To the uninitiated, the value of an antique coin is intrinsically tied to its age. It is a common misconception that a coin minted in the 18th century must naturally be worth more than one struck in the 20th century. However, numismatists—those who study and collect coins—know that age is merely a secondary factor. The true arbiter of a coin's worth is scarcity, and nothing exemplifies this more perfectly than the 'key date' phenomenon. next...