"Important" coins--do you own any?

RYK

I get a kick out of reading auction descriptions. There are only so many flattering things you can say about coins, and those adjectives get used over and over and over and...(well, you get the idea).

One term that I believe is overused is "important". Obviously, there is no numismatic definition for this word, but if I were to craft one, it would include mention of relative rarity, absolute rarity, notoriety, and being an object of considerable desire among numismatist. An 1804 silver dollar is an important one, while a worn clad dime is clearly not one.

Please define the term, "important", as it relates to coins. Do you have any important coins in your collection?

mike92694

<< <i>I get a kick out of reading auction descriptions. There are only so many flattering things you can say about coins, and those adjectives get used over and over and over and...(well, you get the idea).

One term that I believe is overused is "important". Obviously, there is no numismatic definition for this word, but if I were to craft one, it would include mention of relative rarity, absolute rarity, notoriety, and being an object of considerable desire among numismatist. An 1804 silver dollar is an important one, while a worn clad dime is clearly not one.

Please define the term, "important", as it relates to coins. Do you have any important coins in your collection? >>



All of the coins in my coin collection are important, just as everybody in my family is important.

Swampboy

Are turkeys important?

No, seriously. Because if they are I have a flock of important coins.

jimmymac

everyone each to their own - important to you might not be important to someone else - that "unimportant" clad dime could mean the world to a collector of 65 and up roosies - maybe the one that completes the collection.

me - I have plenty of important coins that I have collected over the years that might not be as important in numismatic circles as a 1804 silver dollar, but nonetheless, is important to me.

cladking

It's just modern junk now but some of them will be considered
"important" in the future. Perhaps the '82-NMM dime will be the
standout since it's fully struck. But there are quite a few others
like an apparently PR '66 quarter and a PL '74 quarter. I have
a few pretty surprising coins. A few of these just shouldn't exist
at all.

SmallEagle

Yes.

Coinosaurus

Something that comes up for auction once a year might be "important". But rarity is just one part of it - the item should also be desirable in its own right and have some degree of popularity.

MidLifeCrisis

"Important" is such a relative term. I think a coin may be important if it is the hardest to obtain in a series such as a 1916-D Mercury Dime (cost or rarity or both) and is, therefore, usually the "goal" for most collectors to complete that series...or a coin may be important because it is the definitive type in a specialty area of numismatics such as a Chain Cent or a large planchet Pine Tree Shilling.

Do I own any important coins? Yes, I think so. But I don't own a 16-D Merc, a Chain Cent, or a Pine Tree Shilling.

TwoSides2aCoin

Have you hugged your orbs today ? That's important !

droopyd

They are important to me, but not particularly important to the numismatic community at large.

DNADave

Important to me = historically significant

ie

1849 Gold Double Eagle
Aluminum cents (what were those, 1974?)
"My Life Preserver" Double eagle



Stuff like that.

FatMan

"Important" in auction speak means they have little else good to say about what is likely to be an expensive coin. Our hobby is filled with meaningless adjectives.

ricko

There is advertising hype and there is personal evaluation.... and of course, numismatic status.... three potential definitions of 'important', and each one different. Cheers, RickO

garsmith

All my coins are important to me!!!

messydesk

I'm fairly confident I have no Important Coins™ in my collection. My coins are mostly irrelevant, with a few being inconsequential and a few being merely indistinguished.

notwilight

The first time I posted one of my 1799 BB-152 B15 dollars someone who knows the series described it as a very important variety, a transition between xxx and yyy. The "important" word stuckwith me. I still dont know why it is important.

Isn't it Jo Oconnor that uses "Coins that Matter" as his slogan? Those must be important coins. --jerry

Cladiator

<< <i>"Important" coins--do you own any? >>

Used to own one for sure.

Coxe

Yes, without a doubt in the world. Have owned and still own some.

Lakesammman

It's a coin that, when it comes time to sell, there will be a line of willing buyers at your door.

Perhaps the opposite of a widget??

fivecents

<< <i>Used to own one for sure. >>

Let me guess Cladiator...it had a hole punched in it?

mgoodm3

Maybe 2 for diffeent reasons.

1) Pine tree shilling: historically important.
2) 1850 Proof half cent: The date has only shown up twice in auction in 07 and 08 and has shot up in the price guides recently.

NHSBaseball

Man, Barndog just posted a slew of "important coins" if you are a collector of CB Half Dimes.

veryfine

Let's stop playing games here. We all know what "important" means, and it is a legitimate word when describing coins.

Important is not what's important to you, but important to MOST collectors. It usually refers to a famous coin with a fascinating or mysterious history, low mintage, tremendous popularity, rarity or a combination of these traits.

For example, a mint state 1877 Indian cent is an "important" coin for obvious reasons. YOU may not think so, but with all due respect, it is important to most.

My big toe is important to me because it is larger than the other four. That's nice. Big deal!

RYK

<< <i>Let's stop playing games here. We all know what "important" means, and it is a legitimate word when describing coins.

Important is not what's important to you, but important to MOST collectors. It usually refers to a famous coin with a fascinating or mysterious history, low mintage, tremendous popularity, rarity or a combination of these traits.

For example, a mint state 1877 Indian cent is an "important" coin for obvious reasons. YOU may not think so, but with all due respect, it is important to most.

My big toe is important to me because it is larger than the other four. That's nice. Big deal! >>



I agree with you, but there are apparently some folks who believe that circulated common clad coins are important to the numismatist, as well.

I have several coins that I consider to be important:

1861-D $5: Last year of the mint, scarcest date in the series, and possibly struck by the Confederacy.

1861-O $20: Last gold coin of the NO Mint before being taken over by southern forces, possibly struck by the Confederacy.

1857-D G$1 ex-Eliasberg: Great pedigree, finest known of a legitimately scarce coin.

Chalmer's shilling: Only silver coins made for circulation in the US in the 18th century prior to the Federal series (may need to check that one), struck a stone's throw from where Jefferson was writing the founding documents of our nation, and only coin with a worm on it

luckyman

That's nice RYK, but I have a 2008/2007 reverse silver eagle....so there!

RYK

Here are some coins that I believe are important that I would like to own:

1793 chain cent
1792 half disme
1776 Continental Currency
1861-D gold dollar
1907 HR Saint Gaudens $20
1795 $5
20th Anniversary Reverse Proof AGE

Regrettably, some of these have been squeezed out of my price range.

Russ

I prefer the word significant to the word important. Here's an example of an auction description I saw that I really liked.



<< <i>States united 4 cinq, Newman 19-SS, R-5. Once we get past the flaws evident at the upper obverse, the balance of the planchet is remarkably smooth, displaying only the barest hint of granularity. The details are crisp and strong for a specimen at this grade level, and the color is a rich glossy chocolate brown. A very appealing example of this significant offering. >>



Russ, NCNE

fivecents

I always like the seated half with the CSA reverse and considered it important.

The only really important coin that I have ever owned was a Stone MTN commem with the counterstamp "UDC" ALA chapter 220. I should never have sold that coin.

BECOKA

Important to me, not so important to most.

I have no idea why but every time I add a new die pairing on my classic heads the importance of coins in other series seems to go down for me. 1838C and D half eagles were also the first year for those mints.

kranky

I agree with Lakesammman. "Important" = anti-widget. To me, the grade doesn't matter. Condition rarity doesn't make a coin important.

My tongue-in-cheek scale is:

unique
<x> known
rare (along with all the meaningful steps of the R- scale)
key
significant
important
better date
underrated
widget

Runningfox58

RYK,
An important coin is one particular coin in my opinion, not a whole type. There are hundreds of 1792 half dismes and probably the same or more 1776 Continental dollars. Expensive does not make it an important coin. A willow tree sixpence with a known pedigree going back several decades is an important coin. A Bass gold piece (coins I do not collect), with that pedigree in a condition census for a rare or very rare coin would be important.
J.

RYK

<< <i>RYK,
An important coin is one particular coin in my opinion, not a whole type. There are hundreds of 1792 half dismes and probably the same or more 1776 Continental dollars. Expensive does not make it an important coin. A willow tree sixpence with a known pedigree going back several decades is an important coin. A Bass gold piece (coins I do not collect), with that pedigree in a condition census for a rare or very rare coin would be important.
J. >>



Welcome, Runningfox58! (Why 58?)

Good points and perspective. I tend to look at the historic and/or numismatic significance of the issue. Secondarily, a consensus finest known piece and/or pedigreed example would also warrant consideration, IMO.

Unknown

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Longacre

"Important" really does not have a definition because it is relative to whoever is considering the coin. For example, the modern collectors might think an MS69 Virginia statehood quarter is important, but I couldn't care less. A bust dime collector might think a particular die marriage is important, but the rarity and importance is lost on someone like me, who does not collect die marriages. Therefore, any coin can be both important and not important.

ARCO

"Important" is a construct. It imports the concept of certain rarity and popularity. There are many rare coins that are not popular, but rather rare, and many popular coins that aren't rare, so you need the combination of the two.

"Important" for me, is a coin I can afford, but can never seem to find.

Unknown

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SkyMan

Not a coin per se, but I do have a $1 silver certificate that was flown on Faith 7, the last of the Mercury flights.

While it would seem that coinage/banknotes/stamps would have been natural items, due to their weight, to take along on spaceflights, they are for the most part quite rare when you get to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spaceflights.

lloydmincy

ALL of my coins are important-not to lose money when I sell!!!

ziggy29

The closest thing I have to an "important" coin is a "discovery" coin for a variety of 1874 Seated Dime. I do have an 1877 IHC but I don't really consider that "important" as much just a highly sought key date which isn't particularly rare except for the series-based demand.

19Lyds

bidask

couple maybe

PrivateCoinCollector

Important is "marked by or indicative of significant worth or consequence : valuable in content or relationship"

cladking

19Lyds;

That was one of my favorite coins in the thread.

TwoSides2aCoin

<< <i>Important is "marked by or indicative of significant worth or consequence : valuable in content or relationship" >>





If I didn't feel as though I'd be laughed at , I'd mention a certain AU-58 1999 Wide AM cent which I purchased raw on eBay ... but never mind about that. Those who do have important coins sure ain't gonna come out here and say unless David lets Laura back in.

adamlaneus

Yes, I have a few imporant coins.

All of my world coins, for example, have been imported.