World Coins: Your Newest Acquisition!

The real differentiator when it comes to rarity, is whether examples of the coin reside within a collection for many years. If a coin is both low mintage, and highly sought after, examples often end-up impounded within the same collection for many decades which amplifies the rarity of the coin in the market place. If, on the other hand, a coin has a tiny mintage, but has significant velocity in the market place, then it isn't rare at all even though the mintage might suggest otherwise.

A great example of this would be the gold 1969 Yemen 2 Riyal. The coin has a mintage of only 100 pieces, but examples change hands so frequently that anyone really wanting to own one would never have to wait more than a month or two for one to become available for sale.

And so, in a very real sense, demand dictates rarity for many coins. If the coin is hardly ever offered for sale, then it is rare regardless of what the mintage was or how many have survived.

 

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Inclined to Agree. Case in point for me is the 1926 20 franga. It has a Mintage of 5900(even greater than its 1927 counterpart) and yet I've been looking for the past year and a half for an example. Even as late as 2006 they were common as dirt and could be found at just about any coin show

 

I agree with your assessment. But, maybe you're example isn't a very good one. While it has a mintage of 100, the exact same coin/design/denomination is available for that issue in silver for ~$50 in a mintage of more than 4,000.

I usually differentiate the type of rarity. I use the term rare to mean strictly small mintage or small survival. If a coin is hard to find them I call it rarely offered or an "availability rarity". If a coin is conditionally rare, I also specify that (e.g., never seen in super high grade).

I would agree that the 1 Lira posted by @fred13 is conditionally rare. But, if you want an example you can find one, and it is by no means "rare" as in hard to find or "rare" as in low mintage/survival (even with the many melted).

In USA coins, there are VERY few truly rare coins. There are many conditionally rare coins. Even the so-called "keys" are available in multiple quantities at almost any mid-sized to large coin show. Much of the abuse of the terms "rare" and "scarce" come from the overuse and mis-use by collectors of USA coinage.

 

German 1 Mark, struck 50 years ago... look at this beauty, PR67CAM with blue/golden toning on both sides. Shot with my brand new SONY HX-400V

 

1932 Latvia Lati

 

I just picked this up today, a 1787 2 Reales. I have been picking up a few of these in about this condition and a touch better in order to get more familiar with them before looking for higher quality. I'm enjoying the education so far.

Edit: pics are darker than in hand

 

Not rare or anything, but I love the Italian coins and their "crackle" sort of satin finish...

 

Nice little 1964 Japan 1000 Yen I just picked up:



And a 1964 South Africa Proof Set I picked up about a month ago, but thought I'd share here because I wanted to see the photos again:









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One of my favorite Kruger-Gray designs of all time.

 

1907 Great Britain Shilling

 

& last coin of the year, a little xmas gift to myself
1865 Newfoundland Two Dollar, mintage of 10,000, 0.917 fineness

 

Wow JJ !!
Beautiful coins
Man your lucky to find that 1865 ☆
2 dollar
☆☆☆☆☆

;-)

 

Thanks Angelo!

 

Also got this in my change today, nothing valuable but my first Cayman Island coin,
2005 Twenty Five Cents

 

1809 1Sk Au-58 Icg

 

Awesome ! I will have one... One day...