List of Key Date Modern Coins

[Dana]

Does anyone know where one can find a list of the key dates (or "tough dates") for modern clad USA coins? I've been looking but with little luck.

For example, I know that 1983 is a tougher year to find a super nice circulation strike Washington Quarter, still in MS 65 or better.

Thanks,

Dana

[cladking]

There are no regular issue moderns ('65-'98 ) which might be referred to as "key date". There are numerous rarities but none of these are regular issues, they are all either varieties or special issues.

Numerous regular issue clad coins are scarce in MS-60 or in some of the higher grades though. Almost all the regular issue Ikes are scarce in gem except the '76-D tII, '77-D, and the '78 issues. Many of the Kennedies are quite tough in MS-66 or higher and a few like the '71 can be a little tough in MS-65. Of course all the '82 and '83 coins are difficult in nicer grades because there were so few saved. In fact the dimes and quarters are very elusive even in MS-60. There are underappreciated varieties of the P and D nickels and the D quarter also. While none of these varieties is rare in the traditional sense, some of them almost all went into circulation.

In quarters there are several dates which stand out as pretty tough even in MS-65. The '69 issue in true gem is extremely elusive. Many of the later dates are usually scratched up in the mint sets so are also difficult in gem. Dimes are usually poorly struck especially on the lettering around the periphery and the I of IGWT. Early issues with bold strikes are tough and later issues are hard to find clean.

In some ways nickels are the toughest of the bunch but this is partly because the FS designation raises the bar pretty high. Many of these are many times more difficult to find than their older brethren, but sell for a tiny fraction of the price because few people collect moderns. Most of the cents are available in gem but truly superb coins can be elusive. The '72-D comes very nice but always has a little strike weakness and several fine scratches. Most of the late '70's issues will have more severe marking and lousy strikes. The early zinc coins are a bear. Most have plating problems and tarnish. Those few which don't often have one or the other or they'll be poorly struck. After '87 they mostly get easy to find in very high grade. Superb gems are often highly proof like and very clean. Many can barely be told apart from proofs.

It's ironic that most of the moderns are scarce or rare in gem but the perception is that these coins are common. Generally the only truly common clad moderns in gem are the '70-D, '72-D, '76-D, and '80-D quarters, and the '68, '69-D, '72-D dimes. Even these though were made to the tune of only a few million and the bulk of them are now in circulation.

Some of the ultra moderns ('98 to date) are quite common in gem. This is caused by a few factors but the biggest is that there are now people collecting these as they come out. There are also more coins being set aside than in the past and mint quality has improved (in fits and starts) in recent years. All of these are not common and in time the rarities will sort themselves out.

Anyone with interest in moderns really should pay at least some attention to the varieties simply because they are in circulation and collectors are showing some interest in them. Most are rare or scarce in unc because they were put into circulation and ignored.

[Dana]

Cladking,

Thank you for such an informative reply. It was wonderful and very educational.

I agree with you that a lot of folks do not collect moderns and I think it is a very over looked market. Perhaps the next generation or two will find some of the current "moderns" to be as scarce as the high grade Standing Liberty Quarters.

I know that in 1982 and 1983, the Mint sold Souvenir sets (the closest thing you could get to mint sets for those years). They were sold directly at the mint to visitors.

You wrote, "Many of the later dates are usually scratched up in the mint sets so are also difficult in gem."

Do you know if the Souvenir sets form 1982 and 1983 are also subject to the same concerns? Do they also contain lesser quality coins in most cases?

Thanks,

Dana

[cladking]

Mint set coins are struck on special single vertical presses under higher pressure than normal coins. New dies are used and a little extra care is often taken with these dies. The coins are then washed and dried also.

Souvenir set coins are pulled from the regular production runs. These are normally struck at high speed on quad presses under normal conditions. They do take some care to select better specimens from new dies but they are not the same quality as mint set coins.

Most of the souvenir sets from '71 to '98 were sold only over the counter at the respective mint (a few later ones were sold at the BEP), but the '82 and '83 issues were available at least limitedly through the mail. The mintages for these four sets ranged from 10,000 to 20,000. Nice gem '83-D's quarters can be found and the '82-D with a little effort in these sets. The '82-P also comes nice but only rarely. Most of the '82-P's are of very poor quality in these sets. The '83-P isn't much easier but the average quality is much higher. Numismatic News made an '82 mint set as a subscription premium and these are nearly the sole source of gem Philly quarters. The Paul and Judy sets also have a few nice Phillys but these are difficult to locate. All the dimes can be found gem in the souvenir sets but some are tough. Average quality is good on the Denvers and not too bad on the Phillys.

The souvenir sets were made in batches as they were sold. Some years would have a single batch made and others would see multiple batches made. There are a lot af packaging varieties on these sets and coin quality will vary from batch to batch also.

So far as I know, none of the scarcer varieties appear in either the '82 or '83 souvenir sets. Some of these varieties will gain in importance as the years go by and should not be overlooked.

[cladking]

[Dana]

Cladking,

Thank you.

I have learned a lot from your responses, and really appreciate the time you put into them. Thank you so much for sharing. I think as a start, I'm going to focus on getting (or trying to get) some gem examples from 1982 and 1983. I like a challenge, lol.