Privy Overload?

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Are you loving the plethora of privies or has privy preoccupation become a painful preoccupation? (in the pocket book and paltry procurability? Please, opine, prognosticate or prophesize por favor.

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  • TwoSides2aCoin
    TwoSides2aCoin Posts: 45,216 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    In the thick of them, temporarily.

  • 1776Coins
    1776Coins Posts: 72 ✭✭✭
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    @Onastone said:
    Stars, bells, Eagles, and flags, oh my...even my privies have privies.

    Nice one.

  • 1776Coins
    1776Coins Posts: 72 ✭✭✭
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    @Raufus said:
    Omg. Total privy overload.

    I really enjoyed the V75s. Honestly , I would have been perfectly happy had it stopped there. I think it has gotten crazy.

    I think some of the American 250 ones are okay. However, for the best of the mint series, I think that they are distraction from the original design.

    I am so over the pruvy tsunami.

    Well said!

  • Walkerguy21D
    Walkerguy21D Posts: 12,164 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Can I vote neither?

    Probably the last modern variety that I looked for was the 1976D DDO quarter. I’m pretty much oblivious to anything else minted after that; realistically anything minted after 1950. I always wonder what “modern rarity” being released has so many people lined up at the US Mint booth at the FUN shows, while I’m searching for large cents, early walkers and type coins.

    At my volunteer job, they recently moved me to Sales. The quarter slot in the cash register basically looks like it’s full of foreign coins to my eyes lol! If all these modern varieties are creating or retaining newer collectors, that’s great, but it’s lost on me personally.

    Successful BST transactions with 177 members. breakdown, scotty1419, mattniss, bigjpst, onlyroosies, Manorcourtman, guitarwes, Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • Cougar1978
    Cougar1978 Posts: 10,067 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Nope just hunting stuff from auc.

    Investor
  • HATTRICK
    HATTRICK Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    When it is overloaded it will start to stink. 🤧

    " If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. " The 1st Law of Opposition from The Firesign Theater
  • JBK
    JBK Posts: 17,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    There are probably too many privies but a couple of them almost don't count for collectors since they weren't made for us or made generally available. The Olympics Silver Eagle and the 9/11 halfs are presentation pieces.

  • HATTRICK
    HATTRICK Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @fathom said:
    All privies are not created equal.

    IMO the armed services emblems are intricate and well done. Others not so much. That may have long term collectibility.

    Yes I agree 100%

    " If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. " The 1st Law of Opposition from The Firesign Theater
  • Alpha2814
    Alpha2814 Posts: 379 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 22, 2026 11:42AM
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    Kinda like we get only to up two commemorative themes a year (and only up to three designs each), privies should have a similar conceptual limit.

    I like "intricate" as used above, as well as "small". When the privy is competing for space with the portrait (edit to clarify: or the main design element, and there should be only one per piece), it's too big.

  • kiyote
    kiyote Posts: 5,633 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    It’s crazy that we went through this with the classic commemorative program as well with the Alabama, Missouri and Grant coins

    "I'll split the atom! I am the fifth dimension! I am the eighth wonder of the world!" -Gef the talking mongoose.
  • bigmountainlion
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    Canada had privy coins 18 years ago. I think us mint is killing the market like the post office did with stamps. Too many items.

  • Moxie15
    Moxie15 Posts: 328 ✭✭✭
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    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?
    I love privy marks on French coins, they had meaning and value, not just marketing rubish

  • USSID18
    USSID18 Posts: 652 ✭✭✭✭
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    @Moxie15 said:
    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    A privy mark is a small, distinct symbol, letter, or design stamped onto a coin alongside its main device. Unlike a mint mark which tells you where a coin was made, a privy mark explains what version it is or what special event it honors.

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 23, 2026 6:25AM
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    @USSID18 said:

    @Moxie15 said:
    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    A privy mark is a small, distinct symbol, letter, or design stamped onto a coin alongside its main device. Unlike a mint mark which tells you where a coin was made, a privy mark explains what version it is or what special event it honors.

    I would argue that all mint marks are privy marks but not all privy marks are mint marks.

    Originally, privy marks were used to indicate the mint or moneyer.

    Edit to add:

    https://www.usmint.gov/news/inside-the-mint/privy-marks-on-coins?srsltid=AfmBOopSEQ8q0JhADSvp-h96wnlWVRnAaGjarcbgRaYCzou1cWE1GTN4

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,048 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 23, 2026 6:32AM
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    @USSID18 said:

    @Moxie15 said:
    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    A privy mark is a small, distinct symbol, letter, or design stamped onto a coin alongside its main device. Unlike a mint mark which tells you where a coin was made, a privy mark explains what version it is or what special event it honors.

    Heard there coming out with a privy celebrating the privy mark 🥴

  • USSID18
    USSID18 Posts: 652 ✭✭✭✭
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    @jmlanzaf said:

    @USSID18 said:

    @Moxie15 said:
    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    A privy mark is a small, distinct symbol, letter, or design stamped onto a coin alongside its main device. Unlike a mint mark which tells you where a coin was made, a privy mark explains what version it is or what special event it honors.

    I would argue that all mint marks are privy marks but not all privy marks are mint marks.

    Originally, privy marks were used to indicate the mint or moneyer.

    Edit to add:

    https://www.usmint.gov/news/inside-the-mint/privy-marks-on-coins?srsltid=AfmBOopSEQ8q0JhADSvp-h96wnlWVRnAaGjarcbgRaYCzou1cWE1GTN4

    Okay professor, then you tell @Moxie15 the meaning of a privy mark! Tell him it's where the coin was made. 🤣 😂

  • Moxie15
    Moxie15 Posts: 328 ✭✭✭
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    @USSID18 said:

    @Moxie15 said:
    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    A privy mark is a small, distinct symbol, letter, or design stamped onto a coin alongside its main device. Unlike a mint mark which tells you where a coin was made, a privy mark explains what version it is or what special event it honors.

    I know what a privy mark is and what they originally meant, that is not what I asked. I asked if the privy marks on new US coins have any meaning, for instance in medieval times the coiner put his privy mark on a coin at the risk of death if the coin was found to be debased or otherwise of less value than it should be. These just seem to be hype and PR

  • USSID18
    USSID18 Posts: 652 ✭✭✭✭
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    @Moxie15 said:

    @USSID18 said:

    @Moxie15 said:
    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    A privy mark is a small, distinct symbol, letter, or design stamped onto a coin alongside its main device. Unlike a mint mark which tells you where a coin was made, a privy mark explains what version it is or what special event it honors.

    I know what a privy mark is and what they originally meant, that is not what I asked. I asked if the privy marks on new US coins have any meaning, for instance in medieval times the coiner put his privy mark on a coin at the risk of death if the coin was found to be debased or otherwise of less value than it should be. These just seem to be hype and PR

    That is not what you asked. You asked: Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    Let @jmlanzaf explain it to you!

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @USSID18 said:

    @Moxie15 said:

    @USSID18 said:

    @Moxie15 said:
    Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    A privy mark is a small, distinct symbol, letter, or design stamped onto a coin alongside its main device. Unlike a mint mark which tells you where a coin was made, a privy mark explains what version it is or what special event it honors.

    I know what a privy mark is and what they originally meant, that is not what I asked. I asked if the privy marks on new US coins have any meaning, for instance in medieval times the coiner put his privy mark on a coin at the risk of death if the coin was found to be debased or otherwise of less value than it should be. These just seem to be hype and PR

    That is not what you asked. You asked: Is there any meaning to the privy marks?

    Let @jmlanzaf explain it to you!

    That is what he asked.

    In current times, "privy marks" are being used largely to celebrate specific events. See the Mint link i posted above that seems to have set off someone.

    All the recent privy marks are commemorating something. Of course, that also means they are "hype". Even the Romans used privy marks to celebrate (hype) victories.

    You may collect them or ignore them. I choose to largely ignore them. But that's just me. [I also ignore mint marks, like all good type collectors. LOL.]

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Hyperion
    Hyperion Posts: 7,507 ✭✭✭
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    All I know is this year's been a beating on the credit card that I have tied to my US mint account. And my wife doesn't appreciate it.

  • scotty1419
    scotty1419 Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭✭
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    I think it's out of control and in reality, probably a cheap way to get around laws or guidelines around issuing or getting approval for different coins - I'm sure there's almost no new approval process to add any ole privy as opposed to a new coins...

    It feels like a late night coin show got in control of the US mint.

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Hyperion said:
    All I know is this year's been a beating on the credit card that I have tied to my US mint account. And my wife doesn't appreciate it.

    That's supposed to be a secret credit card.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • MasonG
    MasonG Posts: 7,565 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 23, 2026 9:44AM
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    @jmlanzaf said:
    All the recent privy marks are commemorating something. Of course, that also means they are "hype". Even the Romans used privy marks to celebrate (hype) victories.

    1746 Great Britain “LIMA” half crown, struck at the London Mint. The silver came from Spanish treasure captured during Admiral George Anson’s voyages and privateering expeditions. The inscription commemorated the capture; much of the seized silver bore the Lima mint mark.

    edited to add... This isn't the first time Great Britain issued such "commemoratives". The "Vigo" hallmark on Great Britain crown coins indicates they were struck from silver captured by the British at the Battle of Vigo Bay in 1702 during the War of Spanish Succession.

  • Mr_Spud
    Mr_Spud Posts: 7,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 23, 2026 9:50AM
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    This summarizes my take on recent privy “feeding frenzy’s “ by collectors/flippers (see below)



    Mr_Spud

  • dunkleosteus430
    dunkleosteus430 Posts: 595 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @CaptHenway said:
    It all seems very Third Worldish.

    I agree. The US Mint is getting more like the "mints" of Niue, Fiji, Solomon Islands etc. every year. And it's not just the privies. Limiting commemorative issues to 1,945 or 2,026 and creating scarcity just for another fun number is something those island countries do, except they can get away with it because there usually aren't even that many people buying their coins. If this becomes a common thing for the US Mint, though, it'll get tiring very, very quickly.

    I collect world proof sets, coins featuring composers, mid-20th century U.S. proof coins, U.S. type coins, and whatever else I want.

  • fathom
    fathom Posts: 2,200 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Then stop buying them.

    The marketplace has spoken- we like privy marks.

    Hold value? Probably some will and some will not. Just like Numismatic material in general.

  • BillJones
    BillJones Posts: 35,933 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I lost interest when they put the faux mint marks on the modern Morgan. Yea, I lost interest before it began.

    I don’t care for gimmicks, and this privy mark nonsense has become ultimate mint gimmick.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • BillJones
    BillJones Posts: 35,933 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 23, 2026 12:08PM
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    @dunkleosteus430 said:

    @CaptHenway said:
    It all seems very Third Worldish.

    I agree. The US Mint is getting more like the "mints" of Niue, Fiji, Solomon Islands etc. every year. And it's not just the privies. Limiting commemorative issues to 1,945 or 2,026 and creating scarcity just for another fun number is something those island countries do, except they can get away with it because there usually aren't even that many people buying their coins. If this becomes a common thing for the US Mint, though, it'll get tiring very, very quickly.

    I was totally disgusted when the mint came up with the cent auction last year. The Lincoln Cent has probably launched more U.S. collectors than any other coin, including me in 1959.

    The cent auction, which had prices which limited buyers to wealthy collectors, was a slap in the face for dedicated Lincoln Cent collectors. Furthermore, the few coins I have seen in auctions were badly spotted which indicates that the mint sloppy when it made these things. The whole thing made the mint management look bad from multiple angles.

    Could I have scraped together the money to buy one of the “cheap sets?” Probably, but my attitude was just not “NO” but “Hell No!”

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • WCC
    WCC Posts: 3,322 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I asked Google AI for a list, and all but one (2026 quarter) is NCLT. The 2025 cents didn't show up in the list and neither did the "W" quarters the first time, which I guess shows I either don't know how to ask the question correctly or AI isn't actually that intelligent.

    As long as the US Mint can make money off of it, I expect them to issue it endlessly until it no longer works.

    @Walkerguy21D said:
    The quarter slot in the cash register basically looks like it’s full of foreign coins to my eyes lol! If all these modern varieties are creating or retaining newer collectors, that’s great, but it’s lost on me personally.

    By now I suspect it makes no difference to increased interest in collecting. I'm like you, I have no idea what design is on hardly any 21st century US coinage. I try to avoid using coinage and have for years due to the low value, but even if I did, still far too many to keep track.

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 23, 2026 1:55PM
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    @dunkleosteus430 said:

    @CaptHenway said:
    It all seems very Third Worldish.

    I agree. The US Mint is getting more like the "mints" of Niue, Fiji, Solomon Islands etc. every year. And it's not just the privies. Limiting commemorative issues to 1,945 or 2,026 and creating scarcity just for another fun number is something those island countries do, except they can get away with it because there usually aren't even that many people buying their coins. If this becomes a common thing for the US Mint, though, it'll get tiring very, very quickly.

    I don't think any of those 3 countries are "third world countries".

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • dunkleosteus430
    dunkleosteus430 Posts: 595 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @jmlanzaf said:

    @dunkleosteus430 said:

    @CaptHenway said:
    It all seems very Third Worldish.

    I agree. The US Mint is getting more like the "mints" of Niue, Fiji, Solomon Islands etc. every year. And it's not just the privies. Limiting commemorative issues to 1,945 or 2,026 and creating scarcity just for another fun number is something those island countries do, except they can get away with it because there usually aren't even that many people buying their coins. If this becomes a common thing for the US Mint, though, it'll get tiring very, very quickly.

    I don't think any of those 3 countries are "third world countries".

    You're nitpicking, but the Solomon Islands definitely are. Maybe a better label would be "less relevant countries."

    I collect world proof sets, coins featuring composers, mid-20th century U.S. proof coins, U.S. type coins, and whatever else I want.

  • HATTRICK
    HATTRICK Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    The king of nitpickers will say anything for a post.

    " If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. " The 1st Law of Opposition from The Firesign Theater
  • USSID18
    USSID18 Posts: 652 ✭✭✭✭
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    @HATTRICK said:
    The king of nitpickers will say anything for a post.

    Exactly!! LoL!! 👍 👍

  • HATTRICK
    HATTRICK Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Another one jumping in 😁😁😁

    " If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. " The 1st Law of Opposition from The Firesign Theater
  • mr1931S
    mr1931S Posts: 7,308 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I like the privy mark that celebrates an actual privy.

    "Two things are infinite: human stupidity and the universe; and I'm not sure about the universe."
    -Albert Einstein-

    Mistakes are natural. But repeated mistakes without reflection are something else. That may be the “stupidity” he was referring to. In research, he admitted uncertainty openly. “If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” This shows humility. Even a Nobel laureate accepted doubt. That humility makes the quote less cynical and more observational.

  • BryceM
    BryceM Posts: 11,940 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I never really had a desire to collect anything that was “made for collectors.”

    Thank goodness!

  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,164 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @dunkleosteus430 said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @dunkleosteus430 said:

    @CaptHenway said:
    It all seems very Third Worldish.

    I agree. The US Mint is getting more like the "mints" of Niue, Fiji, Solomon Islands etc. every year. And it's not just the privies. Limiting commemorative issues to 1,945 or 2,026 and creating scarcity just for another fun number is something those island countries do, except they can get away with it because there usually aren't even that many people buying their coins. If this becomes a common thing for the US Mint, though, it'll get tiring very, very quickly.

    I don't think any of those 3 countries are "third world countries".

    You're nitpicking, but the Solomon Islands definitely are. Maybe a better label would be "less relevant countries."

    I remember reading an article about the Solomon Islands about 30 years ago, when some company was organizing tours for American Veterans who would like to see Guadalcanal again under more peaceful circumstances. I thought about asking my Dad if he would like to go back there, but decided that his health could not take it. From the article it seemed that the islands had not developed much since the war.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • scotty1419
    scotty1419 Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭✭
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    @BryceM said:
    I never really had a desire to collect anything that was “made for collectors.”

    Thank goodness!

    Usually those items don't end up well for collectors/buyers...

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 24, 2026 4:09AM
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    @HATTRICK said:
    The king of nitpickers will say anything for a post.

    @HATTRICK said:
    The king of nitpickers will say anything for a post.

    The King of Grumble needs to have something to grumble about.

    You're welcome.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 24, 2026 4:09AM
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    @dunkleosteus430 said:

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @dunkleosteus430 said:

    @CaptHenway said:
    It all seems very Third Worldish.

    I agree. The US Mint is getting more like the "mints" of Niue, Fiji, Solomon Islands etc. every year. And it's not just the privies. Limiting commemorative issues to 1,945 or 2,026 and creating scarcity just for another fun number is something those island countries do, except they can get away with it because there usually aren't even that many people buying their coins. If this becomes a common thing for the US Mint, though, it'll get tiring very, very quickly.

    I don't think any of those 3 countries are "third world countries".

    You're nitpicking, but the Solomon Islands definitely are. Maybe a better label would be "less relevant countries."

    Yes, Solomon Island are classified as a developing country. Niue and Fiji are considered middle class.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @HATTRICK said:
    Another one jumping in 😁😁😁

    Another excellent post by you that simply pads your post count. Congratulations!

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Onastone
    Onastone Posts: 4,415 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Privy Overload...

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