| The rarity of the KDCs is a low mintage, often | | | | Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and |
| the lowest of the respective series. In numismatic | | | | Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) the two |
| collecting, a key date refers to a date or date | | | | major independent grading services, publish |
| and mint mark combination of a given series or | | | | population reports that have shown that many |
| set that is harder to obtain than other dates in | | | | issues considered rare for years are in fact |
| the series. The next level of difficulty to obtain | | | | relatively common. |
| ones in series is often referred to as semi-key | | | | Why a Key Date Coin? |
| dates or simply semi-keys. | | | | These are low mintage rare ones in the most |
| A key date is normally the rarest or the most | | | | popular series, and so they appreciate at a higher |
| difficult to find of a series to obtain. Key date | | | | rate than others. This would be an excellent list of |
| coins frequently carry an additional air of mystery | | | | great numismatics in which to invest. The answer |
| and allure, besides their rarity. One of the primary | | | | is then, for a buyer to know which are worth |
| reasons for this is they are typically the final ones | | | | collecting for the purpose of completing their |
| needed to complete a set. Key date and ultra | | | | collection or for reselling someday at a higher |
| rare numismatic items have in the past, been | | | | price. |
| excellent investments. A KDC is generally | | | | Collecting key dates is where coin collecting gets |
| considered to be the most important one in a | | | | serious for the numismatic collector. It is these |
| series, usually the lowest mintage and, or most | | | | key date coins that set the marketplace for coin |
| expensive. Rarity is based purely on the number | | | | prices and also a rare one of a popular series is |
| of particular coins that are presently in existence. | | | | more likely to increase in price. For any collector |
| The number that was initially minted is not nearly | | | | of a certain series, you must know the KDCs |
| as important as the continued existence rate. The | | | | because these are going to be the most difficult |
| age and original mintage in reality have little effect | | | | to buy. Finding these rare gems can be a |
| on its present value. | | | | challenge, but worth it because collecting rare |
| Rare coins are not being produced any more. | | | | coins can mean big money profits. |
| Once a minted, the original die was destroyed at | | | | Always remember that focusing on keys has |
| the end of the year, that way they will never be | | | | been a great strategy because having coinage |
| minted again. However, the rarity today is actually | | | | that has clearly outperformed the rest of the |
| decided by the number of them existing in a | | | | market during the last several years will pay off. |
| specific condition. Although original mintage figures | | | | These KDCs are beneficial to increasing the value |
| show the number struck generations ago, these | | | | of your coin numismatic collection. |
| figures do not automatically indicate rarity. | | | | |