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 Replies: 27 / Views: 2,086 |
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Valued Member
United States
254 Posts |
I am currently working on my Lincoln Cent collection and was researching prices for a 1914-D and noticed that this piece sells for about $200 in G-4 on e-bay. Compare that to a 1931-S which sells for roughly $75 in G-4. The only issue is that almost 1.2 million 1914-D cents were minted as opposed to only 833 thousand 1931-S cents. What gives?  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
The 1931-S was mostly hoarded which is why it is difficult to find a well worn example and not terribly expensive to purchase a nice RD MS example. The vast majority of 1914-Ds were placed in circulation so they have a much higher attrition rate.
Edited by biokemist6
02/19/2009 9:31 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Biokemist is right. The 14-D was just another Lincoln Cent and it just went into circulation and got worn out. But in 1931 the collectors and probably some of the general public KNEW that it was a low mintage issue and they were snapped up and hoarded as soon as they became available. So almost the entire mintage is available today in high grade. It is unusual to find a 31-S cent in less than AU condition and they are very difficult to find below XF. A similar thing happened with the 50-D nickel. It is the lowest mintage coin but it was known when they first came out and they were all hoarded. Today a circulated 50-D nickel is something of a rarity. And the hoarding kept them cheap. Yes there was a lot of speculation in the early 60's and they went to over $1K per roll, but then they crashed and until fairly recently you could buy an Unc roll for under $200. People need to think about that with the 2005 Buffalo nickels. Better than 10% of the entire mintage was sold directly to collectors by the mint. That is tens of millions of Unc coins siting out there in hoards. |
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Valued Member
United States
311 Posts |
Weird, though, that even though 1909 S VDB cents were largely hoarded as well (I suspect there are far more owned by collectors than were originally minted!), they remain insanely high... I suspect I'll never fill the S-VDB or 14-D holes, personally.
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Valued Member
United States
290 Posts |
I find that strange. I would have figured, that despite people hoarding the 1931-S, that during the next dozen plus years of Depression and the War, that people wuld have broken down and spent those coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
All the above is correct, more or less.
The 1914D was not seen as anything special when it was minted. The 1931S was. Why, nobody really knows, but the 1931S was hoarded in great numbers - so much so that in the early 50s there were still sealed bags of 1931S.
The reasoning behind the 1909S VDB being such a high ticket item is its mintage coupled with its story and the fact that it's always been one of the tough finds in circulation...even in 1909.
The 1909S VDB is overpriced, but always will be. The 1914D is seeing it's prime, and the 1931S has gone up considerably over the years, even though the prices by grade remain somewhat flat (a sign of a contemporarily hoarded coin).
The places to look for sharp increases into the near future are the S mint teens, 1924D, and the issues from 1931-1933.
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Moderator
 United States
16677 Posts |
 The 1924-D in my opinion is undervalued and as coppercoins has already pointed out, will show some nice increases in the future. The 31-S has already been covered. I do like the 09-S VDB and the 14-D for long term holds. These will always be in demand. swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
Oh...also watch for wholesale interest in the 1928S as soon as the majority of price guides begin to separate the deserving large-S from the small-S. Coin Prices already does this, and I expect the remainder to follow suit some time within the next five years. After that happens, finding a 1928S large S cent anywhere will be difficult.
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Valued Member
 United States
254 Posts |
The hoarding explains the relatively reasonable prices for the 1931-S. However, what I don't fully understand is that the mintage numbers vs. prices would imply that half of the 1914-D cents have been lost to time or taken off the market (melted, thrown down a sewer, sitting in a jar for 90 years, etc.). I can see that the mint state grades would be extremely rare and command a super premium price however, circulated G-4 examples should be more available unless the above "lost to time" theory is true.
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Valued Member
United States
122 Posts |
Okay. I just bought a 1914-D Last week. Here it is. Image:  1914Dbought.jpg87.7 KB It has been cleaned! However, this coin gave me a chance to add this key date to my collection. I obtained it for what I consider a modest price. I believe that I can always get my $$ back if I upgrade it. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2600 Posts |
Thx for your thought's on Lincolns and where the next values might be, Chuck.
Jim
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Quote:
Okay. I just bought a 1914-D Last week. Here it is.
I like it. Put it into an album and it's golden. Do you mind saying what you paid? It's a slot I'd like to fill but not ready for what I think it will cost me. Ken |
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Valued Member
United States
290 Posts |
What grade would you consider it to be? (I need help learning to grade...)
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Moderator
United States
187582 Posts |
Quote:
Okay. I just bought a 1914-D Last week. Here it is... It has been cleaned! Cleaned or not, it fills the hole better than a replica or severely damaged coin would. Very nice!  |
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Valued Member
United States
122 Posts |
I paid $167.50, including shipping. I had done a market study of over 40 of this issue. I learned that it would be hard to get anything under $250.00. And at that, those in that price range often have defects. I did get to fill a hole. It's a pretty smooth coin. I suppose it would grade out at G4, with a notation that it has been cleaned. Now I will try to get a 1909-S. I have been studying that one, too. They're steep. I don't plan to purchase one until I go to the local coin show (New Orleans) in April. Whether I find a good one there or not remains a question. I am interested in getting a better grade of the 1909-S. It will probably cost me around $300-$400.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
I think it's a good coin at that price - thanks for sharing the information!
Ken
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Replies: 27 / Views: 2,086 |
Posted 02/20/2009 1:50 pm
1914Dbought.jpg
