certainly a low-mintage

One topic that I've talked about and thought about, more than a few times since I returned to this hobby roughly 10 years ago is rarity. I know that certain set scales exist ( sheldon scale for example) where the rarity of a coin is set by pure numbers of that date/type/variety believed to exist. And I'll stay off my soapbox about the term "rare" being used indiscriminately by about 2/3rds of ebay listings and hobby publication ads...

My feeling has turned more toward rarity being a lot like value...it is more truly tied to demand.

There are "condition rarities",-- denoting that a coin may be plentiful but hard to find in top condition.

There are obviously "mintage rarities" where very few of a particular coin have even ever existed..

I have come to believe however in "popularity rarity". This is the case of when a series or coin is so popular that even though there may be thousands of them out there--there is still actually such a demand as to make the coin rather elusive. This often seems to make the price seem a bit skewed ( especially when compared to truly low-mintage coins)..but this is where I believe that "popularity rarity" and demand driven value collide. Prices/values are a reflection of what collectors are willing to pay for a coin...if there are 20,000 of a coin minted--(far from a "mintage rarity")--however there are 50,000 avid collectors who feel their set would be incomplete without one?..TADA!! Popularity Rarity..and hence bigger asking prices when one becomes available..

So here on the flip side...my newest addition to my High Seas Signature Set ( chapter 2)..a coin minted in Chile for Easter Island...the wonderful Chilean sailing ship Esmerelda graces one side and the famed statueheads of Easter Island on the other...total mintage...50 ( FIFTY!)...of course I jumped all over it..Five years from now they may all be sitting in collections around the world and I might never have another opportunity to own one...another side effect of popularity rarity= that worry you get that if you don't get it now, you may never get another chance !! Happy hunting my friends..