I am new to this forum and have posted questions on a few coins. I definitely know more now than when I first started posting. Haven't bothered the members in a few days decided to look at the great info provided here so I can be a little more educated before I ask. I have been doing a lot of reading on the forums of Coin Chat and What's it worth for the past several days when I could. Just want to ask a question what is some of the more rare and interesting coins that has been presented to Coin Talk. Cointalk has helped me very much from taking photos, suggested references, websites and the likes. Just want to tell all the members of this forum, thank you very much.
This place has been a Godsend to me in the short time I have been here. There are some very interesting discussions (and photos!) of early coppers ongoing in the US coin section. The “post a toned coin” thread has quite a few mouth watering pieces. Saw a new poster today posting his first photo of a beautiful St. Gaudens. Was a poster last week found a 1799 dollar he posted in the “what’s it worth” section. The ancient forum just blows me away. The detail in some of those pieces that have survived millennia just astounds me. Every day I find posts (and photos!) of just marvelously wonderful coins..... I haven’t been here long enough to say what some of the rarer coins displayed are. But rest assured that every day something wonderful shows up in these pages. I’m here for the photos.... Oh yeah, and the knowledgeable guys that make this place their haunt.
Boy ! You just covered a whole lot of ground with that question ! Over the years just about everything you can think of, from ancient to modern has been posted and discussed here. When it comes to rare, well, there's a lot of different definitions used by a lot of different people. Personally, I think it's a word that's used way too much, and inaccurately in most cases. And to make it even worse there's two different kinds of rare - absolute rarity and conditional rarity - but yet the same single word is used to describe both when folks are talking. I don't have a problem with that, I understand it and even agree with it, I just wish folks would explain which one they're talking about when they do talk about it. Doing so would prevent a lot of misunderstanding for others who do not yet understand the concepts. In reality there's no hard number that defines rare, it is always a matter of opinion. For me, to qualify as being truly rare 10 or fewer examples exist. For others, and a lot of others at that, the number can swell to 200,000 examples and still the coin is commonly called rare. Stuff like this happens because too many folks equate cost/value with rarity. In other words if it cost a lot it must be rare. But that not is not the case at all. The best known example of this is arguably the 1909-S VDB cent. Even in low grades the coin costs a lot, but there's a couple hundred thousand of them out there. So absolute rarity cannot apply under any circumstances. But conditional rarity can, in both high grades and low grades. And again you have the number problem to deal with. And interesting coins, oooooh - that's another one where what defines it varies widely and depends upon one's perspective. I say this because it's a chocolate and vanilla thing - a matter taste more than anything else. What you think very interesting may be of no interest whatsoever to me - or somebody else. But however you define either word you can count on it that if it applies - it's been posted and discussed here at one time or another, and some of them many times. All of that said, and it's all important, none of it really has anything to do with what you really want - or at least what I assume you want - pics of coins. So let's see if I can help you with that Since you're new here you'd have no way of knowing of course but I don't even collect coins anymore, I quit collecting over 10 years ago. Now, I study coins, teach when I can, and then study some more. And in between I tend to write a bit. But when I quit collecting these are the kinds of coins that were involved. That one is a 1364 franc a' cheval - the very first French franc. It was minted by the Count Louis de Male in the Netherlands. The history, and story, behind it would take more time than I have to write today. But I've written about it several times and you can find it easy enough here on the forum. The coin is not rare by my definition as for that date a mint there's probably, oh I don't know, 200-300 examples out there. But conditional rarity would apply as it was the finest known at MS64. This next one is also not rare, nor is it conditionally rare. It does however qualify as interesting in my opinion, and that of most others as well. Again, the history behind the coin is compelling, not because of the story behind this specific coin as it was with the previous, but rather the man it represents, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, the most powerful man in the world at the time. The coin is known as the Real d'Or, minted in the Austrian Netherlands between 1546 and 1556. And lastly, I'll post this one for you. It is and was rare by any description, both absolute and conditional. When I bought it there were only 2 known to exist, it made the 3rd confirmed example. It is a special variety of the 1583 Rose Noble, again minted in the Netherlands. It was pure luck that I managed to find it in an auction where it was incorrectly attributed and won it for much less than it was really worth - all because I was able to attribute the coin and correctly identify it. Over the years, between me and a friend and student of mine, also a member of this forum, we managed to find 4 more examples of this coin - thus rewriting the books as to how many truly existed. Even so, the number was still only 7 - rare by any definition. So I hope that helps get you on your way with answering your question for some examples of rare and interesting coins. And I am sure that others will add to them shortly
I'm glad to read this. Too often someone comes on here and wants to know the value of a penny they just found in a parking lot because they saw some YouTube video. Only to have a maddening aversion to the answers they get. There is so much to learn about the hobby that it is never ending. Good luck.
LORD M. I find to have the most interesting variety. He has a magic coin box he shares from time to time. A to Z stuff. You never know what he's going to pull out of that hat of his. Put him on follow. You'll see
To Shag, who wants to know some of the more rare and interesting coins that have been sent in here. Send a few photos of your coins, and you might get a surprising answer !!!
1859-1C Proof Coin. This will probably be my greatest find, didn't really find it or know what I was looking for, just in a coin collection my friend inherited that I am trying to help with. I posted earlier about a 1859 1C Indian Head Cent. I had no idea it was a proof coin when I submitted it to PCGS. I just thought It looked good and would receive a good grade. After it came back as a proof coin I looked at coin facts and found out that only 800 of the coins were minted that year and and about half of them still exist today. I was very excited at that time and still excited about the coin. Yes it would be great if the coin was extremely valuable, but it is not, that does not change the fact that I am still very excited about this coin. I really don't know if the coin would be considered rare, but to me it is very interesting and rare. Going to try to post a link to the post. Hope it works. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/1859-1c-pr-genuine-corrosion-removed-xf-detail-coin.312855/
With the first you should have no problem finding just about everything I have written about it right here on the forum. This will help you with the second - http://www.winsociety.org/newsletter/1546-56_d-or/1546-56_d-or.html
@Shag, welcome to CT. It's a great place to learn. The problem is that you learn about something cool, then you need to learn more and then "get one" for yourself. IMO, one thing that makes this hobby great are the vast choices of material available to collect and study. One size does not fit all. I've found my tastes are changing as I become more experienced. One series I might not have been interested in a couple years ago becomes more interesting as I increase my knowledge. Anyway, welcome and enjoy. Collect what you like.
