Online and catalog coin buyers often see offers prefaced with “our choice of date.” Many customers find such deals a frustration, as they are looking for a very particular coin for their collection.

As a coin buyer myself, I feel your pain concerning “our choice of date” offers. As a coin seller I understand the reasoning behind these offers and appreciate the value they can bring to a collector.

No More Will Ever Be Minted:

Collectible coins are not a manufactured item. When our stock of a certain coin gets low, we can’t order more from the supplier or factory. The quantity of coins from a certain year can never increase and supplies actually decline each year due to attrition and melts. And the number of remaining coins for any particular year has a huge affect on the value of those issues.

With most coin series there are a number of “key date” coins that are valued over the majority of other year’s issues, these coins sell for a premium in comparison.

Why “Our Choice of Date”:

Coin dealers often find themselves with a selection of common dates from a certain coin series. These issues will not all be dated the same and are not the “key date” coins that are more marketable. These issues are not in enough demand to justify selling them each separately by date and therefore are added to “our choice of date” offerings.

Generally, “our choice of date” offers are priced specially to appeal to beginning collectors. These deals are a wonderful way to start or add to a new collection affordably. Once you have your common date coins, you’ll need to add the “key date” issues through other deals.

Where to Go From Here:

As a coin buyer you know there are a plethora of options for making your purchases. And you know that coins vary greatly in value based on their date. Only take advantage of “our choice of date” offerings when they fit your needs. When you see those deals keep in mind that the coins will be common date issues and are generally priced accordingly. You’re “key date” coins will need to be purchased separately and will be valued according to their scarcity.

Happy coin hunting!