My lousy low grade examples. I have shared them here in the past.
1863 Half Dime, Mintage of 18,000
Ugly 1867 Seated Liberty Quarter, Mintage of 20,000
I also have a modern 1977 Barbados 10 Cents from a set with a mintage of just 468. I paid $2.00 for the coin. I'll add photos whenever I take them.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you. https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
@Tramp said:
Does a DDR with an estimated survival estimate of 40 count?
I love that coin but I think you are quite a bit off with your survival estimate. There are probably 200-300 extant. There are >60 straight graded examples just at PCGS.
Here is my 1858 SL High Leaves Proof PF64+....Not designated on the label however.
I do think the population is close to 10. Might not be that high, but when I purchased mine, I went through all auction records I could find and there are a handful out there.
I do have another one in an MS holder (MS65+). It is a proof though, when you look the photoseal info up, Rick Snow has it designated as a Proof.
Ken, your coin used to be an an NGC MS63 holder! Somebody Cherrypicked it and got it attributed correctly!
Why was the mintage figure so low for the 80's Philly 2.5s?
God comes first in everything I do. I’m dedicated to serving Him with my whole life. Coin collecting is just a hobby—but even in that, I seek to honor Him. ✝️
Why was the mintage figure so low for the 80's Philly 2.5s?
I don't know that answer but the low mintages from 1880 through 1885 were a primary reason I was attracted to this series. The last San Franciso $2.5 issue was 1879 - Philadelphia alone produced quarter eagles from 1880 through 1910.
@Tramp said:
Does a DDR with an estimated survival estimate of 40 count?
I love that coin but I think you are quite a bit off with your survival estimate. There are probably 200-300 extant. There are >60 straight graded examples just at PCGS.
Modern date series; Lincoln cents, Jefferson nickels, Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, Kennedy halves and others have extremely low mintages if you can find them with very early die state strikes. But you must have learned, come to understand about what details are rarely seen on the designs, obverse and reverse sides of the coin. VEDS strikes will have proof-like fields/surfaces and visible raised lathe lines, perhaps some frost on the devices. This is what I have learned in 35+ years collecting a single series.
The mintages of VEDS strikes on modern series coins can be as low as an estimated 2500 coins per date depending on when you think wear begins to take place to the working hubs and dies and it occurs very early in the minting process. Such coins can be found in all grades including AU grades with slight wear. You would have had to set your own thresholds and boundaries on what's acceptable! For Jefferson nickels, my series, the US Mint did an excellent job maintaining the exact original designs for 33 years, 1938 to 1970.....but can you locate them? Have you been searching for them?
Here's a PL, VEDS 1962-P in a PCGS MS65FS holder.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
@Tramp said:
Does a DDR with an estimated survival estimate of 40 count?
I love that coin but I think you are quite a bit off with your survival estimate. There are probably 200-300 extant. There are >60 straight graded examples just at PCGS.
I believe I'm looking at it correctly.
I believe those numbers represent those that have been attributed and labeled as DDRs by PCGS. That doesn't include those DDRs that are not labeled as DDRs. PCGS shows 49 different grading and attributions for the DDR alone. How many did NGC, ANACS, and CAC grade and attribute, or not attribute?
@Tramp said:
Does a DDR with an estimated survival estimate of 40 count?
I love that coin but I think you are quite a bit off with your survival estimate. There are probably 200-300 extant. There are >60 straight graded examples just at PCGS.
I believe I'm looking at it correctly.
I believe those numbers represent those that have been attributed and labeled as DDRs by PCGS. That doesn't include those DDRs that are not labeled as DDRs. PCGS shows 49 different grading and attributions for the DDR alone. How many did NGC, ANACS, and CAC grade and attribute, or not attribute?
@Tramp said:
Does a DDR with an estimated survival estimate of 40 count?
I love that coin but I think you are quite a bit off with your survival estimate. There are probably 200-300 extant. There are >60 straight graded examples just at PCGS.
I believe I'm looking at it correctly.
I believe those numbers represent those that have been attributed and labeled as DDRs by PCGS. That doesn't include those DDRs that are not labeled as DDRs. PCGS shows 49 different grading and attributions for the DDR alone. How many did NGC, ANACS, and CAC grade and attribute, or not attribute?
Couple of things. First of all, here are the current pop reports:
But also, Coinfacts is just wrong. The entire trade dollar series has been riddled with misinformation and miscomprehensions for decades. Hopefully things get corrected with the publishing of @keoj 's book but it will take a long time to clean everything up. And, as we've seen recently, PCGS is in no hurry to fix errors of any kind on their various technological platforms.
For the record, Coinfacts also shows total survival for all 1876-CCs as 300 when between just PCGS & NGC there are over 600 certified.
@Tramp said:
Does a DDR with an estimated survival estimate of 40 count?
I love that coin but I think you are quite a bit off with your survival estimate. There are probably 200-300 extant. There are >60 straight graded examples just at PCGS.
I believe I'm looking at it correctly.
I believe those numbers represent those that have been attributed and labeled as DDRs by PCGS. That doesn't include those DDRs that are not labeled as DDRs. PCGS shows 49 different grading and attributions for the DDR alone. How many did NGC, ANACS, and CAC grade and attribute, or not attribute?
Sorry to tell you this, but PCGS CoinFacts population estimates are NOT RELIABLE AT ALL. For example, the 1842-O small date and letters half has a PCGS population estimate of 100 coins when there are 104 tallied in their PCGS population count alone without considering the 45 or so NGC examples. Then there are others in ANACS and other TPGs holders, as well as other ungraded examples. I'd guess that there are at least 250 examples out there, not the 100 coins that PCGS estimates exist.
Agree with you completely Barbarian, many of us have collected/studied our special area of expertise for 20, 30 or more years and have a better idea of the rarity/population than published data. The pop reports are inflated in virtually every series.
@Coinbert said:
Agree with you completely Barbarian, many of us have collected/studied our special area of expertise for 20, 30 or more years and have a better idea of the rarity/population than published data. The pop reports are inflated in virtually every series.
It appears you are arguing my point; fewer not more. Sure crack outs, resubmissions to PCGS' and resubmissions to different TPGs mess with the total populations leading to inflated numbers, meaning there is likely fewer, not more.
We can also agree I've only referred to estimated survival in my comments, not population. We can also agree that PCGS differentiates between the data used for population vs estimated survival.
Comments
My lousy low grade examples. I have shared them here in the past.
1863 Half Dime, Mintage of 18,000

Ugly 1867 Seated Liberty Quarter, Mintage of 20,000

I also have a modern 1977 Barbados 10 Cents from a set with a mintage of just 468. I paid $2.00 for the coin. I'll add photos whenever I take them.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
As PerryHall said surviving population number is more important, I am not sure how many such Connecticut copper mint error survived.
I love that coin but I think you are quite a bit off with your survival estimate. There are probably 200-300 extant. There are >60 straight graded examples just at PCGS.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Here is my 1858 SL High Leaves Proof PF64+....Not designated on the label however.

I do think the population is close to 10. Might not be that high, but when I purchased mine, I went through all auction records I could find and there are a handful out there.
I do have another one in an MS holder (MS65+). It is a proof though, when you look the photoseal info up, Rick Snow has it designated as a Proof.
Ken, your coin used to be an an NGC MS63 holder! Somebody Cherrypicked it and got it attributed correctly!
640


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
Why was the mintage figure so low for the 80's Philly 2.5s?
God comes first in everything I do. I’m dedicated to serving Him with my whole life. Coin collecting is just a hobby—but even in that, I seek to honor Him. ✝️
I don't know that answer but the low mintages from 1880 through 1885 were a primary reason I was attracted to this series. The last San Franciso $2.5 issue was 1879 - Philadelphia alone produced quarter eagles from 1880 through 1910.
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
1873 No Arrows, Seated Liberty Half, Open 3. Mintage unknown but less than 50 examples graded. Mine is a PCGS graded PO01.
If I had it my way, stupidity would be painful!
I believe I'm looking at it correctly.
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)
Modern date series; Lincoln cents, Jefferson nickels, Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, Kennedy halves and others have extremely low mintages if you can find them with very early die state strikes. But you must have learned, come to understand about what details are rarely seen on the designs, obverse and reverse sides of the coin. VEDS strikes will have proof-like fields/surfaces and visible raised lathe lines, perhaps some frost on the devices. This is what I have learned in 35+ years collecting a single series.

The mintages of VEDS strikes on modern series coins can be as low as an estimated 2500 coins per date depending on when you think wear begins to take place to the working hubs and dies and it occurs very early in the minting process. Such coins can be found in all grades including AU grades with slight wear. You would have had to set your own thresholds and boundaries on what's acceptable! For Jefferson nickels, my series, the US Mint did an excellent job maintaining the exact original designs for 33 years, 1938 to 1970.....but can you locate them? Have you been searching for them?
Here's a PL, VEDS 1962-P in a PCGS MS65FS holder.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
...> @Tramp said:
I believe those numbers represent those that have been attributed and labeled as DDRs by PCGS. That doesn't include those DDRs that are not labeled as DDRs. PCGS shows 49 different grading and attributions for the DDR alone. How many did NGC, ANACS, and CAC grade and attribute, or not attribute?
PCGS' explanation:
https://www.pcgs.com/news/tips-on-using-pcgs-coinfacts-8
It would appear that PCGS' does take into account coins graded by other TPG's, uncertified raw #, etc. for their estimated survival numbers.
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)
Couple of things. First of all, here are the current pop reports:
But also, Coinfacts is just wrong. The entire trade dollar series has been riddled with misinformation and miscomprehensions for decades. Hopefully things get corrected with the publishing of @keoj 's book but it will take a long time to clean everything up. And, as we've seen recently, PCGS is in no hurry to fix errors of any kind on their various technological platforms.
For the record, Coinfacts also shows total survival for all 1876-CCs as 300 when between just PCGS & NGC there are over 600 certified.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Sorry to tell you this, but PCGS CoinFacts population estimates are NOT RELIABLE AT ALL. For example, the 1842-O small date and letters half has a PCGS population estimate of 100 coins when there are 104 tallied in their PCGS population count alone without considering the 45 or so NGC examples. Then there are others in ANACS and other TPGs holders, as well as other ungraded examples. I'd guess that there are at least 250 examples out there, not the 100 coins that PCGS estimates exist.
Agree with you completely Barbarian, many of us have collected/studied our special area of expertise for 20, 30 or more years and have a better idea of the rarity/population than published data. The pop reports are inflated in virtually every series.
Or, as in this case, deflated.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
It appears you are arguing my point; fewer not more. Sure crack outs, resubmissions to PCGS' and resubmissions to different TPGs mess with the total populations leading to inflated numbers, meaning there is likely fewer, not more.
We can also agree I've only referred to estimated survival in my comments, not population. We can also agree that PCGS differentiates between the data used for population vs estimated survival.
If PCGS' data is unreliable so be it.
I appreciate the discussion.
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)
http://ProofCollection.Net
13,000 mintage:
My YouTube Channel
No mintage figures. Only 71 in pop.-all grades.


600 (same coin, sorry for the phone pics, it’s pretty in hand)



