Firstly, it could be to do with controlling or recording the amount of coins struck between a certain period, so it becomes a useful tool in other respects e.g. in the progress of a reign. One of the other ways a date is recorded is in regnal years, which means the year of the reign.

Why do US coins have dates on them?

Collectability of Dates, including Key Dates – Value of Coins by Year. Dates on coins are, beyond its use for quality control purposes, markers of time and important persons and events. E.g. regnal years - years of reign - were used on some coins to show the progress of a reign.

What do the dates on coins mean?

In coin collecting, a key date refers to a date (or date and mint mark combination) of a given coin series or set that is harder to obtain than other dates in the series. Collectors who want a series in near uncirculated condition may find some date/mint combinations extremely rare.

Why does my coin have 2 dates?

What does the two dates written on the coin mean? Its usually to celebrate the anniversary of something, bicentennial coins 1776-1976 celebrates 200 years of the us. 1918-2018 is 100 years since ww1. Typically coins minted to celebrate or recognized an anniversary go by large milestones like 50, 100, 200 years.

What key date means?

: a coin that is the rarest or otherwise most difficult of its series to obtain The 1909-S wheat penny is considered a key date by collectors.

Which coin is the most expensive?

1. The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar may sit atop the rankings of the most expensive coin ever sold, at least for now.

Which Pennies are worth saving?

Keeping Old PenniesYou should keep all pre-1982 pennies.If you can distinguish between 1982 brass and zinc pennies, keep the brass ones.All wheat pennies are worth keeping.Keep all pennies (even recent ones) that appear to have something “off” about them — they may be error or die variety coins.More items

Are wheat pennies worth saving?

Most wheat cents (wheat pennies were minted between 1909 and 1956) are worth about 4 to 5 cents. Those in better condition can have double-digit value. Special examples (especially those in near perfect condition) can be worth much more. Indian Head pennies from 1859 to 1879 are generally worth more than $10.