When Were They Discovered?

Bryan,

That's interesting! I too have heard that same story.
But I have never gotten anything more substantial that just hearsay.

Steve

I remember the numismatic articles about the 55/55 lincoln from the 60's and 70's. But don't recall a "clamor" for the now-rarity during the 50's. As the story went, a cigarette maker placed a single penny in the pack and somehow got their hands on the bulk of the 55/55's from the mint or a bank. Most were in the Northeast. These went into the packs and are the source for many of these specimens. I recall seeing bright red unc 55/55's in coin shows of the early 60's with an asking price of around $50. As you might guess, most of us laughed at that and walked on as that was half my dad's weekly salary. I also passed on Microsoft in the early 80's!

I know I found one in the many many many coins my grandfather gave me before he passed away and from his diminishing memory he said he should have more but I didn't look through any but one of the many medicine jars full of coins

The 1955 DDO was discovered by Mint Employees after 40,000 or so were struck. About 24,000 of them were already mixed in with coinage that was made so the Mint employees left them figuring that noone would really notice or even care. Late in 1955, they started showing up in upstate NY.

The 1918/7 D Nickel was discovered by a collector in 1931

The 1937 D- 3 legged Bison variety was discovered in the late 1930s.

The 1942/1 Dimes were discovered soon after they were minted in the early 1940s

In 1962 the 1916 DDO Nickel was discovered.

The 1918/7 S quarter was first discovered in 1937

I hope this helps!

have Fun,
Bill

Very interesting thread.

In my early 20s I used to go to a pool hall in our little town in Ohio. One day a resturant walked in and the owner asked if he had boughten any $500.00 cokes latley. The guy got all red faced and just walked out.

I asked the owner what that was all about. He said in 1955/56 the guy went up to the bank to get rolls of pennies for his cash register at the resturant. He stopped by the pool hall to BS a little. While he was there he opened a roll of pennies, gave the owner 10 of them for a dime. He put the dime in a pop machine for a bottle of coke.

The owner set the pennies on the back counter and forgot he laid them there. At closing time he noticed them and stuck them in his pocket and went home. At home he looked at the pennies and noticed they looked funny. Looking at them closer he notice they were doubled.

He said he called the resturant owner and asked he still had that roll of pennies. He said yes they were in the office at work. Mister pool hall guy told him to look at them in the moring and not to spend them becuase they were double and might be worth something.

Turned out they were worth quit a bit after they actually started calling around about it. I guest they were worth about $50 when they did find out, hence the $500 bottle of coke.

No the pool hall owner didn't give the 1955/55 back to the guy and that started a hatered of him for many years. Not sure what I would have done either. I haven't thought of that story for many many years. I used to golf with the Poolhall owner alot. He swore to me all the time it was a true story and he sold the pennies years before to a collector offering him a fair amount for them.