Reducing the Supply

That (mathematically speaking) has to be true though nobody could ever know for certain. That said, I'm sure it has to have happened at least to some degree. The likelihood and practicality of ever being able to round up anything near the original minted numbers of any coin has to also be mathematically impossible. I'd wager that it had to have been tried somewhere along the line and with the greed of man being what it is, it must have been tried.

 

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I knew I read this somewhere. He was trying to obtain as many as possible to drive up the price. "Flying Eagle cents have proved enormously popular over the decades, beginning with the pattern issue of 1856. It is unclear exactly how many 1856 cents were struck, but the best estimates fall in the range of 800 to as many as 1,500 pieces. Both proofs and business strikes were made, as well as originals and restrikes. All are valuable and have been extensively hoarded over the years, the most famous hoard of which came from the estate of Colonel John A. Beck, who at one time owned 531 pieces."

 

With that low of mintage numbers it would be probable. Ask yourself, would you destroy all or most of any additional ones if it could be guaranteed that the benefit would be high enough to warrant a try? You'd better believe people must have tried it somewhere along the line. Current day greed? Surely.