Market conditions were good, and the result? Coin dealing grew rapidly as a profession. The market had never seen such activity before in fact, and this was the first time that prices soared so high so quickly.
Because of this, monetary inflation was on the rise and rare coin prices soared to unimaginable levels. Metals were at an all-time high, a never before seen high. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the coin market was booming and in a big way too. To really understand why the 1981 types are considered special, you have to remember or learn what exactly was happening around the time of the initial discovery of the coin. It’s not just the mint mark that made the 1981 so important. A Little History on that Time Period of Coin Collecting In fact, a very small, small variation in mint mark style does make a big difference in the rarity and the overall price of the coin itself. The classic 1981-S Proof coins are an example of this rule.
Even if the difference is slight, it still means a lot in the eyes of a collector.Īs a general rule, throughout numismatics, a minor difference can be a big deal, especially if that minor difference occurs on the right coin. When it comes to the 1979-S and 1981 Proof coins, the type of mint mark can alter a coin’s value by quite a bit.
