The quantity of coins of a specific type made by the mint; as, coins of low mintage tend to be more valuable as collectors' items. ... At one time people could bring precious metals, as gold or silver, to a mint and receive in return coins of the same value, minus the commision charged by the mint, which was the mintage.

What does mintage mean in coin value?

Simply put, a coin's mintage is the number of coins that were produced. Mintages can range from as low as 10 to 65,000 or more — and once those coins have been sold, the mint will not produce any more. The lower the mintage, the more rare and collectible the coin.

What mintage makes a coin rare?

When it comes to Rare coins there are 3 types: Mintage above the average of 483,350 = "Common Date." Mintage at or below the average of 483,350 = "Key Date." Mintage of 25% of the average, or 120,837 or less ="Rare Date."