Collecting Rare Coins
November 15th, 2007
It’s the dream of every novice coin collector…rummaging through a handful of change and coming across that one mint condition rare coin. In reality, rare coin collecting is an exciting hobby that takes many forms.
What makes a coin truly rare? Coin rarity is determined by two different criteria. In some instances, a coin may be fairly common in circulated condition, but there may be very few in “mint” or uncirculated condition. This is known as “conditional rarity,” since the coin’s rarity is based on the actual condition of the coin.
There are some coins, however, that are rare in any condition, and these are known as “absolute rarity.” Many gold coins fall under this category, and the investment market is fairly hot for these items. Examples of these kinds of coins are gold pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries, rare silver dimes like the 1894-S Barber dime, and several types of one cent pieces from the last 1700s.
Entry Filed under: Collectors' Bank