Rarest coin

I've held the 1877 IHC in 66BN. Edit: After at least 10 attempts, it looks like it upgraded to 66+BN.

 

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For me its my 1889-CC Morgan in G4-6. Nothing too fancy

 

https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-52DRF

 

Foreign:



Scotland David II (1329-1371) Heavy Groat from the 1350s with seven arcs in the tressure around the king's portrait - 3 known examples. In the Robertson catalogue in 1881 this coin is listed as unique. There are now three reported examples, I had the opportunity to purchase another a few years ago.



Scotland James VI(1567-1625) 30 Shillings 1586, very few examples were struck due to a plague in Edinburgh that year, only 3 examples are known. [/QUOTE]

 

I've handled a couple of US patterns. I don't know precisely how rare they are, but certainly rarer than almost all regular issue coins.

 

The rarest coin I've ever handled came just this past weekend when I was at a coin show and saw a 1856 Flying Eagle Cent MS 62 for the first time ever. Man that coin was beautiful. I wish I had the money for it. The Flying Eagle is what really got me into collecting.

 

Why would they even send that to CAC? I mean, do they hope it would boost the resale value of a $4 million coin...? Wonder if they paid $12 for that submission I guarantee JA would slap a green bean on any of the 5 remaining just for the free advertising.

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I held the Eliasburg 1913 nickel. And the finest proof 1867 with rays nickel.

 

Whoa!

 

Exactly. But honestly, of the 5 1913 nickels, this one and MAYBE one other look like decent proofs. The latest one that sold for 3.7 million looks like an AU50 to my eye. Flat and ugly.

 

Rarest? This one, probably:




Only 900 minted, and I found this one in a junk lot off eBay. I sold it for a good bit more than I paid, but still probably not as much as I'd get for a holed XF details 1916-D Mercury dime, which had almost 300 times as many struck.

I bought an uncirculated Jane Pierce First Spouse 1/2 ounce gold coin directly from the Mint. They struck fewer than 4,000 of them. It's worth about as much as any other half-ounce of gold.

Rarity is only one component of coin value. You need rarity and demand to get the money flowing.

 

Ever seen an 1855 FE? I believe they are actually rarer than the 1856, yet in less demand, so they cost less.

 

I know someone that got a FR-02 1854 Flying Eagle pattern cent for $75, and an IHC specialist almost lost his marbles when my friend showed it to him.

 

Many of you seem to be confusing the rarity of a coin with the condition of the coin. The two aspects (while, of course) both important have nothing to do with each other. For example, the highest graded Morgan dollar of all time is a single 1880-S MS-69 PL. This is a rare GRADE--not a rare COIN.


On the other hand, I have held three or four examples of 1796 half dollars. With an estimated survival of under 100 coins in all grades these are rare COINS.



By the way, although I have held both I own neither of these coins. I "borrowed" the pics.

 

I am an ancients collector, and I see folks have posted theirs. If you will permit me:

I own this one. It is one of two known. Mine and one in the British Museum in London. Mine has an impeccable Provenance, and it is raw. I have handled it personally, and is in my collection.


Etruria, Populonia
2 ½ asses , AR 0.85 g
3rd century BC
Obv: Radiate female head r.; behind, CII.
Rev: Blank.
Ref: EC 104 (misdescribed, Female head with an Attic helmet). Historia Numorum Italy 179.
NAC Comment: Of the highest rarity, apparently only the second specimen known. Dark patina and about very fine.
Ex: From the collection of E.E. Clain-Stefanelli
(@@ancientcoinguru further pointed out and had me further research E.E. Clain-Stefanelli's excellent provenance...
ANS Executive Director Ute Wartenburg reported that Elvira Eliza Clain-Stefanelli died Oct. 1, 2001. Mrs. Stefanelli retired in 2000 as the Senior Curator of the National Numismatic Collection in the Numismatics Division of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. She was at the Smithsonian for forty years, and was responsible with her husband Vladimir for organizing and building up the National Numismatic Collection (from 60,000 to over 1,000,000 pieces.) She survived a Nazi concentration camp in WWII Europe, moved to Rome, and learned numismatics there. In New York she and her husband worked for Stack's and started the Coin Galleries division there. Her most recent publication was "Life In Republican Rome On its Coinage", a lavishly illustrated discussion of the themes which appear on the coinage of the Roman Republic, published in 1999. Her major contribution to the science of numismatic literature was her classic "Numismatic Bibliography", published in 1985.

 

If "rare" means small mintage, here are a couple:

1839-C $5 quarter eagle. C as in Charlotte. 17000 mintage.
1855-D $5 quarter eagle. D as in Dahlonega. 22000 mintage.

Both mints notorious for weak strikes, and both mints closed after 1861 or so. These coins do not command the kind of premium I would expect, given rarity. Compare these to an 93-S Morgan (100,000 mintage) or a 77 IHP (852,000).

hmmmmm???

 

Quarter eagles or half eagles?