The auction record for the 1982 is one of the most intriguing in the series. In recent months there were clearly more sellers of this date than the market could absorb and this had an effect on the price of 1982s. During the first 11 months of 2008, the average price realized for a 1982 fell by 29% – from $2,859 to $2,024. Another consideration is that between September and November 2008 only 5 out of 13 auctions of 1982's were successful; in the others the bids did not reach the sellers' minimum price.
Over the last three years, 2.5x more 1982s are seen at auction than 1995s. While one would expect the more expensive coin to change hands more often, this is a really big discrepancy—especially considering that the 1995 is recognized as a premium date, too. The two possibilities would seem to be; either there are more 1982s around than the mintage figures account for, or some of the other dates are significantly scarcer than people think. In all likelihood some of the other dates are far scarcer than most collectors realize. (revised 12/1/08)
