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Which US coin is called "rare" but is fairly easy to find?

Started by AnkurJ,

46 posts in this topic

AnkurJ

AnkurJ

Posted
Posted

AND which US coin is called "rare" and it TRULY is rare?

 

Id say the rare but easy to find is the 1909 SVDB

And truly rare Id say is a coin like a 1815 Bust Half or 1796 Quarter.

 

Im not talking about rare for the grade like early quarters. Most early quarters are easy to find in lower grades, but very tough in high grades.

 

Thoughts?

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coinman_23885

coinman_23885

Posted
Posted
AND which US coin is called "rare" and it TRULY is rare?

 

Id say the rare but easy to find is the 1909 SVDB

And truly rare Id say is a coin like a 1815 Bust Half or 1796 Quarter.

 

Im not talking about rare for the grade like early quarters. Most early quarters are easy to find in lower grades, but very tough in high grades.

 

Thoughts?

 

I agree. The 1909 S VDB came to my mind as being easy to find as well as the 1916-D Mercury Dime. For the truly rare coin the 1796 quarter and 1894-S Barber Dime came to mind.

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Hard Times

Hard Times

Posted
Posted

1854-S quarter eagle

1854-S half eagle

 

both are impossible. Any other pre-civil war quarter and half eagles from the San Francisco mint with original skins are very hard to find as well as most have been messed with. Not impossible, but rare

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Walkerfan

Walkerfan

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In the Walker series, the truly overrated 'rarities' are the 38-D, 41-S & 18-S all have VERY high MS survival numbers.

 

It is also easy to find the 16, 16 D, 20, 29 D & 29-S, although the 29D & S can be challenging to find well struck up. The same can be said for the 16-S & 17-S Obv. (decent amount of MS survivors but finding a good one is TOUGH).

 

The TRUE rarities are the 20-D, 23-S, 28-S, 19-D, 21-D, 19-S & 21-S.

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AnkurJ

AnkurJ

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But arent 21D's and 21S's common in lower grade? So wouldnt that simply make them a grade rarity more than a general rarity?

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James_OldeTowne

James_OldeTowne

Posted
Posted
AND which US coin is called "rare" and it TRULY is rare?

 

Id say the rare but easy to find is the 1909 SVDB

And truly rare Id say is a coin like a 1815 Bust Half or 1796 Quarter.

I believe none of those is rare, nor is the 1815/2 half, nor are several other coins mentioned.

 

The thing is, when someone buys a 1796, he tends to KEEP it. Therefore, they don't get out to the market much.

 

"Rare" is like a Stella, or 1817/4 half-dollar, or 1870-S dollar.

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BillJones

BillJones

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Posted
How about the other end of the spectrum?

 

Would you call the $50 Pan Pacs rare?

 

Using Sheldon scale definition of "rare," R-5, 31 to 74, the answer is no. These coins are unique and unusual however and they visually very impressive. Therefore they are important "trophy coins."

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AnkurJ

AnkurJ

Posted
  • Author
Posted
AND which US coin is called "rare" and it TRULY is rare?

 

Id say the rare but easy to find is the 1909 SVDB

And truly rare Id say is a coin like a 1815 Bust Half or 1796 Quarter.

I believe none of those is rare, nor is the 1815/2 half, nor are several other coins mentioned.

 

The thing is, when someone buys a 1796, he tends to KEEP it. Therefore, they don't get out to the market much.

 

"Rare" is like a Stella, or 1817/4 half-dollar, or 1870-S dollar.

 

Regarding the 1796, that's what makes it rare no? The lack of market appearances?

I disagree on the Stella. They are offerred many times a year, but are out of the price range of most collectors.

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Walkerfan

Walkerfan

Posted
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But arent 21D's and 21S's common in lower grade? So wouldnt that simply make them a grade rarity more than a general rarity?

 

Yes, I am talking about nice MS coins for sure. Even a nice one in XF or better is a really good find.

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BillJones

BillJones

Posted
Posted
AND which US coin is called "rare" and it TRULY is rare?

 

Id say the rare but easy to find is the 1909 SVDB

And truly rare Id say is a coin like a 1815 Bust Half or 1796 Quarter.

I believe none of those is rare, nor is the 1815/2 half, nor are several other coins mentioned.

 

The thing is, when someone buys a 1796, he tends to KEEP it. Therefore, they don't get out to the market much.

 

"Rare" is like a Stella, or 1817/4 half-dollar, or 1870-S dollar.

 

Regarding the 1796, that's what makes it rare no? The lack of market appearances?

I disagree on the Stella. They are offerred many times a year, but are out of the price range of most collectors.

 

The 1796 Quarter is "rare" because a fairly large number of collectors who spend significant amounts on coins want one. Also Ankur J is right. Once a collector gets one, he tends to hold on it. Also despite that fact there are probably 350 to 400 of them left, a decent number of those are low grade or damaged. Therefore the coins in the two "sweet spots", the no problem original coins in Fine to EF and the "super grade" Mint State Proof-Like pieces (yes there was a decent number of them that appeared on the market in the 1970s) is lower than some might think.

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James_OldeTowne

James_OldeTowne

Posted
Posted
Regarding the 1796, that's what makes it rare no? The lack of market appearances?

I disagree on the Stella. They are offerred many times a year, but are out of the price range of most collectors.

The 1796 is not rare. But as Bill Jones points out, it is POPULAR, by which I mean, it is truly popular. So many collectors want one, and when one gets out on the market, it is snatched up in a hurry and tends to remain owned.

 

DO NOT use what shows up on auctions as an indicator of rarity. Stellas may show up on a seemingly frequent basis, but that doesn't mean they aren't "rare". A 1794 dollar is legitimately rare, yet they also pop up in auctions on a rather timely basis.

 

What's different between a 1794 dollar and a 1796 quarter? You do not have to get a 1794 dollar to represent the flowing hair type, since a 1795 will do just fine. But with the 1796 quarter as a type, you have no choice. It was made for one year only. But again, that doesn't make it rare, that makes it popular and in high demand.

 

The 1793 liberty cap cent is not rare either, not by any means. But good luck finding one. They are popular and therefore not on the market very often. (Besides that, since early copper is collected by variety, many collectors find it necessary to own multiple examples, removing even more from the market.)

 

 

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AnkurJ

AnkurJ

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James,

I'm trying to count how many times you contradicted yourself in that last post! :D

I guess the bottom line is that we have different definitions of what is rare.

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Keigwin

Keigwin

Posted
Posted

Truly rare:

- 1943 copper cent

- 1838-O half

- 1873-CC dime

- 1861 Coronet $20G

- 1804 $10G

I guess you could also include the 1804 $1, 1913 Liberty nickel, 1933 $20G.

Lance.

 

edited to add: And the 1964-D Peace dollar. hm

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James_OldeTowne

James_OldeTowne

Posted
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James,

I'm trying to count how many times you contradicted yourself in that last post! :D

I guess the bottom line is that we have different definitions of what is rare.

The naked term "rare" has a specific numismatic definition: R.5... 31 to 75 known. Naturally, any coin with a population less than that is also, at minimum, "rare".

 

This is why the frequency with which something appears on the market has NOTHING to do with whether or not it is rare. If nobody cared at all about 1796 quarters, they would be available all day long, and "rare" would never be used to describe them regardless of how the term were perceived.

 

If you want to use the term "rare" colloquially, then you are pretty much guaranteed to inspire controversy because the word does have a specific meaning. Using it colloquially with no frame of reference intentionally inspires confusion. That is why I HATE seeing it used on scammer-plagued sites such as eBay.

 

What if you had reworded your OP as follows:

 

"Which US coin has fewer than 200 known but is fairly easy to find?"

 

Is that what you are truly trying to ask (shrug) ??

 

I honestly don't know what responses your OP is hoping to elicit, based on the ensuing discussions :) , but it's been a fun discussion.

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michael

michael

Posted
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i think that the 1794 halfdime is so close to rare

and truly rare

IF IF IF

 

when it comes to getting one xf and above

with great eye appeal and original surfaces

that has NOT been dipped out greyish white WITH DEAD LUSTRE

that is NOT just been boinked recolored etc.

a coin that has NOT been recolored and/or secondary ugly rim toned

still having it thick crusty skin with all the dirt and detrius remaining

YET

still has great eye appeal

then it is truly a rare coin

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i also think- from my limited experiences in the coin game

that the 55 DDO a true ms63 and above coin that is

partly to full rb

with no spots no stains even coloration

and no blueish/purple-ish toning coloration

totally original with light crust adhearing to th3e original unmolested surfaces

with everything coming together making it a way above average eye appealling coin

 

then and only then

is a VERY VERY SCARCE+ to rare coin

 

please read my signature line below :shy:

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michael

michael

Posted
Posted

Which US coin is called "rare" but is fairly easy to find?

 

sorry i did not answer the question as it stands sorry james

 

so here goes

 

"rare" but extremely easy to find in multiples on any bourse floor and/or in regular larger coin auctions ie stacks bowers, goldbergs, heritage

 

stellas

50 pan pac

1895 morgan DOLLARS

1916-d merc dimes

1877 indian head cents

09-s-vdb

1916 standers

1793 cents------ the most available for type

1800-1812 5 dollar gold pieces ----- the most available for the type

high relief saints

the list goes on and on

1799-1804 ten dollar gold----- the most available for the type

 

remember for the 93 cents and early gold they are available but they might not all be choice for the grade, surfaces and/or coloration

 

please see my signature line as per the below :shy:

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Bruceswar

Bruceswar

Posted
Posted

Rare but not rare...

 

1909 S VDB

 

1916 D only in lower grades... Above VG 10 it starts getting tougher to find

 

1955 DDO

 

1938 D Walker

 

1972 DDO

 

1995 DDO

 

 

 

For the rare coins

 

 

1812 Large 8 Bust Half

 

1794 Dollar

 

Brasher with EB on wing

 

Stella's

 

1894 S Dime

 

1975 Proof Dime with no mint mark

 

 

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