CurioShelf Guide

Coins Paper Money Picks: Silver, Medal, Book, and Scrap Electronics Compared

A shopper-focused comparison of four coins paper money-adjacent collectibles, from a low-priced SpongeBob silver art card to a Hawaii statehood sterling silver medal.

Last updated Jul 23

Choosing in coins paper money can get tricky because the options are not always direct substitutes. In this group, one item is a sterling silver statehood medal, one is a paper money history book, one is a tiny colorized silver art card collectible, and one is scrap electronics positioned for art, collecting, or gold recovery. The right pick depends less on a single "best" item and more on whether you want a displayable medal, a reading reference, a novelty silver piece, or recovery-oriented material.

Quick take

  • Best for a traditional medal focus: the 1959 Hawaii Statehood 50th State .925 Sterling Silver Medal 134.5 g 63.5 mm diam, because it is an uncirculated sterling silver medal tied to Hawaii statehood.
  • Best for learning and reference: All the Money in the World Douglas Mudd Paper Money Art History Numismatics 1st, because it centers on paper money, art history, and numismatics in book form.
  • Best for a small novelty silver collectible: the Spongebob 1GRAIN .999 FS Colorized Art Card Basketball Style Collectible, because it combines a SpongeBob basketball theme with .999 silver and a 1 grain format.
  • Best for nontraditional collecting or recovery interest: the 5 PC 2lb 12oz High Grade Telecom Board, For Art, Collectible Or Gold Recovery, because it is explicitly positioned as scrap electronics for art, collecting, or gold recovery.

Listed price comparison

The price range here runs from $6.99 to $495, so the lowest listed option is about 99% below the highest listed option. That spread matters: a shopper choosing a small themed silver collectible is making a very different decision than a shopper considering a large sterling silver medal.

ItemListed priceRelative price
Spongebob 1GRAIN .999 FS Colorized Art Card Basketball Style CollectibleUSD 6.99
All the Money in the World Douglas Mudd Paper Money Art History Numismatics 1stUSD 15.00
5 PC 2lb 12oz High Grade Telecom Board, For Art, Collectible Or Gold RecoveryUSD 58.00
1959 Hawaii Statehood 50th State .925 Sterling Silver Medal 134.5 g 63.5 mm diamUSD 495.00

Decision matrix

Shopper priorityStrongest fitWhy it fitsTrade-off to accept
A medal with a statehood theme1959 Hawaii Statehood 50th State sterling silver medalIt is identified as a 1959 Hawaii statehood medal, uncirculated, with sterling silver composition and .925 fineness.It sits at the top of this group's price spread.
Paper money context and historyAll the Money in the World by Douglas MuddIt is a first edition book in English from HarperCollins, with paper money, art history, and numismatics in the title and description.It is reading material rather than a coin, note, medal, or silver bar.
A small themed silver pieceSpongebob 1GRAIN .999 FS Colorized Art Card Basketball Style CollectibleIt is listed as a colorized art card basketball-style collectible with silver composition and .999 fineness.The precious metal content is listed as 1GR, so the appeal is more about theme and format than large metal weight.
Art, collecting, or gold recovery material5 PC 2lb 12oz High Grade Telecom BoardThe title points directly to art, collectible use, or gold recovery, and the type is scrap electronics.It is not a standard coins paper money piece like a medal, paper money book, or bar.

Concise product notes

1959 Hawaii Statehood 50th State .925 Sterling Silver Medal 134.5 g 63.5 mm diam

This is the most traditional collectible-object choice in the set: a Medallic Art Co. medal tied to Hawaii becoming the 50th state. The appeal is concrete for medal shoppers because the title names the year, statehood theme, sterling silver composition, weight, and diameter, while the attributes add uncirculated status and .925 fineness. It is also the clearest fit for someone who wants a single display-oriented numismatic medal rather than a book or themed novelty piece. The limitation is equally clear: it is the highest-priced item in this comparison, so it makes the most sense when the Hawaii statehood subject and sterling silver medal format are the main draw.

All the Money in the World Douglas Mudd Paper Money Art History Numismatics 1st

This book is the strongest pick for a shopper who wants context around currency rather than another object to store in a coin box. The title and description connect Douglas Mudd's work to paper money, art history, and numismatics, and the attributes identify it as English-language, HarperCollins, and a first edition. That makes it useful as a reading-centered addition for collectors who enjoy the stories, designs, and historical background behind money. Its limitation is that it does not add a coin, medal, note, bar, or precious-metal piece to a collection; it is best judged as a collectible book and reference-style purchase.

5 PC 2lb 12oz High Grade Telecom Board, For Art, Collectible Or Gold Recovery

The telecom board set is the outlier, but it has a clear audience. Its title directly frames it for art, collecting, or gold recovery, and the attributes identify the type as scrap electronics with gold composition. For shoppers who collect unusual materials, build display or art projects, or are specifically interested in electronics recovery themes, it offers a different kind of object than the medal, book, or small silver bar. The trade-off is that it is not a conventional coins paper money collectible. Anyone focused on medals, paper currency, or bullion-style pieces may find the scrap electronics format too far from the center of the category.

Spongebob 1GRAIN .999 FS Colorized Art Card Basketball Style Collectible

This is the lightest-entry choice for a themed silver collectible. Its concrete appeal is the combination of SpongeBob styling, basketball art-card format, silver composition, .999 fineness, and a 1 grain precious metal content. That makes it especially suited to someone who likes character-themed pieces or wants a small silver novelty rather than a larger medal. The limitation is built into the same details: it is listed as uncertified and the metal amount is tiny, so the reason to choose it is the art-card concept and theme, not a large precious-metal presence or formal certification.

How to choose between them

Start with the object type. If you want a classic medal, the Hawaii statehood piece stands apart because the title and attributes align around a specific commemorative subject, sterling silver, and medal format. If you want to understand currency design and history, Douglas Mudd's book is the more sensible choice because it is explicitly about paper money, art history, and numismatics.

If you are choosing mainly by price, the two lowest listed choices are very different in purpose. The SpongeBob art card is a physical silver collectible with a pop-culture and basketball angle, while the Douglas Mudd book is a reading and reference item. Moving up the price range brings in the telecom boards, which are less about coins or paper money and more about scrap electronics with art, collectible, or recovery potential. At the top of the spread is the Hawaii medal, which asks the shopper to care specifically about the 1959 statehood subject and the sterling silver medal format.

Final recommendation

For the most category-centered collectible, choose the 1959 Hawaii Statehood 50th State .925 Sterling Silver Medal 134.5 g 63.5 mm diam if the top price in the group fits your plan and you want an uncirculated .925 sterling silver medal. For a lower-cost way to deepen a collection through knowledge, pick All the Money in the World Douglas Mudd Paper Money Art History Numismatics 1st. For a small themed silver item, the Spongebob 1GRAIN .999 FS Colorized Art Card Basketball Style Collectible is the straightforward novelty pick. Choose the 5 PC 2lb 12oz High Grade Telecom Board only if art use, collecting unusual electronics, or gold recovery is the point of the purchase.

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