Spin off of What's your lowest mintage coin thread 0

[Zebo]

To not detract from the OP thread What's is your lowest mintage coin - I see proof coins being mentioned which got me thinking.

should NCLT coins fit into the OP's intent on listing low mintage coins? What's the difference between NCLT coins and Proof coins? I see them as one and the same. Anyone think differently?

[Revenant]

Well, that's one of the reasons my reply mentioned a NCLT and a circulation strike coin.

With NCLT, most of them have mintages that are quite high vs the coins in that thread. There are exceptions though.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Revenant

[Zebo]

55 minutes ago, Revenant said:

Well, that's one of the reasons my reply mentioned a NCLT and a circulation strike coin.

With NCLT, most of them have mintages that are quite high vs the coins in that thread. There are exceptions though.

Listing both NCLT and circulating coins in the thread makes sense and adds a bit to the OP.

[World Colonial]

4 hours ago, Zebo said:

should NCLT coins fit into the OP's intent on listing low mintage coins? What's the difference between NCLT coins and Proof coins? I see them as one and the same. Anyone think differently?

There is a difference between a coin struck for circulation with counterparts made for collectors (traditional proofs) versus a "coin" that isn't really a currency equivalent.  That's the case with bullion coins which even have the weight inscribed or where the face value doesn't mean anything.  With more recent US commemoratives, it has a face value but unlike during the classic commemorative era where many were actually spent, no one is going to spend it intentionally.

The significance of the mintage is a different consideration entirely which is what I infer you are really asking.

"Low" mintage US NCLT isn't really low versus hardly any actual alternative.  As an example, no one who will buy the 95-W ASE or this recently issued 2019 ERP is going to buy it as a replacement for circulated wheat cents which is the type of collecting predominant two generations ago.  It's going to be bought as a substitute for other high quality circulating coinage (probably mostly the same size and metal composition) or higher quality proofs.

Low mintage world NCLT isn't the exception but the norm, at least when compared to practically almost any US NCLT.  A low mintage UK coin is a lot more meaningful than one from one of these obscure places struck by a private mint.

Low mintage proofs outside the US are also not the exception but the norm.  In the example I gave of the 1936 South Africa half crown, 40 is very low versus a 1936 proof WLH (about 90 times as common) but not really versus many other proofs from this era outside the US.  Sometimes yes but many times not really.  These coins are legitimately rare or at least somewhat scarce but more recent ones aren't, like the South African 1974 which has a mintage of about 8,000 to my recollection.

Low mintage also has reduced significance when most or all in the series are also low.  The 95-W ASE is the "key" date because all other mintages in the basic set (excluding the gimmicks with different finishes) are much higher.  A world NCLT with a much lower mintage than the 95-W ASE is never going to have the same significance and therefore, the same price because it contradicts common sense that any collector will ever find it so compelling to pay an equivalently high price for most or the entire series.

Edited November 27, 2019 by World Colonial

[kbbpll]

I appreciate how wide open that topic is, as long as people continue qualifying their responses as proof, NCLT, variety/type, etc.

[Walkerfan]

41 minutes ago, kbbpll said:

I appreciate how wide open that topic is, as long as people continue qualifying their responses as proof, NCLT, variety/type, etc.

Agree.  Proofs were minted in far fewer numbers than business strikes and should be duly noted.  

Edited November 27, 2019 by Walkerfan