What makes a coin "special" to you?

topstuf

Got a personal thing that makes it a keeper?

ctf_error_coins

I go for Unique coins so I chose rarity.

ricko

For me, it is a combination of design, condition, rarity and last, cost. Normally, no single parameter is a decision point....so therefore, I could not really vote in this poll. Cheers, RickO

Catbert

Eye appeal. I see that’s not an option......oh well.

topstuf

@ricko said:
For me, it is a combination of design, condition, rarity and last, cost. Normally, no single parameter is a decision point....so therefore, I could not really vote in this poll. Cheers, RickO

Picking a ....primary....choice would make it an interesting poll.
You mention design first. Would that be the overriding point for you?

topstuf

I consider the whole spectrum also, but ain't nobody gettin the 1908-s penny I got from Grammaw!

ricko

@topstuf ...Probably... though I have passed on design for condition.... and also passed on condition for design.... really hard to say since it is the overall coin that rings the 'buy' bell in my mind....Cheers, RickO

keets

what makes a coin "Special" to me is one that combines all of the characteristics mentioned in the OP plus other qualities.

ARCO

A coin that you do not lose money on when you sell.

1630Boston

I did not vote because if I cannot put it into words, there is no way I can pick one answer.

Oldhoopster

I'm drawn to coins that are tied to a significant historical event or era that I find interesting. A CWT with a portrait of George McClellan, a Judea Capta Denarius of Vespasian, an 1848 CAL. quarter eagle (I don't have one), an Athenian Owl, German Notgeld. You get the idea. I like researching and understanding the history behind the coins I consider special. Even though a lot of my special coins won't increase in value as much as some rarites, I've received a tremendous amount of value in the form of knowledge. That's why I still collect coins after all these years

markelman1125

Love these designs. Absolutely beautiful coins. I use rarity as my chose as well so if there was an option to chose rarity and design I would do that option

FranklinHalfAddict

All of the above, minus the cost.

topstuf

@1630Boston said:
I did not vote because if I cannot put it into words, there is no way I can pick one answer.

This isn't Trump/Hillary, you know.

toyz4geo

It has to "call" out to me......if that makes any sense.

Aercus

I chose rarity as it fits best. That doesn't just mean design rarity. It can be an exceptionally struck, beautifully toned buff, for instance. Anything that makes the coin pop out of the display case at you.

johnny9434

eye appeal and how It looks to me. some of the others up top might make the cut up top later, fwiw

MFeld

Extraordinary quality and/or beauty and/or originality and/or something that I have very rarely, if ever, seen before.

Edited to add:
I’m embarrassed to say that I left out, what for me, is by far, the most important consideration of all - a personal/sentimental connection. I currently own just one coin (which I have posted about previously, though not recently).

It’s a 1909-S Saint that my great uncle, B. Max Mehl, gave to my grandmother as a wedding gift and which she left to me. Her birth year was 1909 and the coin is accompanied by a small envelope, on which appears a handwritten note of congratulations to her from him. It’s a keeper😊

asheland

Most of the above combined for me.

BillDugan1959

@Oldhoopster You said it best for me, although I have some coins that are simply commercial/economic/savings vehicles.

Treashunt

easy:
The fact that I own it.

Walkerfan

ALL of the above.

Design, rarity, grade, history, strike, luster, eye appeal, etc.....

Also, certain coins may have personal significance, such as, birth year, anniversary, when you acquired it, from whom you acquired it, etc.

topstuf

@Walkerfan said:
ALL of the above.

Design, rarity, grade, history, strike, luster, eye appeal, etc.....

Also, certain coins may have personal significance, such as, birth year, anniversary, when you acquired it, from whom you acquired it, etc.

You may consider that the 6th option.

WCC

I answered rarity but with a caveat. I don't buy designs I dislike, the one I almost exclusively buy is my favorite. but I am concurrently not interested in more than a very low proportion that are easy to buy. My definition of "easy to buy" includes the "descriptors" and specialization currently prevalent in US collecting..

joeykoins

"Rarity" means CASH!

ThreeCentSilverFL

I have coins that mean a lot to me because my family owned them. Then I have coins that mean a lot to me because they are connected to my birth state. Finally I have coins that mean a lot to me because I feel like I got a good deal. Then there are all the rest, which I like too 😃.

ReadyFireAim

Toned &/or dirty saints w/ pretty faces.

Smudge

Don't forget popularity of the coin.

bidask

Historically significance .

bsshog40

I don't really consider much that I have as special. Of course, I am a low budget collect. So what I would consider special is a coin with sentimental value. I have 1 of those.

Nap

Rarity makes a coin desirable.

Condition makes a coin valuable.

History makes a coin interesting.

Provenance makes a coin special.

happycollecting

Eye appeal is #1... this is the reason I hold onto a coin.
Since there is no such choice in the pool, I'll choose rarity instead.

Walkerfan

@bsshog40 said:
I don't really consider much that I have as special. Of course, I am a low budget collect. So what I would consider special is a coin with sentimental value. I have 1 of those.

I really like your gold Indian that you have posted here before in NGC 62. It's a beautiful piece. I would certainly call it special.

PerryHall

When it comes to coins, I have trouble defining "special" but I certainly know it when I see it.

divecchia

@toyz4geo said:
It has to "call" out to me......if that makes any sense.

All my coins are special to me. The above statement makes a lot of sense to me as this is how I buy all my coins. I have the hardest time getting this across to the dealers at the shows.

Donato

lkenefic

FWIW I said "how I got it"... there are some coins in my collection that i got from my grandfather when I first started collecting coins as a kid.

Then, there are others that are a combination of rarity, quality, and price that make them "special".

ctf_error_coins

Eye Appeal, Uniqueness, Rarity, and Design in that order.

This coin has all 4 .....

BustDMs

My answers are not in your poll.

Surfaces and/or provenance. Cherrypick would be a close third.

cameonut2011

Of the choices, I selected rarity. Before seeing the options, I would have selected unusually superb eye appeal.

jkrk

For me it's about history. I'm still searching for the 1933 St Gaudens within my price range.

happycollecting

Year of birth, year when I met the other half, and anniversary will also make a coin "special" to me.
Surely have to be rare as well.

This one is special to me. 2001 is my son's birth year. I'm keeping something rare and cool for him. Hope he'll eventually get hooked into coin collecting.

Kccoin

when they talk to you, and give you that special feeling

ctf_error_coins

@happycollecting said:
Year of birth, year when I met the other half, and anniversary will also make a coin "special" to me.
Surely have to be rare as well.

This one is special to me. 2001 is my son's birth year. I'm keeping something rare and cool for him. Hope he'll eventually get hooked into coin collecting.

Happy, birth years and major error coinage have always gone together for me. Fortunately for you and your son, 2001 was a great year for error coins.

All for members of my immediate family all have birth years with great major error coinage.

I am so amazed that 2007 turn out to be a year for extreme major error coinage which also happens to be my son's birth year.

nags

It's the history for me. Either how the coin was acquired, or the tales the coin could tell.

marcmoish

@topstuf said:
Got a personal thing that makes it a keeper?

Yes, anything @ricko does NOT like.

But seriously you missing the EA option, because that is mine.

No Headlights

Love it when a coin I bought raw grades as I thought it would. Nice to get some affirmation of my coin eye
Add a CAC sticker and that’s a special coin in my book

asheland

Only certain coins would I consider special but my latest pick up certainly is special to me. I first heard about this coin in 2012 and was always intrigued by it, this past Monday is was available to me and I jumped on it!

asheland