Is the age of discovery over?
291fifth
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In this case the discoveries I am talking about are numismatic. Do you think there are any spectacular discoveries of 18th or 19th century US coins left to be made? These discoveries would involve US coins/collections that have been completely unknown to the numismatic world for at least 100 years.
All glory is fleeting.
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- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
Just my 2cents
The one known 1870-S half dime was discovered in 1978.
There is more to come, I'm sure.
If you care about die marriages, then yes
<< <i>The 5th 1913 liberty nickel showed up recently. The one known 1870-S half dime was discovered in 1978. >>
And don't forget the 1793 Strawberry Leaf Cent found in an attic in Maine two years ago. And don't forget the 1795 Half Cent on Half Dollar Trial just discovered by JK "at 9:30 PM on July 27, 2006." And I believe that it was also JK who in the spring of last year discovered and identified the Standish Barry Lima-style Doubloon among the baubles in Eliasberg's collection.
<< <i>I'm new to coin collecting but i know in the card world everyone says know to this question yet every few years a rare find pops up when grandma or great granpa passes. 2 years ago at the sports national a 80 somethin woman walks in with what would turn out to be the finest example of 1914 cracker jack cards in existance.A complete set 90 years they were hidden from the sports collectibles world. I think the coin world is no different I think there is stuff in peoples closet safe or whatever that will someday just leave you in awe .
Just my 2cents
The trouble is that 1914 is very old in the card world but many people consider it the
end of the times that real coins came from the US mint. They believe that coins after
this are all abundant or have more severe fundamental problems. An 80 year old might
have gotten 1914 cards from a parent but anyone bringing in 18th and 19th century
coins woud probably be a couple generations removed from the original owner. The odds
drop every year that more will surface and even if something does appear it's far more
likely to already be known.
This isn't to say that there will be no new discoveries, just that new discoveries will con-
tinue to decrease and generally be of less interest. There are lots of discoveries that re-
main in exonumia and world coins from that era. Most medals are not well studied and
there will be more new things being found.
There will also be more published on the old coins which will help those seking new know-
ledge and there will likely be more information about the availability of previously discovered
varieties and coins. Research will turn up things to keep people interested for as long as
anyone cares about the coins.
David
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<< <i>Well, when someone discovers all of the missing 1895-P biz strike dollars....
David >>
I wrote a separate thread about how much the 1895-P business strike dollars would sell for...
Someone discovered an 1817/4 half in fill dirt recently. The first 1898-micro o half was discovered about a year ago. And someone discovered the tenth known 1854-S quarter eagle last year.
Yes, I think there are future discoveries to be made, such as the 1870-S quarter, 1873-S Seated dollar, 1873-S No Arrows half, 1892-micro s half, all of which are unknown. Also possibilities include more 1958 DDO cents, 1969-S DDO cents, 1894-S dimes, 1876-CC twenty cent pieces, 1870-S dollars, 1854-S quarter eagles and half eagles, 1933 eagles and double eagles. Plus, there will be more discoveries of rare varieties and die states. In fact, I predict within the next 5 years some coin named in this paragraph will be found.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
<< <i>If you care about die marriages, then yes >>
Die marriages wouldn't be major enough. They wow some specialists but most collectors don't care.
-Daniel
-Aristotle
Dum loquimur fugerit invida aetas. Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.
-Horace
not even close
<< <i>Is the age of discovery over? >>
absolutely not. collections of u.s coins abound in europe, but those are more like real collectors who buy coins & keep 'em for decades, not the foaming-at-the-mouth style of collectors over here who buy coins & flip 'em 10 minutes later after they get tired of them.
K S
In the past twenty years we've seen a new specimen of the 1873-CC no arrows quarter, 1792 Judd 2 cent, 1787 New Jersey copper with Walter Mould's initials in the die, several new 1794 Starred reverse cents, two new varieties of 1794 cent, several new Fugio cent varieties, the 1914/3 buffalo nickels, the 1911 overmintmark lincoln cent (I forget if it is D/S or S/D), several "patterns" with the Martha Washington dies, a 1983 copper cent, the Cheerios prototype dollar, and probably quite a bit more.