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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 4602326, member: 101855&quot;]When I was a member of the Boston Numismatic Society from the mid 1970s to the 1990s, there was a group of ancient coin collectors who looked down their noses at any collector who specialized in U.S. coins. It didn’t matter how scholarly you were, you were “a lower form of collector” in their opinion. That was a very unfortunate, unwelcoming attitude. It didn’t help the organization attract very many younger collectors. </p><p><br /></p><p>Rarity is a very relative term. It has to do with the number of pieces that have survived, but it also has to do with the size of the market. If you are criticizing those who tout most any recently issued product from the U.S. Mint, I am with you. The mintages have proven to be high relative to demand for much of this stuff after the initial interest dies down. Furthermore, the survival rates on the order of 99.99% of the original mintage.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you referring to earlier U.S. coins, especially from the mid 1600s to the mid 1800s, that is another matter. Many of those coins are very scarce, especially in nice condition. I know because I specialized in type coins from 1792 to 1808 for many years. When you have a lot of collectors chasing after the same coins, they become “rare” because you opportunities to acquire them are limited.</p><p><br /></p><p>Rarity has a function of supply and demand connected with it. Something can be rare, but if almost no one wants it, it does not matter.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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