Friday night coin fun - The scarcest business strike US coin in my collection... (post yours)
RYK
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The scarcest business strike US coin in my collection that can be found in a Redbook from pre-1980 has a PCGS CoinFacts survival estimate of...
TBA
You show my yours, and I will show you mine. 
Exclusions: cherrypicker variety, VAMs, minor error, electron microscope-assisted findings, etc.
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You can probably tell what mine is without seeing it. Mintage 1,600. Estimated survival in all grades ~1,000, 650 of which are 65 or better.
Mintage of 26k, roughly 100 known:
But if varieties count, mintage 750-1250, 10 known:
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
This made me curious - what are some of the lowest known mintage business strike US coins, by denomination?
Maybe a little different from current scarcest (which also involves survival).
None of these have shown up in my collection yet.
Lowest mintage coin in my collection is an 1838-O half dime, mintage 70,000.
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End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All Of Us
1870-S $3???????
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
Does not have a known mintage. (Ditto for the 1870-S half dime and 1870-S dollar).
Still a pretty scarce coin.
1866 $2.50 Mintage 3,080 Survival Estimate 40
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/gold/liberty-head-2-1-gold-major-sets/liberty-head-2-1-gold-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1840-1907-cac/alltimeset/268163
Mintage: 3888
Survival estimate: 32, all grades
1844 Seated Dollar.
20,000 minted.
50 known in all mint state grades at PCGS and NGC combined.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
I have 13 Liberty eagles with a mintage of less than 10,000 and 20 eagles with a CF survival estimate less than 83. Most of the SF eagles were minted to replenish the Bullion Fund. So, I have a split answer.
Lowest mintage is 3750 for 1866:
And the fewest Cf survival estimate is 27 for 1865-s normal date (which I think is low):
Low estimates for the 1856 MS FE. Here’s mine:
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
After I read your post I did a double take on the date thinking this thread was rare from 03 or something Anyways that coin is crazy rare.
Gotta love that ‘66 Fairmont Eagle, just a beautiful coin!
Congrats!👍
1866-S
1866 half dime, mintage 10,000
Collector of Liberty Seated Half Dimes, including die pairs and die states
From a mintage of 1000. Or it could be an impaired proof from a mintage of 3,790, probably the scarcest I have either way!
Two classic SF rarities. The 74-s and 01-s half dollars. The 74-s is 66+, and the 01-s is 67+
None of my regular issue coins are really all that scarce…hence my preference for pioneer gold. In accordance with the parameters of the thread, I guess it would be this one. Original montage just over 5k, 4-500 survivors accounted for today (most of them suck, however).
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I've posted this one before... Mintage: 127,840... ~200 surviving in all grades...
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
Maybe this
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Survival estimate - 95
When I first read it I thought it said scariest.
Here are a few
Mintage 34920; 80 survivors
Mintage 4164; 75 survivors
Mintage 3990; 90 survivors
60 known
12,000 minted, about 54 currently known.
561,000 minted, ~1500 estimated to survive. This isn’t as good as many of the coins on this page, but it’s the best that I’ve got.
God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.
8k minted, Doug Winter estimates around 75 known, and this is the only gold bean for the issue. Perhaps the scarcest denomination made by the San Francisco mint in 1870 that isn’t unobtanium.
Her older sister for me, similar mintage: 13,000 minted
https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/detail/4386
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@yosclimber In your list the Gold Dollar should be 1875. My uglies. Still like to have a holed one.
This is a fun thread. I don't own any true rarities and in looking through my collection based upon estimated survival rates, this is the best I could come up with (PCGS 8.5 rarity in MS60 and above). MS62:
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Wow, nice coin @Catbert . You should probably revisit the definition of scarcest. James
The 1798 small 8 dime has long been a major variety in the Redbook. Mintage for year 27.550, Coinfacts says 50 all grades, VIG says "at least 30" and PCGS has graded 29:
For a date. my scarcest is the 1804 dime with a mintage of 8265. Coinfacts estimates 95 survivors for both die marriages, VIG gives an estimate range of 100-125. PCGS has graded 50 1804 dimes. This would be a good study for a one date book, as was done with the 1794 dollar, 1802 half dimes, and 1796 and 1797 half dollars.
The 1797 half dollar was delivered mixed in with the 1796, Tompkins estimated 1984 were struck dated 1797. Amato identified 128 survivors, and around 12 more have been found since his book was published:
For gold, my scarcest is the 1800 Eagle $10 with a reported mintage (deliveries) in that date of 5999. However, there was a remarriage in 1801, Dannreuther estimates somewhere between 6000-12000 dated 1800 were struck. Coinfacts estimates 250 survive. Nice engraving by Robert Scot for all of these silver and gold designs:
With a mintage of 5,000, this may be my rarest.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/mycoinfacts/indian-princess-3-1854-1889/3393600/146735
Indian Head $10 Gold Date Set Album
A nickel coin! What happened to them?
What happened to them?
Most of the SF eagles were minted to replenish the Bullion Fund.
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Can you tell us more about the Bullion Fund?
Are these scarce?
Empty Nest Collection
Matt’s Mattes
This is my scarcest coin with a mintage of 13,140,102 but only 44 in MS67.
1855-C $2.50 PCGS VF20. Mintage 3,677, estimated survival in all grades 90.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
... > @DisneyFan said:
Perhaps the lack of interest in collecting branch mints and having relatively few collectors in the west. Most feel they simply disappeared in commerce, though some speculate that perhaps some of the coins were melted.
@DisneyFan: Bullion Fund.
I am referring to my period of collecting interest, namely the first SF Mint 1854-1874.
The Bullion Fund is an account of the Mint's transactions of dust, bars and coin plus some miscellaneous things like sweepings. The Mint coined $10 eagles periodically to replenish the Bullion Fund. Think if this as petty cash on hand.
Look at the mintages of eagles and double eagles during this period and you see the great demand for double eagles. Significant quantity of eagles was only coined in 1854(123,826) and 1856(68,000), plus a couple other blips above 15,000.
A customer (a bank or miner) brought dust to the Mint and could request unparted bars, parted bars or coin in return. The Mint would assay the deposit and determine the value of the deposit. This took time. The Mint was not a convenience store!! Customers hand to wait a longer time to receive coin and the length of time also depended on the amount and type of coin available at the sub-Treasury/Customs House. My understanding is this wait was typically about 2 weeks when things were running smoothly. Things did not run smoothly for this Mint often in its first 5-10 years.
Double eagles were in great demand and coined by the Mint constantly. Eagles were not, except for the 2 years mentioned. Eagle deliveries were sporadic: 1, 2 or 3 deliveries per year. Deliveries were standard (5,000) or odd (800, 2500...) amounts. I am reading the tea leaves when I say the eagles were coined to replenish the Bullion Fund. Having eagles available provided better customer service.
This is my quick take on things. Others may fill in the gaps or add details. Ramping up production at this Mint was complicated and difficult given shortages of parting acids, production bottlenecks, etc.
1797 $2 1/2 mintage 427 with approximately 27 survivors per PCGS. PCGS has graded 22 coins total and CAC has approved 6 coins.
Flashy PL early motto New Orleans eagle penalized for being baggy which they all are. Not very common
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Mintage 10,890 with an estimated 80 survivors and most have problems, including my VF details example.
Without taking a deep dive and looking into this further-and excluding Commems- I think it is an 1862 Seated Dollar- 11,540
Mine was graded AU50 by NGC
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6,000 minted
I think this is my lowest mintage business strike at 8000
Possibly this thing if 5000 is actually accurate.
This is fun!
My two:
Survival estimated: 60 in MS60 or better
Rarity 8.4
This one may not fit the OPs rules:
Survival estimated: 40 in all grades
Rarity 8.7
DDR
Without the DDR the estimated survival is still only 300 in all grades out of 509,000 produced.
USAF (Ret.) 1985 - 2005. E-4B Aircraft Maintenance Crew Chief and Contracting Officer.
My current Registry sets:
✓ Everyman Mint State Carson City Morgan Dollars (1878 – 1893)
✓ Everyman Mint State Lincoln Cents (1909 – 1958)
✓ Morgan Dollar GSA Hoard (1878 – 1891)