Back to coins - Rarities

Blade

This should some fun questions.

How many of you own a key date to a series?

Do you also own a major rarity across all series? (TDN & Stewart Blay should have some great answers here)

What is the lowest mintage coin that you own?

Personally, I just got back into collecting this year so most of my collection is "kid's stuff". I do have a VG 1914-D cent. I did have a moment of weakness where I almost bought a 1916 SLQ, but decided it was outside my budget.

kranky

I have no key dates in any series. I guess the lowest mintage coin I have is a 1938 proof Walker (about 8,000).

Blade

Kranky,
That is an awesome coin. It is also my Dad's favorite series, and since he was born in 1939, I hope to someday buy a proof 1939 Walker for him.

KlectorKid

I dont own any key dates but i would be glad to take a few of some of your hands *cough* TDN *cough*

oldcameoproofsguy

I am collecting the Barber quarter proofs by series. The mintages run from 380 for the 1914 to 1245 for the 1892. Since I don't have a 1914 yet the current lowest mintage coin that I own is the 1910 with 551 coins.

Every coin in the series is a key date. Nice examples, especially CAM or DCAM examples are very difficult to find and most are rare to extremely rare. I have an 1894 PR66DCAM on the way that is the only DCAM graded so far by the PCGS. I'll post a picture in a couple of days when I have the coin.

BillJones

I am mostly a type collector. The only series that I have in my collection are a complete set of Lincoln cents that I started as a child and finished as a young man, (I’m not a big Lincoln cent fan although I admire the man tremendously.) and a complete set of Indian $2.50 gold pieces in raw AU and low end Mint State. I also have a 50 piece type set of the “old” commemorative silver coins, all slabbed.

My copper, nickel and silver type set is complete for major types, except for 1796-7 half dollar. That one has been beyond my financial means in decent condition, and I refuse to buy a piece of junk (worn almost slick, holed or mutilated). My gold type set lacks many of the early pieces. I have a Chain Cent, a Wreath Cent, a 1796 quarter, 1804 quarter eagle and a 1907 High Relief $20 gold among many others. For a type collector, those are all “key coins.”

My lowest mintage coin is a 1792 half disme with an estimated mintage of 1,500. I have quite a few Civil War tokens with estimated populations of 20 pieces or less. If you want to count proof mintages as separate entities I have the Barber Proofs with mintages of 650 or less.

You won’t find any high grade modern coins in my collection unless they are hiding out in my Proof sets or modern commemorative coins. All of my modern are raw and still in their government packages, including a couple of commemorative sets in cherrywood "caskets." I much prefer the government packaging to slabs. I've attached a picture of the Atlanta Olympics cherrywood "casket." Anyone who purchased this set at the government issue price, which I did not do, is "buried." Still it is a fun set despite the fact that it is too big. I hope the government will never issue such a large set ever again.

greghansen

Got a few Merc. AG 16'D's. Got a nice MS-63 '34-S Peace Dollar which is a key in the Mint State grades. Nice AU-53 '92-S Morgan which is kind of key at that grade level. A few AU 3 legged Buffaloes. I guess my lowest mintage coin is a Proof 64 1883 Trade Dollar listed @ 979 pieces.

I like the key dates in circulated conditions. I think you make fewer grading errors. Easier to spot the difference between VF/XF than MS 64/65 in my opinion. Also, if you don't have to worry about fingerprints on mint state coins....it's kind of nice to actually be able to touch and hold your key date coins.

Greg Hansen
Melbourne, FL

DoubleDime

I have several key date coins:

Indian Head Cent - 1877 & 1908-S
Lincoln cent - 1909-S V.D.B. & 1914-D
Liberty Head Nickel - 1885
"Mercury" Dime - 1916-D
Liberty Head Quarter - 1901-S & 1913-S
Standing Liberty Quarter - 1916

Lowest mintage collector coin - 1936-D Boone Comm. Half ( 5,005 )

lowest mintage regular issue - 1875 Twenty Cent ( 39,700 )

FC57Coins

With me it's more condition rarity than mintage rarity. I have a complete set of Franklins in MS65/66 FBL with the exception of the 53S, so some of these are pretty rare in their state. The rarest one is the 51D in MS66FBL of which there are only 18 graded at this level. As for the other condition rarity that I presently have it would have to be the 1880CC Morgan that I just got from NGC with a population of 1/1 - even though this is due to the fact that few people have gone to the extent of variety grading the piece that I have

Frank

MadMarty

The big key date I have is an 1895 Proof Morgan PCGS PR62.... Mintage 880

paigowjohnny

I guess my "key" is an 89-CC Morgan...ANACS VF 20.

Jamericon

1908-S and 1909-S Indian, 1914-D Lincoln, 1894 Liberty nickel, 1895-O Morgan, 1864 with L Indian, 1949-D Roosevelt, 1970-D Kennedy. Of course, some of these could be considered semi-keys.

boiler78

1856 flying eagle
1877 indian cent
1916 slq
1907 wire edge $10
1907 rolled edge $10
1907 High Relief

Lowest mintage coin J1510 pattern Morgan half dollar 5 known

tradedollarnut

Lowest mintage coins I own:

1838 Proof Reeded Edge Half (3)
1885 Trade dollar (5)
1884 Trade dollar (10)
1875-S Proof 20 cent (12)
1838-O Half (20)
1836 Gobrecht (name below base) (30+)

EVillageProwler

Some of the keys I own are:

1. 1851 Original S$1 (1,300)
2. 1852 Original S$1 (1,100)
3. 1871-CC S$1 (1,376)
4. 1873-CC S$1 (2,300)
5. 1878-CC T$1 (97,000 with up to 44,148 melted)
6. 1873-CC W/A 10c (18,791)
7. 1852 50c (77,130)

I also own several R.6 and R.7 Early Dollars.

EVP

DIMEMAN

I have all dimes 1796 to date except the 1802 and 1872-CC and these are not the keys. I think the lowest minted dime is the 1867 at 6,000, which I have. I also have the 1873 DDO which is estimated to be about 20 known. I also have the 1868 blundered date proof, don't know the number on these.

Others are the 1885 nickel (AU58) and the 34-S dollar (AU).

RLinn

Only key dates I have are
32-D quarter MS64
32-S quarter MS65 & MS64x2
Also have a 39 Proof half

nwcs

The closest is my mom who has an 1893 morgan in xf45.

jdimmick

All I collect is key-dates, so here are a couple of my favorites in my collection:
All PCGS

1856 FE (s-3)
1909-s VDB
1912-s Lib nickel
1926-s buffalo
1916-d merc
1901-s quarter
1919-s slq FH
1893-s $

Veep

I collect primarily keys also. A few of mine:

1909-S cent
1937-D 3 Leg nickel
1916-D dime
1921-D dime
1932-D quarter
1932-S quarter
1938-D half ***Edited: Whoops! Don't know why I put that in there. Low mintage, but not really a key.
Hawaiian Commem
Grant w/Star Commem

bohica268

Lincoln Cents - 1909 S, 1909 S VDB, 1914 D and 1931 S .

shirohniichan

I own a "semi-key" half eagle with a mintage of 1,100 or so. I think the best estimate of survivors in all grades is between 30 and 70 pieces (OK, so it's not an exact science).

gemtone65

Allowing some flexibility in interpretations:

Key date within series: 1884 quarter; PCGS MS66; Mintage 8875

Major rarity accross series: 1811/10 bust half; PCGS MS66; Mintage unknown; number of other coins graded at or above this coin:0

Lowest Mintage coin: 1871 seated dollar in copper, J1151, likely the Farouk coin (thanks to information recently provided by Broiler78); PCGS PR66; Mintage -- 1; Number of other coins graded at any level -- 0.

Conder101

I own several key date pieces.

How do you define what is a "major rarity across all series"? I have a 1797 S-121a large cent, one of 16 known, An 1802 NC-2 large cent, one of 11 known, A Warwickshire 340bis conder token. only two known (Mine is the finer of the two by about three points), An Inverness 6 conder token, only two known mine is the finest by about 20 points, and the only known Lancashire 108o conder token. Would any of those count as major rarieties?

Lowest mintage coin is my 1885 nickel three cent piece, mintage 1,000. (AU-55)