KEY DATE COINS

[s.c.shooter]

Since I started this hobby, I've seen where others are talking about key date coins. What is a key date coin and how do you tell if you have one?

 

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[l.cutler]

They are the rarest or most valuable coins in a series, they are the "key" to completing a set. Pick up a good coin book and you can check them out.

 

[bula]

In most cases they are the coins that had the least number minted, making them harder to come by.

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Get yourself a "Whitmans Red Book" it is a great guide in telling you what you may have. Key dated coins are usually going to be coins with the least amount of mintage. for example a 1909 V.D.B. "S" penny is considered a key date coin the mintage on this coin was 484,000 while a 1909 V.D.B. no mint mark was much more common with a mintage of 27,995,000 a good coin book will be able to tell you a lot about what is key and what is common. note that the above two coins are very similar but that little "S" mint mark is a difference of hundreds if not thousands of dollars depending on grade. Hope this answers your question. Good luck