Rare coin values can be a highly tricky and subjective arena to navigate within the numismatic universe. To determine a rare coin value means to place an extreme measure of scrutiny to the piece and is usually done through the eyes of many coin professionals collectively working together to come up with a final appraisal. Every coin professional can generally recite the key dates or better dates from any series of U.S. coins and many have a much broader knowledge when it comes to foreign coins. Once identifying a coin as being a rare coin within a series, it then becomes a painstaking process looking for minting flaws, wear patterns, surface scratches and marks, rim damage, evidence of cleaning, stage of circulation and, finally, pouring over the finer details of the coin. If many of these qualifiers are evident in a particular key date or better date coin, it could disqualify it as being a rare coin. Many times even the most minute detail can affect the rare coin value dramatically. If a rare coin is discovered to be in an uncirculated state, just the slightest scratch could be the difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the final determination of that rare coin value.
It’s important to understand that most coins in any particular coin collection are not going to be rare coins. The definition of a rare coin mandates that the coin be of a significantly less mintage than the average coin from any series. For example, of all the Washington Quarters made in the last 80 plus years, only two would qualify as being key dates, or possibly rare coins, and those are the 1932-D and the 1932-S, remembering of course that they would have to be in exceptional state. Most U.S. coins of the 20th and 21st centuries will not qualify as rare coins, simply because with modern minting technologies and the vastly growing economy of the U.S. during this time period, there were millions, and in some cases, billions of coins made for each series in each year. This has a direct effect on numismatics and the collecting of rare coins. One would generally have to go as far back as the early 19th century to find an abundance of what would qualify as rare coins within each series of U.S. coins, and even then, the knowledgeable collector would have to understand all of the qualifiers that transform an average low minted coin into a rare coin status.
If there is ever any doubt as to the rarity of any coin, or to determine a rare coin value, bring your collection into Nevada Coin & Jewelry so that you can utilize the expertise of the highly trained coin professionals. With several decades of combined experience, the friendly and efficient staff can easily identify and determine any possible rare coins within your collection and evaluate that rare coin value.
