Coins that you just couldn't find, even though you thought they were common!

[lclugza]

Has there ever been a coin that you just couldn't find, even though you thought it was common? Has there even been a coin that you found, but had great difficulty in finding, that you thought was common? If so, tell me your stories about them.

[Count_Erfit]

When I had my shop, I sold a 1914D buff in VF from my personal "collection" that I had put together from time to time. Not hi grade .... just regular old roaring '20's type pocket change.

 

I played HELL replacing that coin. I ran ads EVERY day for about 2 months on CoinNet and FINALLY found one. In Fine. I wasn't particular.....just looking for the date.

 

It's a semi key date........but had no idea HOW key.

[truthteller]

1931 Mexico 50 peso gold. Sold one in the late 1970's. Every dealer told me it was just bullion and they always saw that date. I've been looking for 10 years, and can't find one.

 

TRUTH

[jtryka]

I remember when I first started collecting Saints I wondered why these branch mint coins from the 1920s were so expensive given the high mintages relative to the rest of the series. Well, I quickly learned that since so many were melted, far fewer of those coins survived. They come up every now and then, but they are much scarcer than the 08-S or the HR (even the easier ones like the 22-S and 24-S.

 

What truth says is right on. At the PNNA show yesterday, I saw a 1931 50-peso and it had all sorts of signs saying it was RARE, but I guess I just never figured that any of that series would be rare.

[goose3]

I had a bit of difficulty locating my FE's all in nice AU grades. Seems like most of them are either G-F's or MS.

[spiny]

A lot of the coins I'm collecting aren't expensive, but some seem to be hard to find. I got this one not too long ago after looking for a couple years. The only other one I saw in that time was worn and corroded.

 

truthteller, 1931 50 Pesos .

[TomB]

Very cool coin, spiny, what is it?

[spiny]

It's a 1918 Thailand 1 Satang. One of the foreign coins struck at US mints.

[michael]

wow i love the spider grabbing the tasty little one for dinner

 

i think that really relates to some coin sellers(spiders) and the tasty little one(buyers)

 

 

for me you cant seem to find really nice choice xf coins with tremendous eye appeal in indian cents before 1890 moreso before 1880 and also barber halves quarters

 

 

sincerely michael

 

 

 

 

[ms66quarters]

Michael

 

As for the last 3 years, I've been putting a set of VF barber halves together....so I can attest to your statement on barber's.

 

The local coin shop's in my area only seem to have G & VG coins.

 

Looking for certain dates (in VF) seem sometimes impossible!

 

Rob

[michael]

rob ms 66 quarters that barber half set would be a mojor rarity if you ever completeed half of it with a solid nice vf barber halves seems to me they just do not exist

 

unless under fine way under fine i think thst the half was the workhorse for the economy the huge growing economy back then and the same for the quarters and even the dimes in fact lots of the business strike coinage late 1800's to early 1900's you juat cant find in decent circ grades inless it is vg or under and ugly vg at that

 

to find decent NICE VF STUFF even xf just is not out there JUST DOES NOT EXIST

 

but it is fun to look and if you ever complete the set for me it would be in a complete nice looking vf and/or xf a high rarity 6+++++

 

sincerely michael

 

sincerely michael

[TomB]

I did not respond to this thread with Barber coinage, especially half dollars, because I never thought they would be easy to obtain. In my opinion, and it is only anecdotal, the average grade of extant Barber half dollars is probably AG3. They were likely the most thoroughly used coinage in our history and they show it.

[chrisfuccione]

To go way off topic(well it does fit the topic---Kind of) Why don't you think the half dollar isn't popular now? How hard is it to find a Kennedy half in change? CHRIS

[gmarguli]

Why don't you think the half dollar isn't popular now? How hard is it to find a Kennedy half in change?

 

Too big and heavy. They can't be used in most vending machines. I get them rarely in change.

[truthteller]

Thanks Spiny,

 

I have to look into Steinbergs. A bit pricey, but maybe they'll haggle.

 

TRUTH

[TomB]

Aside from what Greg has written I think a real reason the half dollar has died as a circulating coin was the change from the Franklin half to the Kennedy half. I believe so many JFK halves were saved as momentos at the time of issue that, when silver was largely removed from our coinage in 1965, nearly all the circulating halves were immediately removed for silver content. Since all these coins were Franklin halves, and it took no effort to discern a silver Franklin, they were efficiently and quickly removed. This essentially left consumers with no half dollar option since the JFK half was not circulating widely.

[lclugza]

Regarding the circulation (or lack thereof) of the Kennedy halves- another reason the 1965-69 halves did not circulate is that they were the only circulating coin with silver, and people saved them for that reason (in accordance with Gresham's Law, "Bad money drives out good.") They were saved even though their silver content was worth less than their face value.

 

Regarding Barber coins- I rather like the Barber design a lot; I like the ones in MS/Proof where Liberty really looks like a lady! These new-looking coins actually show a quite pretty Liberty. After a bit of wear I think Liberty seems to take on a more masculine, less attractive appearance. I would agree that most Barbers seem to be worn to VG or lower grade.In Fine or better circulated grade, Seated coins actually seem to be more common than Barbers.

[michael]

i agree iclug the brrbers are really uncommom coins and are really beautiful in ms and proof and circ and just as beautiful and uncommon in circ

 

and the barber halves in original white never dipped in gem mintstate with great eye appeal are really uncommon many do not realize this as you never see such an animal

 

the pops are really low and the demand is low but i think all coins go through phases and better to collect the classic barbers in ms and proof or nice circ grades

 

dimes quarters and halves as they are great value buys currently

 

they have only but up to go and believe me they will be found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

sincerely michael