What Are Key Coins?

Key Coins

• A key coin is a specific coin from a series that is harder to obtain than other coins from that series. Low initial mintage is the main, but not the only possible, reason for the scarcity of these key coins. Key coins are often referred to as key date coins in order to clear up any potential confusion on the part of the collector. These coins tend to be in high demand, and as such tend to be worth a lot of money.

Coin Series

• A coin series is a set of coins of the same denomination and the same overall visual design. In general, as long as the image on the obverse of the coin remains the same, all of those coins are still a part of that series. For example, all Lincoln Head pennies are a part of the same series, even though several different reverse designs have been used throughout the years. Indian Head pennies, however, are of a different series than the Lincoln Head pennies.

Semi Key Dates

• Semi key date coins are coins that are rarer than the majority of the series, but more common than the truly rare key date coins. Semi key date coins tend to be both easier to find and significantly cheaper than standard key date coins. This is an argument of semantics, however, and any relatively rare coin in a series can be considered a key date coin to some extent.

Popular Key Coins

• Although every set of coins has its own key dates, some of the more popular key coins include the 1909 S (The "S" is a mint mark that tells you where the coin was minted, in this case San Francisco) Indian Head Cent, of which fewer than 400,000 were minted; the 1932 D Washington Head Quarter, of which fewer than 500,000 were minted; and the 1893 S Morgan Dollar, of which only 100,000 were minted.