Modern Rare Coins

Thanks for your reply biggfredd.

I am assuming that if there are low mintages surely there is opportunity in the future long term regardless of current demand. Not all mintages are reached so I see your point.

Thanks again.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM
Most people when discussing this usually forget about the growing population of people everywhere. In the USA alone it is estimated there are 300,000,000 people. Of course this depends on how many crossed the border sinch I started this reply. Then too since the Mint started these massive coin collecting types, such as the State Quarters and Presidential dollars, the amount of collectors has also grown. The internet has now introduced the entire World to USA coins as well. This would mean possibly hundreds of millions of coin collectors today compared to only a few million not long ago.
When I was a kid a mintage of several millions of a coin was excessive due to not many coin collectors. No books on coins, no TV adds for coins (NO TV EITHER), Silver coins were as common as bad teeth and everyone abused pennies.
Due to this I would assume any coins minted less than 1,000,000 would soon become difficult to find if not impossible. Of course there are a few other items to consider. The popularity of such coins and the ability to collect coins at all due to a poor economy.

fred, do you mean vatican EURO?

I agree that it's better to have high demand rather than low mintage.

There are also rarities (or not) based on condition. For example, with Franklins, even though mintages vary from 2.5 million to 35+ million, they're all worth about the same up to VF condition.

Finally people often pick anything under 1 million as low mintage for regular, business strikes. Comparatively speaking, this is true. However, 1 million is a LOT and if the coin only interests coin collectors, there are way, way more than the number of collectors.

The Pope example is a good one for high demand. Another one is this lincoln frenzy where all these coin collectors think they'll be selling their lincolns for huge profits in 2009. So far they're just selling to each other, but the point is that they've created their own little demand world and the prices have risen. Wait to see if the general population gets excited in a few months

With Kabiye_Lady

I have some coins that only 1600 minted and 200 years old that are worth less the others that 17Million minted and 70 years old. Demand is more important than numbers. Probably a mathematician would say the ratio of demand and minted would be a better estimate
But I am not one of those.

There is an easy solution you know. Move here to the USA. It's easy, you just go to Mexico and walk accross the border. Every one does.


I know what you mean. My 1967 Imperial convertible with 24,000 miles has about a 477 made in 67 and no one wants one of those monsters. I could sell my 1968 Newport convertible easier. I redcently put my 81 Monte Carlo for sale and it went in a week and there was millions of them made. People are nuts.

I want one! It's probably green, isn't it? I swear every Imperial built in '67 and '68 was painted green, and it's just not an attractive color these days.