1854 key date?

[azda 979]

I was checking out some coins and just wondered why 1854 coins seem to be worth a whole lot more than some other dates IE 1854 Shillings and sixpences. I don't know why this is or why it seems to be a key date, can someone please enlighten me?

[Peckris 579]

I was checking out some coins and just wondered why 1854 coins seem to be worth a whole lot more than some other dates IE 1854 Shillings and sixpences. I don't know why this is or why it seems to be a key date, can someone please enlighten me?

I dont know why so many fewer were minted then, you'd have to consult the Mint Report for that time. But it was a similar story at other times - e.g. the mid-1920s. From 1924 to 1926, especially 1925, mintages were way down on their WW1 peaks. This was due to a collapse of prices and wages after the mad inflation of the War, so there was much less demand for large silver (bear in mind that even that recently, the coinage represented quite a high proportion of circulating money, especially when the average wage was around 10 shillings a week).

Long story short :- low mintage = short supply = high prices.

[azda 979]

Thanks for clearing that up Peckris, i was kinda assuming it was something to do with mintage etc. Just one other question, what is this "choice" quote i see on coins, a lot through ebay.

[Peckris 579]

Thanks for clearing that up Peckris, i was kinda assuming it was something to do with mintage etc. Just one other question, what is this "choice" quote i see on coins, a lot through ebay.

"Choice" is simply an advertising term, along with "gem", "superior", etc. It means nothing, except perhaps "I really want to sell this coin at a good price so I'm going to hype it up a bit". Disregard all such hype words, and keep your guard up.

[azda 979]

Thank you again Peckris for clearing up that other mystery, learning every day