What Gives Value To Coins--the Condition Of The Piece And Its Rarity

"How mucli is thiit wortli?" A young man held a half-cent of the coinage Of 1795 in hia hand, which he exlilbited to a upper Broadwaycoin dealer. "Twenty-five cent or possibly half a dollar." "You are surely mistaken. I eaw a notice theother day of aucli a coln bringiiiK f 75. Isn't tny coin genuine?" Ves, but it is not In first class condition. You probably thought age was all that made coins valuable. You were mistaken. Colns are divlded Into seven classes, depending entircly upon their condition. A good coin of comnion date Is more valuable oflen tliau a poor specimen of an unusual coinajte. Tlien, too, the die are changed two or three times a year nd some varieties are much rarer than others. There re four varieties of the 1795 half-cent. These variations are often so minute and slight as to be overlooked by uny one except a numismatis, and these four do not comprise all there are. There are four varleties of the 1795, the one quoted beinf; the most oommon. The 1794 is the one n whioh the Goddees of Liberty has baffgy hair. The one where she hus short huir is worth doublé. There are two varu-ties, dlffering iu the distance of the date from the bust. , , You can't teil, you see, the value of a coin except by seeintf it."