At what point does a minor variety become an unimportant variety?

291fifth · May 2, 2016 11:32AM

With all the emphasis on minor varieties there days I'd like to hear what YOU use to determine whether a minor variety is worth bothering with.

Goldbully · May 2, 2016 11:36AM

Originally posted by: 291fifth

With all the emphasis on minor varieties there days I'd like to hear what YOU use to determine whether a minor variety is worth bothering with.

If you owned one, would you bother with it?

DRUNNER · May 2, 2016 12:07PM

I hope those who enjoy this aspect of numismatics prosper and have fun. The really minor varieties have minimal interest for me as I am more interested in history and the context of mintages as opposed to the minting process that produces smaller varieties. It is just a matter of interest.

In some cases, there is a crossover. The 1955 DD Lincoln history is a great example of history dovetailing with a variety (albeit NOT minor) . . since the error coins were bagged and sitting on the dock, entirely susceptible to being recalled, but the Mint officials electing to distribute rather than destroy an entire days production . . . . thinking no one would care or notice.

Great history . . . . and in that case, I love a variety.

Drunner

kookoox10 · May 2, 2016 12:10PM

It's not interesting if you have to use a higher power than 10x to see said varieties. They lose their allure at that point.

BillJones · May 2, 2016 12:35PM

When you need a 10X glass to see it, it's not worthwhile. For some things the magnification factor is lower than that.

TommyType · May 2, 2016 1:06PM

I saw this sentiment somewhere here recently, which kind of quantifies things:

It's a significant variety if your average collector is willing to actually PAY for it, rather than search and attempt to cherry pick it.

sparky64 · May 2, 2016 1:17PM

A minor variety becomes an unimportant variety when there is no premium for it.

DIMEMAN · May 2, 2016 1:20PM

There is no such thing as a minor variety to me.......except some DDO's & DDR's.

koynekwest · May 2, 2016 2:08PM

I'm into varieties big time but I would concur with the 10X guys. In fact, I might go further and say 5X. If I can't easily see it with my Bausch & Lomb 5x glass I generally disregard it.

DMWJR · May 2, 2016 2:13PM

My experience is that it becomes so, when Ron Guth says so. I don't know why he had become the authority on the subject of every series, but PCGS says he is, so there you go. He has flipped the 1c 1971 DDO and made it major variety instead of the 1970-s DDO, which has been the major DDO for the last 40 years. I have e-mailed him three times and get no response whatsoever.

kookoox10 · May 2, 2016 2:42PM

Originally posted by: DMWJR
My experience is that it becomes so, when Ron Guth says so. I don't know why he had become the authority on the subject of every series, but PCGS says he is, so there you go. He has flipped the 1c 1971 DDO and made it major variety instead of the 1970-s DDO, which has been the major DDO for the last 40 years. I have e-mailed him three times and get no response whatsoever.

The 70-S is a 1000x better and more appealing than the 71. In fact I would put it just below the 69-S DDO as the modern variety to have in the Lincoln Memorials. A couple varieties i think are a value stretch would include the 1c 53 proof DDO, 1c 1959 DDO, and a number of RPMs. You need some serious magnification to see these.

DMWJR · May 2, 2016 2:53PM

Originally posted by: kookoox10

Originally posted by: DMWJR

My experience is that it becomes so, when Ron Guth says so. I don't know why he had become the authority on the subject of every series, but PCGS says he is, so there you go. He has flipped the 1c 1971 DDO and made it major variety instead of the 1970-s DDO, which has been the major DDO for the last 40 years. I have e-mailed him three times and get no response whatsoever.

The 70-S is a 1000x better and more appealing than the 71. In fact I would put it just below the 69-S DDO as the modern variety to have in the Lincoln Memorials. A couple varieties i think are a value stretch would include the 1c 53 proof DDO, 1c 1959 DDO, and a number of RPMs. You need some serious magnification to see these.

Amen brother. So why won't Ron respond to my e-mails?

DMWJR · May 2, 2016 2:54PM

I have both in 65 red, so I have no real dog in the hunt except right is right, and wrong is wrong.

dlmtorts · May 2, 2016 3:00PM

When it is so scarce that no one knows it exists! 1968-72-d clad b reverse quarters, now known as type h, but very few known.

TopographicOceans · May 2, 2016 3:00PM

When it has to be explained instead of seen.

kookoox10 · May 2, 2016 3:59PM

Originally posted by: DMWJR

Originally posted by: kookoox10

Originally posted by: DMWJR
My experience is that it becomes so, when Ron Guth says so. I don't know why he had become the authority on the subject of every series, but PCGS says he is, so there you go. He has flipped the 1c 1971 DDO and made it major variety instead of the 1970-s DDO, which has been the major DDO for the last 40 years. I have e-mailed him three times and get no response whatsoever.

The 70-S is a 1000x better and more appealing than the 71. In fact I would put it just below the 69-S DDO as the modern variety to have in the Lincoln Memorials. A couple varieties i think are a value stretch would include the 1c 53 proof DDO, 1c 1959 DDO, and a number of RPMs. You need some serious magnification to see these.

Amen brother. So why won't Ron respond to my e-mails?

Not sure, probably the same reason I can't even get an email back from Fred Bart about a new error on a 1914 $5 Federal Reserve Note. They're either too busy or it's just not worth getting into a debate for.

garrynot · May 2, 2016 10:01PM

Some people do not respond to emails. It's probably nothing personal.

Outhaul · May 2, 2016 10:08PM

There are those who enjoy their coins with up to a 10X loupe and there are those who enjoy looking for varieties under an SEM.

If you need the latter, I couldn't be less interested.

Cheers

Bob

ricko · May 2, 2016 10:51PM

I do not seek varieties, however, if one comes my way, I keep it. Also, I do not search for the varieties that need magnification... Cheers, RickO

TwoSides2aCoin · May 2, 2016 11:00PM

Varieties are no bother at all. In fact they're the spice of life.

oih82w8 · May 2, 2016 11:25PM

I had access to a Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX) (up to 200,000 X magnification, we used it for magnetic chip detector analysis) back when I was on Active duty in Joint Oil Analysis Program (JOAP) Lab...that thought never occurred to me to try and use it for variety detection. Probably due to my rekindled interest in coins after the fact.

Varieties are one of the reasons why I love the TrueView images so much...the "zoom-ability" is really nice!

I would stick with the Cherry Pickers Guide (CPG) as far as which varieties to seek out, although there are some of them that are not in the CPG (yet?) which PCGS has deemed "Minor"

To each their own.

LindeDad · May 3, 2016 12:14AM

When nobody will pay for it.

mustangmanbob · May 3, 2016 12:15AM

Among my tools were 17 Scanning Electron Microscopes and 4 TEM's, and a boatload of other tools. Well, not owned by me, but I managed them and the employees that ran them.

They were used to check for defects and repeating patterns on microcircuits.

Using a scanning tunneling microscope, it was possible to "see" individual atoms.

Another tool would "compare" a perfect image to actual, and flag all differences.

On a chip, with billions of electrical components, none of them were "exactly" the same.

If a coin had a mintage of 1,232,165,787

There would be 1,232,165,786 varieties and one, pick any one, that would not be the variety.

Here is a link to a MOVIE made by manipulating atoms. Each "dot" is an individual atom. It is a "boy" playing with an atom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSCX78-8-q0

oih82w8 · May 3, 2016 12:57AM

mustangmanbob!

mr1931S · May 3, 2016 12:57AM

It's not interesting if you have to use a higher power than 10x to see said varieties. They lose their allure at that point.

Same criteria as I use.If I can't see it with 10x,it's "too minor" for me.

joeykoins · May 3, 2016 2:54AM

Originally posted by: BillJones
When you need a 10X glass to see it, it's not worthwhile. For some things the magnification factor is lower than that.

Say you come across an old and pretty worn 1888 Indian Cent. Wouldn't you try as hard as you can, even if you need a 200x magnification to find that 1888/7? I know were talking apples to oranges, but about using the stronger mag. would be worth the trouble.

crazyhounddog · May 3, 2016 2:57AM

One variety comes to mind. The 14/3 buffalo nickel. Now I'm not even sure if it's a variety or not anymore. I know for sure nobody wants to pay up for these.

joeykoins · May 3, 2016 3:05AM

Originally posted by: crazyhounddog
One variety comes to mind. The 14/3 buffalo nickel. Now I'm not even sure if it's a variety or not anymore. I know for sure nobody wants to pay up for these.

Now that, to me, is a great variety! Mentioned earlier, in another post, it all depends on who is willing to dish out the cash for a certain variety. Any Buffalo collectors, I think, would be thrilled to pay for that coin. Even a minor variety, if someone in particular, likes the minor he'll pay for it! This is what's so great about our hobby. To each his/her own.

At what point does a minor variety become an unimportant variety?

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