Hypothetically, if wear-resistant coins could be minted...

dan1ecu

What if someone developed a new material - a composite, maybe? - that was wear-proof, malleable, resistant to corrosion, inexpensive, and lustrous. We could then have coins that would stay mint state indefinitely.

Do you think that this would ruin the hobby? Yes, there would still be older coins to collect, but would collecting the new, wear-resistant moderns be any fun? Do you think that having a whole spectrum of grades to consider is crucial to making coin collecting interesting?

solid

Instead of wear-proof, it may be easier to just develop something
that would wear from the inside out.

FC57Coins

Well - look at what's happened with Non circulating business strikes - they're gorgeous, but after a while people get tired of them. Case in point - Olympic 1983 and 84 dollars - now these are real silver dollars, I just got a set of each in uncirculated condition - totally gorgeous - for less than $30 a set. I'll buy those at that price whenever I see them!

keets

hey Dan

we already have what you want with clad coinage.

al h.

cladking

Interesting question.

It would certainly kill collecting the circulated grades.

Coins would still be lost to attrition but it would require a very long time for any to
be made scarce or rare by losing only a few percent annually. There would still be
some made in low numbers but they'd attract little attention since few would collect
the series.

This very effect is probably a significant reason that the early clads were widely ig-
nored. They had a great deal going against them already but back in 1970 at a
time many newer coins would be starting to get a second look all these "wear re-
sistant" clads looked to be in AU condition. The early mintages swamped the later
ones and were still being released in large numbers all through the early '70's. In
those days the fed didn't rotate their stocks of coins so it wasn't unusual for coins
which had been in storage for years to appear in circulation. If you looked around
a little you'd see uncs, and XF's, ans a few stained and corroded pieces, but most
of the coins were a very poorly made and very unattractive AU.

100proof1957

How bout 6al4v Titanium ?

Titanium valve spring retainers are awesome.

Baley

I think the market for old coins would be just fine. I don't understand the market for new coins anyway, so in the event that coins came to be made the way you describe, I imagine those folks who care for new coins would still find some way to grade and differentiate among them.

MyWorldCoinTypeSet

I think these new diamond coins would be hoarded by the masses.

Conder101

I don't think you could have both wear proof and mallable. And if you could it would be extremely hard on the dies as it was struck and this theoretical wearproof metal was drug across the surface of the dies.

BAJJERFAN

Since they have to be identical in weight and size to what they are replacing you are looking at a tall tall order.