What makes a "key" date?

Yeah, that is what I never liked about US coins. "Keys" that are way overpriced relative to their rarity. When every single coin show you can go in and buy a 09sVDB, how is that rare?

At this point, I believe way more than half the value of all US keys, (at least 20th century keys), is because they are KNOWN AS keys. Not due to any real rarity or demand. Heck, there are tons of collector/investors who ONLY own what is a "key date". A lot of numismatic "investment experts" tell everyone to only "invest" in keys. The only real demand for "keys" is from those trying to put together a complete set. I simply see fewer and fewer people trying to put together complete sets of mercuries, IHC, wheats, and the like. Therefor, I see the REAL demand for these declining, while prices keep going up. I see a train wreck on prices for these "keys" in the future, when "investors" try to cash out of keys, and find the real demand is not what it once was.

 

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The term "key date" or "semi-key date" is completely overused. I think that is why it is being asked. Some people will use "Semi Key Date!" in their title when the coin is worth only a dollar or two more than the most common date. I always associate key date with the most expensive coins in the set which are the last coins a collector will get. It is known as the key to the set. I think that key dates are readily available because of their cost. Not everyone can or is willing to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars for a coin but are more than willing to spend a few bucks.

 

"Key Date" is a lot more meaningful if you're completing a set by searching for coins in circulation. Of course you can find key dates in coin stores or on FeeBay, but it's harder to find them in the wild.

 

That's true, try and find 1960 and 1970-S small date cents in circulation. I found one 1970s and no 1960 small dates. I have given up on the 1960 small date and check the 1970s still with no luck.

 

that takes us back to the unc Army commem half. It is definitely the key date to that series.

 

Not necessarily true. Morgan dollars have about a dozen key dates.

 

I agree with 99.99% of what has been said but there are some :key dates that just aren't available , like a 1913 V nickel .
How often do one of those come up for auction . I know this is stretching things , but there are some examples that just aren't always available even for the super wealthy . It's all relative .

 

One ya can't afford?

:devil:

 

that is a bogus coin though, much like an 1804 dollar or $20 1933 SG coin.

 

I completely disagree. A series cannot have a dozen keys. The term started as, "the key date you need to complete a set". To me, the 93s is the key, 89 cc MAYBE a second key, others are just "tough" dates. I reject the term "semi-key" entirely as marketing hyperbole.

 

I agree, but a series can have no keys as well.

Is a 50-D nickel a key ? I doubt you could find a circulated one ?
The entire mintage was hoarded in rolls ! Many lost their (__*__)'s on that speculation !
is a 38 or 39 D/S a semi key ?

I can't call a 50-D nickel a key when it costs what $20 in MS-63 ( without looking it up )

You can have keys and semi-keys

peace dollars have the 1928 and the lesser 1921, no real stopper beyond those 2 dates , and they aren't real killers either.

It's a set one could complete in high grade ( AU/BU) for less than a new car.

 

Does anyone maintain a top '50' or '100' list of keys or semi-keys? Or know where to find such a list without going page by page through something like a Red Book.

I was thinking it would be a good idea to have a simple list of coins to ALWAYS keep your eyes open for. I mean most of us are aware that you should scoop up 09 S VDBs when you get the chance or 1921 P & D Mercury dimes if you see nice ones, but then there are some coins people dont always remember when they are in a coin shop or coin show and could possibly snag a bargain on a good coin if only they had a way to remember that semi-key to the barber half series. Most of us arent experts across the whole range of numismatics and I personally feel like it would be a great help to have an easy access to those coins you sometimes forget might be worth a little more than their average contemporaries.

Im off to go google some more info, ill update if i find such a list but please feel free to post one that you may have or a link to one.

Thanks

 

Found your link Doug, oddly enough i found that through google's search engine, didnt come up when i looked here

http://www.oldetownecoin.com/How.htm

 

I guess looking at that info I am more interested in the 'over looked' coins, semi-keys, and potential future keys. Anybody keep a list of those?

And here is what I am trying to say by using Mercury Dimes for examples:

we all know the 16-D is the money coin

followed by those 21's

what I am interested in is a coin like the 31-D or 26-S , something that many people may not have paid attention to, has a low mintage (compared to the series and actually close to the 21's mintage) and has the potential to be a nice sought after coin later on down the road (maybe, maybe not, but likely a better shot than the 45-P who has 145 million coins).

THATS the list i want to know about, I mean I can put it together myself, and may very do that this weekend, but I wanted to see if anyone has a partial list already.

Lately I have been just buying coins that are attractive to the eye (at least mine) and ive decided to be a little more thorough and take my time a little more and this is where i ended up. Trying to fish out those coins that cost relatively close to their easily obtainable brethren but still have the potential to be a nice anchor coin for a collection.

Most folks stop at the keys when they are completing sets, I want to have some of those last few coins almost all collectors obtain before they decide to stop their series for financial purposes.

 

On eBay EVERYTHING is a key date.

 

Go look at PCGS's "market index". It is EXTREMELY overweighted in keys, so much so as to make this "index" worthless in my eyes.

 

Green, you just described every woman I've ever dated. One can try though. :thumb:

 

Try finding a problem-free 1934-S in AU or higher. It'll set you back more than the 1928, more than the 21 and 28 combined if you're shooting for the higher grades.

This is one of the things that makes Barber halves so interesting to me. In AG or less, there aren't any real stoppers, although some (like the 1914) don't ever seem to come cheap, even in the lowest grades. The 1901-S can be had near melt, and the 1904-S is less than $20. Bump up to VG, and suddenly the 04-S is a $100 coin. Go to F-VF, and the 04-S is the most expensive coin in the series, and the 01-S is starting to soar as well. I find that a lot more interesting than (say) Mercuries, where you've got the 16-D that's ridiculous, the 21 and 21-D that are a bit high, and (until you get into higher grades) everything else is basically melt.

Now, that's just begging more questions. Veyron, or Fiesta?

 

BRAVOOOO!!! YES it is...And is NOT a KEY DATE! 1933 20$ gold Coin, 1804 Silver Dollar or 1913 V Nickel... Most of the Key dat are 1795, 1895, & 1995... Even in TV ADS 19.95 on Sale this Blah Blah. NINETEEN NITY FIVE, 1995, and 1995 Double Die.... You Can Buy This One EASILY! 1995 Double Die....On Sale! Is this Key DATE?