CoinMerc Review
The Eye of a Collector… The Mind of an Investor
That’s the trademarked tagline for Coin Mercantile (CoinMerc.com). One look at their homepage and I’d have to say that I think it fits them well. There are so many cool looking coins that would be great to own simply so that you can look at them day in and day out. At the same time though, it’s still an investment into your future. Although if the day ever came that I’d need to sell my coins, I’m not sure I’d be able to.
But regardless if you’re into collecting, investing or both, you’re sure to find something at CoinMerc.com. They have a massive collection of coins in all kinds of metals and themes. One visit to their site and I’m sure you’ll agree; it’s like being a kid in a candy store, but for grownups.
CoinMerc.com Products
Coin Mercantile’s primary focus is coins. There’s too much to list individually, but these categories and filters should give you a general idea as to what they have to offer:
• Metals: Gold, silver, platinum and bullion. They carry titanium and tantalum, too, as specialty coins.
• Country: Buy coins with a country oriented theme. Countries from all over the world are included, but a few of them include, Australia, China, Canada, Africa and the USA.
• Theme: Themes include sports, animals, zodiac signs and limited mintage.
• Accessories: Tools to handle and admire your coins including microscopes, gloves, tongs and cases.
Coin Mercantile also carries pendants, necklaces and earrings. When I checked out their site they also had an Australia 2011 silver bullion bar.
One of the neatest coin “themes” they have is their Unique Word Coins. This is where you can find the titanium and tantalum coins, as well as coins with holograms, inserts, color and coins made up of 2 metals. It’s a great section to browse if you’re a fan of more unique, non-traditional coins. They also stock proofs, coins and rounds minted by various world governments, from places as diverse as Kazakhstan, Fiji and the Falkland Islands.
I also liked (and intend to buy) the Australian Sea Life II set of coins. These are silver coins with each sea creature in color. The 2012 series isn’t completely out yet, but you can find the first series (2010).
Overall, Coin Mercantile has a large and diverse inventory that will please just about anyone. All the coin themes were easy to find too, either through the drop down menu at the top or the list in the footer. My only complaint is that that the main navigation at the top was touchy. You move your mouse slightly and it goes away, which can be a pain when you’re into several sub topics and the drop down menu extends below your screen.
CoinMerc.com Checkout, Shipping and Handling
The process of checking out was simple. There are 6 steps in all, starting with signing in as a guest or registering for an account. Next you’ll fill in your billing and shipping information, and then finish up with a quick review before placing your order. Definitely easy enough for first time buyers (which was my case).
Shipping is taken care of within 1-2 business days after the payment is processed. Shipping prices will vary, of course, but for me (WA State/USA) shipping was $3 to $30. The one in the middle ($15) was for 3 days, for a total wait of 4-5 days. Not too bad. But considering I’m right down the street from their main office the shipping prices for me might be significantly different than the prices for you.
CoinMerc.com does ship internationally. There isn’t a minimum order either.
Payment Options That CoinMerc.com Accepts
Payment options that Coin Mercantile accepts include credit card (Discover, Visa, American Express and MasterCard), bank wire, cashier’s check, check and layaway. They also accept PayPal, which for someone like me who does alot of shopping online is a huge plus.
Depending on your payment method there may be minimum order amounts, or maximum spending caps. For example, layaways require a $500 minimum order. Checks and money orders have a $1,000 spending cap, and credit cards have a cap of $8,000 domestic and $4,000 international. So you’ll want to make sure your purchase amount coincides with your payment method before checking out.
CoinMerc.com Support
CoinMerc.com can be contacted via phone, email or through their contact form. I didn’t see a live chat feature which is a little disappointing because for someone who is new to coin collecting, it’d be helpful to be able to ask questions and get answers right away.
That said I sent 3 different messages using their email address, a contact form and a form on one of their product pages. I sent all 3 messages within a few minutes of each other and received a response to each message with 10 minutes total. I was surprised, to say the least, but very impressed. That’s an excellent response time.
Overall Experience With CoinMerc
I’m very impressed with Coin Mercantile. They have a massive inventory with coins of all kinds of themes and genres. But more than that I was impressed with how easy their site was to use, and the speed in which I received help via email. It’s because of this that I look forward to making my coin set purchases with them in the future, and recommend that you check them out for your coin collecting (and investing) needs.
