Name a Coin You Couldn't Buy 3 Of Even If You Had The Money
Manifest_Destiny
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There are a lot of scarce coins out there like 1823 quarters and 1802 half dimes. Here's one from my collecting series - 1853 no arrows quarter. 44,200 minted but most were melted since the weight standard changed Feb 21st, lowering the weight of the minor silver coins. The 1853 no arrows quarter is a truly rare coin but doesn't receive the same attention as the scarce branch mint issues like 1849-o or 1860-s. You would be hard pressed to find more than one for sale at any time, let alone 3.
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Most people don't think of 1853 quarters as scarce until they run into this one. Lucky for this coin no enterprising young "artist" attempted to hand-engrave the missing arrows and rays at any point in its life!
Oh as for a guess, the 1822 Half Eagle. I believe just the 3 known, but not all 3 are for sale -- even if one had the money!
Pattern High Relief 1907 $20s.
They are said to exist, but not a one has surfaced.
Coin Photographer.
1849 Double Eagle.
Poor J.P. Morgan. Turned down!
1873-CC no arrows seated dime.
A trio of unique 1870-S coins
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1875-P Chopmarked Trade Dollar. There is one undisputed example and a few other disputed examples.
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
Two proofs were made, Augustus Humbert kept one for his personal collection (pictured below), and sent the other one to Philly to be kept in the mint cabinet. I assume it’s in the Smithsonian now, it doesn’t have as much color as this one.
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Does not fit the parameters.
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All Of Us
Too bad we can't give hearts-a-flutter emoticons for proof gold like that!
Depends upon any additional specific parameters, mainly the time period.
Most of the examples provided above aren't surprising (for the non-circulating examples) since these are all made rare or at least made scarce.
Since this is the US side of the forum, outside of coins which can be easily identified in the Red Book, the only circulating federal coinage I'd describe as "hard to buy" in multiple (3) if not limited by die variety or condition are a relatively low number of seated coinage and a larger proportion of 19th century gold (Liberty Head and Capped Head).
In world coinage, it's the norm for many series, definitely 19th century and earlier Latin coinage, but much of this potentially or probably due to the much lower price level. I own multiples of date/mint/denomination combinations in my series that don't ever show up for sale except in low quality publicly because I bought the better examples previously which "locks out" practically everyone else.
This is a type of specialization and a very narrow one at that. If specialization is included, the number of candidates is literally in the tens of thousands.
1862 $20 PF65 DCAM. Try finding 3 of those babies!
I don't disagree that it's a specialization but:
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
How about a Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 proof $20 Lib all in 67DCAM?
Love this coin!
Strawberry Leaf Wreath Cent. Only 4 known, seems one comes up for sale every 10 years or so.
Over here on the dark side there are many many Latin American coins like that. It is the norm for many series. Money does not mean much in many cases you simply have to wait like everybody else in line. Of course it helps to have funds once a coin does show up but it will likely not make coins come out of long term collections unless you truly want to pay up and even then I am not sure many would chose to sell.
As for US coins 1913 liberty nickel would be one of them.
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Oh, I didn’t think this was possible but I forgot there’s a 1864 PF67 DCAM, 1866 PF67 DCAM, and a few different Type 3s in PF67 DCAM.
Ordinarily, I would agree this is unattainable, but if I were guessing, you have the ‘64 and ‘66. So, yes it’s totally doable……..for you!😂
Strawberry leaf large cent.
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
1926 DDO FS-101 Mercury Dime. I do not think three have been found yet.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
The 1815 quarter eagle
(Not the penny either)
1964 peace dollar.
My current registry sets:
20th Century Type Set
Virtual DANSCO 7070
Slabbed IHC set - Missing the Anacs Slabbed coins
One is in private hands and two are impounded in the Smithsonian Institute.
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"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I guess I didn't explain my premise very well. I was thinking more along the lines of a rare coin that is collectible but you never see very often. I wasn't really thinking about coins that actually only have 3 or less in existence.
1851 or 1852 Seated dollar straight graded
"Major" varieties, no. But I didn't specify "major" which is subjective too. The OP also didn't specify a number in existence either.
In the non-US series I primarily collect, the mintages aren't usually that low but it's not practical to buy three (3) as indicated in the OP. It depends upon how long you had to find it and how much over "market" you're willing to pay. If someone looks long and hard enough, they can eventually find three of most of these as "dreck" but that's about it.
This is my interpretation of the original intent of this thread, which is why I excluded coinage not struck for circulation or specialization. There isn't anything unusual about the scarcity of most of this coinage.
I looked up the 1853 no arrows quarter on Coin Facts. By my perception, it's a narrower scarcity than other dates (minor difference in the design) but US collectors don't see it this way.
Coin Facts estimates 500 but given the TPG counts and prices, seems to me the number should be fewer. I haven't looked for it, but I agree it's presumably a difficult coin to buy in multiple.
You didn't specify...in the exact same way that the OP didn't specify any guidelines for how to "Name a Coin You Couldn't Buy 3 Of Even If You Had The Money"???
I don't understand why you felt the need to comment on my choice of what I would like to buy 3 of but can't. Your comment was wholly unnecessary and obtuse.
So my #1 comment is still valid...so what? JFC.
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
I wasn't singling you out. I just won't reply to your posts anymore.
Thanks, yeah I think there's far less 1853 NA quarters than 500 in existence. Probably more like 150. I've never seen two for sale in the past few years. Being a Philly issue, it doesn't get much attention.
I would liquidate my assets and sell my soul for that coin, and I still dont think I could afford it. Maybe we can partner on it, but you would have to subsidize the majority of the cost? The coin can come with me every other weekend, have two christmas'? Please say yes.....
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We live close enough- we can share custody!
I know it is nit picking and grade relevant, but try and find:
3 1886-S dimes in AU
3 1842 LG. date quarters in VF
3 1846-O TD halves in 45 or better(detail coins don't count) lol
James
The 74-S WB-4 would be difficult as there only two known to exist at this time. Oops, I guess this doesn't qualify even though it qualifies.
Proof Peace dollars. Pick a year (1921 or 1922). You could possibly acquire one, and eventually perhaps even 3 of them, but it would likely take many years before they came to market.
Even something as "mundane" as a small eagle quarter or small eagle half dollar would be a challenge.
Proof half dimes before 1855.
Very few are known of each date, and they don't come up for sale often.
A $50 Slug in Poor Condition.
Your 20's are awesome FFL. I was surprised to find that only three deep cameo (or ultra cameo) 1906 eagles have been graded at both services. One at PCGS and two at NGC all 66's. Two with CAC approval. Dan saw the PCGS coin at FUN.