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 Replies: 18 / Views: 3,253 |
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Valued Member
United States
99 Posts |
I don't get it. A 1914 D Lincoln is 1,193,000 and a 1931 S Lincoln is 866,000. You would think the lower mint would be more.
The reason I am want to know is I an building a collection of lower mint higher grade coins.
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1188 Posts |
Just taking a guess but I think by the 30's people were really into coin collecting so the 1931-S was hoarded. The 1914-D may have came out at a time when people didn't have the free income to keep coins so maybe more got into circulation and worn down or melted?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2130 Posts |
That is exactly what I have heard as well. The 14d were used and abused. The 31s were hoarded by the roll.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2200 Posts |
I read something about the 1914-D where people didn't realize it had a small mintage until they'd all been pretty much used up. By the time they realized it was a key coin, it was too late to hoard them.
A very good example of how a coin with a low mintage doesn't necessarily make it more valuable than a coin with a higher mintage.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
908 Posts |
Lets roll back the clock and hoard a few rolls. I am shopping for a 1914-d cent and cannot believe the high sums for even the lowest quality coins.
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Valued Member
 United States
99 Posts |
thanks. Makes sense. I had a 1914 d on hold for $75 and the guy sold it. He thought I wasn't interested! When you roll back the clock put me down for a roll!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
I am in the process of buying a house built in 1914. Maybe they stashed some rolls in the walls for me to find behind the horsehair plaster...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
One roll of MS64 or higher would pay the entire mortgage.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
Some of you guys are missing what ''Connor'' said. he said the 31-S'S were hoarded by the roll. Not the 14-D's .  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5825 Posts |
My standard answer.
It's not how many were struck.
It's how many still exist.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
When I worked construction I used to hide newspapers and coins from the year we built the house that they would find when they took down those walls, or tore down the building years later. If somebody did that in 1914 though, it doesn't matter if they were being horded by collectors or not. :)
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19943 Posts |
People knew the 31S was low mintage so they were hoarded, we have plenty of them around today. In 1914 nobody new the 14D was special and had a low mintage, they were used and abused, so there are less of them around today.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2271 Posts |
The '31-S is an important coin because it helped shape coin collecting.
There was very little demand for coin in 1931 in San Francisco because of the depression and these coins still sat in a vault early in 1932. An enterprising dealer realized that the entire mintage could be had for a little more than $10,000 so he offered to buy the coins. The mint was highly insulted that they'd make the coins and then they'd only go to coin collectors so they not only refused to sell them but they changed their policy to never issue very low mintages again. This has no doubt affected the way collectors have migrated to high grades and varieties seeking rarity.
The '31-S got some public attention during this and the original would be buyer ended up with quite a few of the coins. Indeed there may have been as few as twenty individuals who got nearly half the mintage while many of the other half were also set aside a roll here and a roll there.
Almost the entire '14-D mintage went straight into circulation and had about a 2% annual attrition until the mid-'30's when people started putting worn specimens into the new fangled coin boards.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
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Moderator
 United States
188130 Posts |
That was an excellent read, cladking.  |
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Valued Member
United States
256 Posts |
It does seem as if most 31s a re still in very high grade. Never heard that story about the coin collector and the mint.
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Moderator
United States
188130 Posts |
I looked high and low for a circulated 1931-S for my album. It took me forever to find one.
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Replies: 18 / Views: 3,253 |
Posted 02/23/2016 9:14 pm
