James,

There are three possibilities:

1.  a mis-print in the old Rice's prices.
2.  a mis-print in the old Rice's prices.
3.  a mis...  well you get it.

I have the identical entry in my copy (an old 11th edition).  You must
remember that the guide put out by Tom Rice just lists the price of a
shell in dealer's lists.  The shell listed may have been mis-identified
by the supplier or dealer, or it could be a mis-print.  After all, there
are thousands of entries.  I guess the shell could have been hauled up
by the thousands with a resultant price drop, but, I for one, never
heard of it.

I think you have to remember that Rice's list is limited and was never
intended to reflect the actual value of a shell.  I know some folks on
this list deplore putting any monetary value on a shell -- but, it
happens and is a key aspect of the hobby to many.  I find the Rice
publication invaluable to look up authors and dates, check spelling, and
as a general guide as to the price I can expect to pay for a shell.

So, unless someone else dives in with actual knowledge of what is going
on with this small trochus (instead of my ungraceful tap dance), you'll
just have to assume that Calliostoma atlantis is still a rarity.  Of
course if three dealers now chime in with the fact that they have
buckets of these...then, oops, wrong again.

Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA