When I was a kid, even before I entered the world of numismatics, one of my favorite holiday tunes was “Silver and Gold.” Like millions of others, I first came to know the song through the 1964 made-for-television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which has aired annually each holiday season since the film’s premiere in the mid-1960s. I can still hear the warm baritone of singer Burl Ives crooning the lyrics, “Silver and gold / Silver and gold / Everyone wishes / For silver and gold… How do you measure its worth / Just by the pleasure / It gives here on Earth?”
Hearing that song in my youth, my childhood mind’s eye imagined the googie-styled silvery and golden holiday tree ornaments my family had been using since they were purchased in the 1960s, long before my time; they always looked so pretty shimmering in the glow of lights capped with clear plastic flower petals, strung under layers of silvery tinsel and many other ornaments hued in every color imaginable. As a child, I was years away from learning about silver and gold coins, bullion ingots, and all the other things that we numismatists tend to readily associate with the words “silver” and “gold.”
Nowadays, the words “silver” and “gold” connote all the numismatic things to me that you’re probably thinking of, too: Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles, American Eagle coins, precious-metal ingots, and all the other bulliony trappings that entrance collectors, investors, and countless others the world over.
The crazy thing is that all of these flashy items are seeming to become more valuable over time with rising silver and gold prices. I don’t know about your situation, but so many of these beautiful pieces are quickly ascending beyond my financial reach. This time of the year, I’m inclined to add some of these items to my wantlist, or holiday wishlist – especially as prices for gold and silver coins climb.
Late numismatic publisher Lee Hewitt once famously quipped, “There is no Santa Claus in numismatics.” However, with that oft-cited phrase he was referring to the absence of worthy “bargains” in a hobby where it is well understood by many collectors that you only get what you pay for (cheap coins are “cheap” for a reason, after all…). While I don’t generally believe “cheap deals” are “good deals,” I absolutely do believe in Santa Claus – and jolly ol’ Saint Nick has left plenty of good things in small packages under my tree over the years – including many cool coins.
I don’t have much silver and gold on my holiday “wish list” this year… My desires lean to more pedestrian hopes, like good health and wellness for my family – and maybe enough funds to finish some projects around the house next year. But the numismatist in me always loves a glint of silver and gold. If it’s on your list, may your holiday stockings be filled with the myriad joys of silver and gold – and may your holidays always be merry and bright!