A “Condition Rarity”
The term “condition rarity” is a numismatic term that refers to a coin that, while is not in and of itself rare (which would be an “absolute rarity”), is in a grade or state of preservation that makes it rare. In other words, a condition rarity is an item that is rare in high grades, whereas an absolute rarity is rare in ANY grade. Philatelically speaking, a U.S. C3a, 1869 invert, or Pan Am invert would be an absolute rarity,…