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Among my top five worst coin investments are modified coins, such as genuine U.S. Mint products that have been altered by adding holographics or coloring. These coins are generally considered "damaged" by serious coin collectors, and you will only get the bullion value when you go to sell them, if that. I have heard of dealers discounting them because of the added impurities that the paint and other crap applied to the coins adds to the metal.
According to many experts, the best type of investment coins are rarer, key date coins issued by the United States, in the best grade you can afford to buy them in. If you can't afford to shell out $2,000 a coin to buy key dates in high grades, then buy common coins in the finest grades you can. Lower grade, common coins have historically not appreciated as much in value as key date coins do, so they are probably not a good investment choice (although they're great for filling up the holes in albums, especially with kids helping out!)
Buy Krugerrand gold coins.

The first rule is � no matter the coin � never use harsh abrasives like silver polish. Abrasives scrape the top layer off of whatever they are polishing, and in the case of a coin, that top layer contains all of its detail and hence its numismatic value. Polishing in this way will leave the surface of the coin covered with tiny pits and scratches, not exactly conducive to preserving the coin's value. If you clean the coin using an abrasive, you'll get a shiny coin, but it will not be a coin that collectors are interested in. To see for yourself, try it on a penny, especially one from before 1982 (when they were 95% copper). The coin will be shiny and clean, but if you compare it to a similar coin, you will see that it also looks unnatural. Shiny, yes, but it will not look like it looked naturally when it was minted. Collectors eschew coins that don't look natural.
Buy Morgan silver dollars for a great investment.

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Keep an eye on gold mining stocks - MoneyWeek

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:01:49 GMT

Keep an eye on gold mining stocks
MoneyWeek, UK - Jan 9, 2009
One of his specialties is rare, collectible coins. He's been in the business for decades, so he has a great feel for the precious-metals market. ...