What Happens If a Coin Is Harder to Resell Than Expected?

We call this a Liquidity Trap. You buy a coin (usually a "limited edition" from a private mint), thinking it's unique. When you go to sell it, dealers say: "I don't know what this is. I'll give you Spot minus $2."

Common Liquidity Traps

1. Painted/Colorized Coins: People think they are "art." Dealers consider them "damaged" because the paint hides the surface.
2. Odd Weights: 1.5 oz coins or 4 oz bars. They are mathematically annoying to calculate, so people avoid them.
3. Obscure Private Mints: If the mint went out of business 10 years ago and had a bad reputation for purity, nobody will touch their bars without drilling them.

The Exit Strategy

If you satisfy yourself that you own a "Trap Coin":

1. Don't hide it. It won't get better with age.
2. Trade for Weight. Go to a coin show. Find a dealer who has a "Junk Bin." Ask if you can trade your weird bar for generic rounds. You might pay a small fee, but you move from "Illiquid" to "Liquid."
3. Melt It. In extreme cases, selling it as "scrap silver" to a refiner is the only way out.

Lesson: Boring is Liquid. Weird is Sticky.