The missing key.

Think for a minute to yourself "what is the most highly prized US coins?"

You might think of the 1913 Liberty Nickel, or the 1804 Silver Dollars.

Well, there are 15 known 1804 Silver Dollars, there are 5 known 1913 Nickels.

But until I stumbled across a Wikipedia article, there is another rare coin that is up there with the other "kings".

The 1894-S Barber Dime. Only 24 were minted and of those only nine are known to survive.

 

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That is nothing new to many of us.

Did you know that in an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies Jed Clampett was advised to buy an 1894-S Dime for $10,000? Did you know that in real life Buddy Ebsen (who played Jed Clampett) owned an 1894-S Dime?

Have you heard the story about the San Francisco Mint Director giving his young daughter three 1894-S Dimes and telling her to save them because they would be very valuable one day but on her way home she spent one on ice cream?

Those of us that have been around for a while are well aware of the 1894-S Dimes.

 

And "highly prized" does not necessarily equal "lowest mintage," as in the case of the 1849 $20 gold and the 1870-S $3 gold...

If it hasn't appeared in CT, I'd enjoy reading about the old-time dealer B. Max Mehl advertising for DECADES that he would pay $50 for a 1913 V nickel. He knew he wasn't going to find one, but the ad caught everyone's eye, and it promoted his business wonderfully, and the coin accumulations he bought as a result were probably worth many times the 1913 5c of that era, say 1930 to 1950, mostly.

 

Jhinton wrote an article about him not too long ago. Let's see if I can find a link........

I was wrong.....WingedLiberty wrote the piece.

http://www.cointalk.com/t192747-2/

 

That's not he "missing" key. The missing ones are the 1873-S no arrows half dollar and standard silver dollar. They made 5,000 or the halves and 700 of the dollars. We know that examples were sent to Philadelphia for the annual assay trials, but not a single specimen of either one is known today. From time to time there has been a rumor of an example of the dollar coin, but it has never been confirmed.

 

Could it be...

















































































...the meaningful job that yet alludes our fair OP whilst he blathers about buying coins and I wonder, whence shall he learneth?

 

I believe you meant to say, "the meaningful job that eludes" Detecto.

http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/allude_elude.htm

 

Moreover, what does a meaningful job have to do with knowledge of coins??

CT already has a dozen OP's who live off their incredible finds, superlative trades, and once-in-a-lifetime deals. :rollling:

 

Conder hit it on the head.

Personally, if I owned a 94s dime I would trade it for a 78s half any day. Back when I was collecting SL halves that coin gave me nightmares at the thought of it........

Sorry, but to me the 94s is just another made up for collectors coin, and as such I just ignored them, (not that I ever had a chance to own one anyway).

 

Because I suppose, certainly not through my own attribution, I have become the proverbial punching bag of this forum. However, I pretty much remain silent on the issue, so that their reflection of their immaturity comes shining through.

" 'Tis better to be silent and thought to be a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt".
-Abraham Lincoln

 

Honestly, many of us do respect you for that Tim. I also think its patently unfair how many believe its ok to belittle and degrade you and your posts.

Think before you posts guys. There is no call for being mean. If I had a quarter as many comments directed to me that Tim has had, I probably would be banned here by now from the flame wars.

If you disagree with his post, or his assertions, then disagree. There is no need for it getting personal.

 

Think about it, any ridicule heaped on Detecto actually is bought about by his own attribution.

 

I agree, Chris. I've never understood the constant barrage of abuse he is subject to here. He's a better man than all of us for sticking through it and continuing his quest for knowledge amongst the wolves.
Guy

 

But Tim, you haven't been practicing what you are preaching. I have read of your woes finding a job, finding a car part etc. Just a bit back you were talking about selling off stuff to make ends meet. Then I read your buying albeit low value coins again. In essence I just hope that you can accomplish learning priorities, and maybe actually practicing that fine quote you shared above. Too much personal information shared, and people like wolves, will come from hither and nip at you.

I will be the first to admit, I can have caustic moments. I am apologetic to you if you were in anyway unsettled. I believe you are a young individual and have all the probabilities in the world to learn from the experience. Don't share too much information. I wish you the best and promise heretofore to not negatively or unduly reply to your topics.

 

We have some folks here that are just mean. They enjoy making rude nasty remarks to others.

 

Apology accepted. I agree with you on the personal information. I share too much of it, and I think that gives a lot of people fuel.

 

I've always known about the infamous and famed 1894-S Barber. It's one hole that every Barber collector dreams of filling. I believe an example sold last year for a little over a Million.

 

I saw that episode, when Drysdale told Jed what it was worth Jed said "weeeee doggie, that much for a dime"?

 

Personally, I consider the 1964-D Peace Dollar the key missing coin. With a rather large mintage (I have heard numbers ranging between 30,000 and 500,000 But nobody really knows) I am convinced that there are a few survivors of the meltdown. The first set that I ever completed on my own was the Peace dollar collection, and as such holds a prized space in my collection. Without the 64, I always think of it as incomplete.

 

Has any 1964-D Peace $1 ever appeared at auction? Is it subject to confiscation, like the aluminum cents distributed to a few members of Congress?