Coin census

[Crazy Mtn Coins]

I am curious if anyone knows of a source that shows how the census of graded coins has changed over the past maybe 50 years. I just thought it would be interesting to see how the numbers are changing. For example Morgan dollars, are collectors still finding raw Morgans grading MS67 and if so, how is that number changing. I guess one would have to take into account the increasing number of collectors. Anyway I just thought it would be interesting to see how the census is changing.

[BillJones]

There are many complexities in the question that you pose. The best information that has been gathered and recorded over the years has been done by collector organizations for early U.S. coins by die variety. For example if you buy a copy of Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Large Cents 1793 - 1814 you will see condition census information for the finest known example of each die variety. New discoveries do crop up now and then of really high grade or rare varieties, but by in large the information shown there is about as good as it gets.

 

The other aspect of this is that grading is a moving target. For example I have owned the finest known example of the 1800 Bolender 20 Bust Dollar for many years. Back when I bought that piece in the mid 1970s it was listed in the condition census as an EF-45. I had NGC grade the coin years ago, and they called it an AU-58. I think that the "real grade" is in the middle of that, perhaps AU-53 or 55, but you get the idea. Grades change over time.

 

When it comes to Morgan dollars there is not a lot of specific condition census information because the coins really common. You might think that I'm looking down my nose at you, but I'm not. Compared to the early U.S. coins and even the other coins that were made during the same era, the Morgan Dollars have high mintages and high survival rates. Even a "rare one" like the 1893-S are not all that rare. I've known dealers to have as many as ten or 11 in stock at a given time, and they were not "huge dealers." Morgan dollars have a "market rarity" not an absolute rarity.

 

As to grading them, that too has changed over the years. Back in the 1970s any Morgan Dollar with a reasonably clean cheek was called "MS-65." Today many of those coins would be graded MS-63 or 64. Also in those days there were really only four Mint State grades, MS-60, 63, 65 and something beyond MS-65. Today there are 11 although for practical purposes, almost nothing grades higher than MS-67.

 

[newprepper]

Bill, I didn't see anything in your post that would lead anybody to think you were looking down your nose at them. Looks like a lot of good information that would take some time to digest.

[Crazy Mtn Coins]

Thanks for the info, that is interesting.

[Brol]

Good post, Bill. Everytime learn something new reading them. Thanks

[mailman1959]

I don't know how to track the past years, but 1 thing you do for now is to use the NGC Coin Census Pages and make a copy of what coins you collect.They have a listing of the grades and numbers for each year and grade.As an example, I collect Eisenhower Dollars, since I started in 2011 the population for 1973D in MS67 has increased from 1 to 2