If something appears to have value, people naturally are dying to know how much it's really worth. It's true. A flashy sports car, a Rolex, rare painting, a Bel Air home, etc. The first question that goes through the mind is, "what's it worth?" That is especially true when it comes to collectibles. Here's proof in two simple words — Antiques Roadshow. Case closed.

Rare coins have always been the lightening rod for the monetary curious — a phenomenon that drives really serious collectors crazy. They act as if the value doesn't matter instead focusing on the history behind the coin, how it was struck, nuances of the design, etc. Of course they are also the people who have enough money to buy and sell small countries on a whim so they pretend not to care about the coin's value. The rest of us aren't quite that financially fortunate.

A popular area of coin collecting some people speculate in is modern commemoratives. Those are the coins produced to memorialize a special person, place, thing or event. The government produces several each year. In the past they've commemorated everything from the Olympics, Mt. Rushmore, the Korean and Second World War to the Smithsonian, Jamestown, the Bill of Rights and Constitution, the Statue of Liberty and dozens more.

Struck as clad half dollars, silver dollars or five- and 10-dollar gold coins, most people buy the coins as keepsakes. The topic on the coin is meaningful to them so they pay a premium over the metal content. The profits usually go to a charitable foundation for whatever the coin honors. For instance, proceeds from the Statue of Liberty commemorative coins went to help restore the monument.

Commemorative coins are consistently attractive, sold in plush boxes and, no matter the subject, naturally evoke the question, what's it worth? The value of the coins varies, but they rarely climb in value over what they originally sold for. In fact, over time, many are worth less.

The exceptions are often coins with topics that didn't attract much interest from buyers. After relatively few are sold, they become scarce in the collecting world. Case in point, a 1996 Olympic commemorative silver dollar issued for the High Jump. It went under the radar. Few people were interested in the topic. The coin sold for $30 or $40. Today it's worth $225. Most others issued in the same time frame are worth barely their issue price.

This week, the U.S. Mint announced the release of five coins recognizing U.S. Army Five-Star Generals Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall, Henry "Hap" Arnold, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar N. Bradley. All are alumni of, or were instructors at, the United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Sold separately or in a three-coin set, Hap Arnold and Omar Bradley are featured on the clad half dollar. George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower grace the silver dollar coin and McArthur made the cut for the five-dollar gold piece. For now the half dollar coin is selling for $16.95, the silver dollar is just over $50 and the gold coin fluctuates depending on the spot price of the precious metal. Information about the coins can be found at the Mint's website: www.USMint.gov.

So what will demand be for the coins? Most all of the five generals were involved in wars where few veterans still remain. Military historians may be interested, as could friends, family members and alumni of the CGSC (where proceeds from the coin sales are going). Otherwise, some collectors may order them. Just how many will be sold is unknown.

It will be interesting to see where the values end up down the road. All five of the generals being commemorated are historic icons — invaluable in their respective roles leading troops and defending the country. History indicates that such leaders are rarities unto themselves.

In the not-too-distant future, most may look at the coins and ask, "What are they worth?" If they're asking about a dollar figure, that waits to be seen. If they're asking about the military contribution of those featured on them that's already known — priceless.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the George Marshall/Dwight Eisenhower silver dollar coin has been sent with this column.

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.