The continued popularity of the Registry Set programs from Professional Coin Grading Service and Numismatic Guaranty Corp., where collectors can register their collections online and compete with other collectors, continues to put pressure on modern condition rarities.

Here is one of three Coin World is profiling that brought strong prices at recent auctions by GreatCollections.com.

The coin: 1994 American Eagle half-ounce Gold $25 Bullion coin, MS-70

The price: $7,947.50

The story: The 1994 American Eagle half-ounce gold $25 bullion coin has a relatively average mintage for the period of 62,400 and is generally considered a relatively common coin within the series.

However, in Mint State 70 it is a rarity with PCGS showing just six in this grade in its most recent population figures. The pressure on these six examples is extraordinary and this one sold for $7,947.50 at a Jan. 25 auction where seven bidders chased this coin including four separate bidders who each went above the $6,000 level in pursuit.

For reference, a 1993 half-ounce gold American Eagle has a higher mintage of 73,324 pieces but is more common in MS-70. PCGS has graded 15 MS-70 examples of this date and in a Jan. 9 Heritage auction, the firm sold a PCGS MS-70 representative for $4,964.38.

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