10 times
the value itself compared to other coins
that are almost
exactly the same.
And it's the same concept as a PSA 9
(07:03):
versus a PSA 10 for a Pokemon card.
Only few things, only one tiny flaw, a
scratch, a surface mark, or a slightly
different strike can completely
change the value in it.
And coins have a
little extra twist.
A mint state 70 graded coin from hundreds
of years ago is like finding an original
(07:24):
holographic Charizard that somehow got
a PSA 10 after being in circulation in
binders, in shoeboxes, and in
direct sunlight for decades.
It's almost
impossible.
And the older the coin, the
rarer, higher grade coins exist.
Because time
attacks everything.
The metal corrodes.
Edges wear.
(07:45):
Strikes fade.
So a high condition older coin really
brings in a higher premia
that might not match.
That is tough to match
in other hobbies.
And this leads into the
other anchor of nosematics.
Something cards can
rarely compete with.
It's that they have
historical importance.
(08:05):
It's not
just a coin.
It's not just a
coin for collecting.
It's more of
a timestamp.
A physical reminder of wars, political
shifts, economic collapses, monarchies,
revolutions, artistic eras, mining
technologies, and even cultural identity.
A Pokemon card has nostalgia tied
to it from childhood and fandom.
(08:27):
A coin has a history tied
to a civilization or an era.
A coin holds meaning
beyond the collector.
A Roman silver du noirs
isn't just silver.
It's an artifact
from the empire.
A 1982 Mexican libertad
isn't just bullion.
It's the start of
(08:48):
a national icon.
Historical significance gives coins a
depth that extends beyond its value.
And it gives them
generational purpose.
And coins don't
behave like stocks.
They don't move
every minute.
And practically won't
ever moon overnight.
And sure, some coins
(09:09):
do spike up in value.
Just like Pokemon cards
that get rediscovered.
But that isn't
really typical.
Coins build value through scarcity,
through time, silver and gold content,
its history, and
collector's interests.
But coins also bring an
experience with them.
You can look
at them.
You inspect
the details.
(09:29):
You learn
their story.
You enjoy them both as an
object and an investment.
And then, eventually, whether you plan it
or not, your hobby becomes
a part of your portfolio.
Your collection becomes
a store of value.
And your safe becomes a
vault of history and wealth.
Coins might not skyrocket
like meme investments.
But they grow
(09:50):
slowly over time.
And in a world where everything is
compared to Bitcoin, coins are one of the
oldest and most reliable
analog versions to store value.
And it mattered to me because Nuismatics
taught me to slow down a bit and made me
appreciate the value of history and
to learn from my mom's
home country of Mexico.
Because we live in a world
(10:11):
that moves at insane speeds.
Everything's digital,
instant, and disposable.
Coins, they did
the opposite.
There are random coins
that you come across shows.
And unlike digital assets where you can
just look up every possible asset to
invest in in one moment, to me, it
felt like treasure
hunting at these shows.
You also get to hold something that's
(10:31):
passed through hands of people who've
lived before you.
Economies that
no longer exist.
And decisions that shape
national currencies.
It reminded me that wealth isn't
just numbers on the screen.
And honestly, someone who spent a lot of
time thinking about wealth, investing,
financial strategy, this hobby
brought me a sense of joy.
(10:53):
I kind of expected, but never really
took the chance until recently.
So if you've never looked into Nuismatics,
I'm not telling you to go out and drop
thousands of dollars and start hunting
down rare pieces like you're
about to raid Fort Knox.
That's not the point.
The point is really to
start with just one coin.
Maybe it means some to you from the year
(11:14):
you were born, from the home country of
your parents or yourself, places you've
traveled, or simply designs that look
amazing and
catch your eye.
Even just getting a silver piece just for
its weight to feel it in your hand and
appreciate it.
And then you could do something
simple just by looking up its history,
find out why it was minted, what happened,
(11:36):
and why it's no longer in circulation.
You start to understand how money evolved,
how nations expressed pride through their
currency, and how precious metals
shaped their entire economy.
Even if you never become a collector,
that one experience might change the way
you see the
money around you.
To appreciate the craftsmanship,
(11:57):
to think about the time, value,
and legacy of the coin, to people who
lived hundreds of years before you,
even though the coin still
looks fairly new and clean.
And you might be shocked if you enjoy it,
because Newsmatic traps you into something
rare today.
People spend hundreds collecting
digital items like me.
(12:18):
Meanwhile, you could spend
$20, $34 on a coin to hold.
So try it once, not for the investment,
not for the potential increase in its
value, but to spark more curiosity
and wanting to learn more about it.
That one coin might start a passion
you didn't even know you had.
And it might become your next hobby,
(12:40):
or just a cool piece on your desk to
remind you something, the history that had
passed beyond you, right
in front of your eyes.
Either way, it's worth taking the first
step, because Newsmatic isn't just a
collection.
It's history, value, patience,
curiosity, and enjoyment of blending all
that together.
And for me, it became a new chapter in
(13:02):
my personal growth and wealth journey.
So if you're like me, always open to
exploring and learning new ways about
wealth, this might be something
that you might want to look into.
Until next time.
Welcome back
(00:00):
to The Wealth Effect.
Today, we're talking about something a
little bit different, but in a good way.
We're talking about my relatively new
hobby and investment in Nuismatics,
the art and the
study of coins.
I'm always exploring new ways to build
wealth, protect assets, and enjoy the
process along
the way.
But this one, I started purely out of
(00:21):
curiosity and turned into
a little bit more than
just a hobby.
So, I wanted to share what pulled me in,
what I've been learning, and why this
hobby has real value beyond
the collector's high.
And how it unexpectedly ties to a
bigger theme of wealth building.
Let's fill
your pocket.
My curiosity started when I was younger,
collecting coins, but didn't really
(00:43):
understand it or got into
it and it faded pretty fast.
And more recently, around the beginning of
the year, I saw a random video where you
can still find silver
coins in change.
And in that moment, I went to
the bank and asked for coins.
And to my luck, I actually found
four silver coins in my first roll,
which fueled it,
(01:04):
to be honest.
If I didn't find anything at the first
try, I probably would have been pretty
discouraged to actually
continue this hobby.
And that's when I started to realize that
this wasn't just a random piece of metal.
It felt like a piece of history
that still stored value in it.
And holding it felt different
than other investments.
(01:25):
And I started collecting mainly Mexican
silvers from silver and gold libertas and
coins that were used as
legal tender in the 18-1900s.
Also, graded slabs
from NGC and PCGS.
Gold and silver monopoly coins,
like real ones, not just fake ones.
Silver coins from countries
(01:46):
all over the world.
And a lot of
Valkambi bars.
And the crazy part is that I started to
get better at eyeballing
prices based on weight or
coin value.
I used to start to study coins under a
microscope to get an idea of what would
land on the
grading scale.
And to me, it felt like discovering
treasure in plain sight, in everyday
(02:08):
products, that everyone
exchanges coins.
And Nuismatics share similar
characteristics to all their alternative
assets, like Pokemon cards
and other collectibles.
They mainly strive from scarcity that
is the foundation of
most collectible markets.
Coins, Pokemon cards, sports cards,
comics, and all of the above.
(02:28):
But coins bring a little bit different
feeling, like knowing how they were minted
in some cases.
Because some coins exist in the tens
of millions, in like modern pieces,
modern coins,
quarters.
Others exist in thousands, like
limited mintages and special releases.
And some exist in the hundreds or fewer,
(02:51):
especially older pieces that survive
centuries of circulation,
melting, and world events.
And this is where it hits a bit
different than Pokemon cards.
With cards, scarcity
is manufactured.
The companies decide how many booster
boxes get printed, how they create choice
cards, and how to
engineer a rarity.
(03:11):
Coins, on the other hand, earn their
rarity through time, history, production
limits, and
pure survival.
Mintages can be low, not because someone
wanted them scarce, but because the world
wars, silver was scarce, governments
changed, and mints closed.
When you realize there might have been a
handful of perfectly preserved examples
(03:33):
left on the planet, it's a little
different scarcity, as
it's created by reality.
And a coin can be increasingly scarce,
but if there's no demand,
the price sits flat.
But the moment collectors, countries,
or even online communities fall in love
with a design, a year, or a
mint, the prices shift fast.
(03:54):
And just like Pokemon cards, part of the
market is driven by fandom, nostalgia,
community hype, long-term collector
interest, influence, and market leaders,
trends, and
attention cycles.
Pokemon cards can spike because a wave
of collectors decide a
specific set is nostalgic.
Sports cards can jump because
(04:15):
an athlete became a legend.
Coins can do the same, except demand can
also be fueled by things like national
pride, the value of the metal itself,
historical significance, new discoveries,
changes in world silver supply or gold
supply, and generational interest.
(04:35):
So demand can come from fans,
in the same way Pokemon does.
Sometimes an entire
nation loves the design.
Sometimes collectors worldwide
chase a certain rarity.
Sometimes there is no appreciation for
coins that had just
passed a couple of years.
Demand in coin collecting can
be emotional, but also logical.
And there's something very
(04:57):
different about coins.
It's that they have
intrinsic value.
Pokemon cards have value because
people agree that they have value.
They're fully
collectible.
Coins, on the other hand, can have their
value based on pure collectibility,
but also can be
commodity-backed.
If you're holding bullion like Mexican
Libertats, American Eagles, or Canadian
(05:19):
Maple Leafs, your baseline of the price
is the metal that the coin is made from,
which in this case, most
of them are made of silver.
Even if the collectible premium
disappears, the physical gold or silver
still holds
its value.
When silver rises, your
coin rises with it.
When gold strengthens, your collection
(05:40):
does the same because
of its inherent value.
So it's not purely based on speculation
whether the coin will become more desired,
but it also has
a built-in hedge.
You're holding something that the world
has valued for thousands of years.
So it's not likely to go to zero,
and it's not all dependent
on hype or nostalgia.
(06:01):
No matter what happens, one ounce of
silver is still one ounce of silver.
Pokemon cards can lose their value if
the hobby shifts or artificial demand.
Coins, on the other hand, have a
floor, a hard floor, the intrinsic one,
that makes them both collectible
and wealth-preserving assets.
And the two do share common
(06:23):
things, like condition.
Two coins can have the same mint year,
same press, but can have wildly different
values depending
on grading.
From a mint state 69
versus a mint state 70.
And this is the scale that is from
genuine, which is the lowest at
practically a zero, to a
(06:43):
70, which is a perfect coin.
And a 70 is equivalent to like
a gem 10 on a Pokemon card.
And there's tiny differences
that can affect the value.
It can double, triple it, or even 10 times
the value itself compared to other coins
that are almost
exactly the same.
And it's the same concept as a PSA 9
(07:03):
versus a PSA 10 for a Pokemon card.
Only few things, only one tiny flaw, a
scratch, a surface mark, or a slightly
different strike can completely
change the value in it.
And coins have a
little extra twist.
A mint state 70 graded coin from hundreds
of years ago is like finding an original
(07:24):
holographic Charizard that somehow got
a PSA 10 after being in circulation in
binders, in shoeboxes, and in
direct sunlight for decades.
It's almost
impossible.
And the older the coin, the
rarer, higher grade coins exist.
Because time
attacks everything.
The metal corrodes.
Edges wear.
(07:45):
Strikes fade.
So a high condition older coin really
brings in a higher premia
that might not match.
That is tough to match
in other hobbies.
And this leads into the
other anchor of nosematics.
Something cards can
rarely compete with.
It's that they have
historical importance.
(08:05):
It's not
just a coin.
It's not just a
coin for collecting.
It's more of
a timestamp.
A physical reminder of wars, political
shifts, economic collapses, monarchies,
revolutions, artistic eras, mining
technologies, and even cultural identity.
A Pokemon card has nostalgia tied
to it from childhood and fandom.
(08:27):
A coin has a history tied
to a civilization or an era.
A coin holds meaning
beyond the collector.
A Roman silver du noirs
isn't just silver.
It's an artifact
from the empire.
A 1982 Mexican libertad
isn't just bullion.
It's the start of
(08:48):
a national icon.
Historical significance gives coins a
depth that extends beyond its value.
And it gives them
generational purpose.
And coins don't
behave like stocks.
They don't move
every minute.
And practically won't
ever moon overnight.
And sure, some coins
(09:09):
do spike up in value.
Just like Pokemon cards
that get rediscovered.
But that isn't
really typical.
Coins build value through scarcity,
through time, silver and gold content,
its history, and
collector's interests.
But coins also bring an
experience with them.
You can look
at them.
You inspect
the details.
(09:29):
You learn
their story.
You enjoy them both as an
object and an investment.
And then, eventually, whether you plan it
or not, your hobby becomes
a part of your portfolio.
Your collection becomes
a store of value.
And your safe becomes a
vault of history and wealth.
Coins might not skyrocket
like meme investments.
But they grow
(09:50):
slowly over time.
And in a world where everything is
compared to Bitcoin, coins are one of the
oldest and most reliable
analog versions to store value.
And it mattered to me because Nuismatics
taught me to slow down a bit and made me
appreciate the value of history and
to learn from my mom's
home country of Mexico.
Because we live in a world
(10:11):
that moves at insane speeds.
Everything's digital,
instant, and disposable.
Coins, they did
the opposite.
There are random coins
that you come across shows.
And unlike digital assets where you can
just look up every possible asset to
invest in in one moment, to me, it
felt like treasure
hunting at these shows.
You also get to hold something that's
(10:31):
passed through hands of people who've
lived before you.
Economies that
no longer exist.
And decisions that shape
national currencies.
It reminded me that wealth isn't
just numbers on the screen.
And honestly, someone who spent a lot of
time thinking about wealth, investing,
financial strategy, this hobby
brought me a sense of joy.
(10:53):
I kind of expected, but never really
took the chance until recently.
So if you've never looked into Nuismatics,
I'm not telling you to go out and drop
thousands of dollars and start hunting
down rare pieces like you're
about to raid Fort Knox.
That's not the point.
The point is really to
start with just one coin.
Maybe it means some to you from the year
(11:14):
you were born, from the home country of
your parents or yourself, places you've
traveled, or simply designs that look
amazing and
catch your eye.
Even just getting a silver piece just for
its weight to feel it in your hand and
appreciate it.
And then you could do something
simple just by looking up its history,
find out why it was minted, what happened,
(11:36):
and why it's no longer in circulation.
You start to understand how money evolved,
how nations expressed pride through their
currency, and how precious metals
shaped their entire economy.
Even if you never become a collector,
that one experience might change the way
you see the
money around you.
To appreciate the craftsmanship,
(11:57):
to think about the time, value,
and legacy of the coin, to people who
lived hundreds of years before you,
even though the coin still
looks fairly new and clean.
And you might be shocked if you enjoy it,
because Newsmatic traps you into something
rare today.
People spend hundreds collecting
digital items like me.
(12:18):
Meanwhile, you could spend
$20, $34 on a coin to hold.
So try it once, not for the investment,
not for the potential increase in its
value, but to spark more curiosity
and wanting to learn more about it.
That one coin might start a passion
you didn't even know you had.
And it might become your next hobby,
(12:40):
or just a cool piece on your desk to
remind you something, the history that had
passed beyond you, right
in front of your eyes.
Either way, it's worth taking the first
step, because Newsmatic isn't just a
collection.
It's history, value, patience,
curiosity, and enjoyment of blending all
that together.
And for me, it became a new chapter in
(13:02):
my personal growth and wealth journey.
So if you're like me, always open to
exploring and learning new ways about
wealth, this might be something
that you might want to look into.
Until next time.
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