Key Dates

Try this one out for coins.

http://www.oldetownecoin.com/How.htm

Tpatna, as for the other part of your question you pretty much have it right, supply and demand go a long way in determining a key date coin. You need to keep in mind too that sometimes a coin can be pretty tough to find in a certain grade even though it isn't a key date. If it doesn't have a terribly low mintage and people didn't think to hoard them in high grades then nice examples can be hard to come by. All kinds of things like that to take into consideration, read up all you can.

I find it funny that the link TSOTL gave calls every CC Morgan a key coin when in fact you can get high grade 82,83,84-CC for very reasonable prices

seems like they may be doing it by mintage instead of price. The mintage is way less on the CC morgans than they are on others even though some of the prices dont reflect it and the 82,83,84 seem to be the only ones that do not reflect the mintage with prices. I have often wondered why those 3 dates are so affordable in high grades when others with around the same mintage and some with more minted are alot higher, maybe its condition rarity

well truly how often do you see cc compared to anything else, I believe what (TSOTL provided link) is trying to say if you have the money pick up any cc you can I truly believe thats par for the course, in most collectors eyes. True they are not as rare as some others mintage's , but that rings true in a lot of cases think about the odd denomination coins 2 and 3 cent and look at how low there mintages are as compared to a modern day State Quarter for example in some case the staet quarter is going to be given a higher price ... Or even modern mint sets vs. late 50's early 60's they are silver ( of course not the nickel and penny) and you can get either the only 90% silver kennedy (except modern day silver proofs) or maybe a benjamin for sometimes half the cost (give or take) ... I collect all the 1987 mint sets I can Price cheap . Howver some one who wants to complete a kennedy set somday will have to have one to bust open so they can complete it or the 1996 mint set (West point dime) not really expensive but will be a need and desire if you want to complete your Roosevelt set some day .. what to collect is based on more than just current trends and or value in my opionion as far as keys and or semi-keys go.. but this just my unsoliciated opioion. this statement is not meant to be offensive to anyone..and is solely my opionion..

I try to be correct to all, with out offending anyone .. now I just have to learn to edit before I post wow I cant even understand half of what I put on the post most of the time..