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Pillar of the Community
United States
2207 Posts |
I was reading a similar thread in the Coin Roll Hunting Forum, and thought of asking the same question regarding circulation finds.
What's the best find you've had from pulling coins out of your change? "Best" can mean whatever that means to you--oldest, most valuable, prettiest, oddest, etc. Edited by jpsned
10/03/2014 9:24 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4809 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1116 Posts |
The best find that I came across was an IHC. It's so rare that I find these coins that I immediately put them away for future inclusion in an album. However, it's a totally different situation when it comes from listing the most unusual foreign coins that I've found in circulation: Let's start with a 1973 Hong Kong 20 cent piece, 2002 1 cent euro with no country of origin with an oak leaf on the obverse (?). a gold or brass colored 10 cent piece minted in 1997 in Hong Kong with a Lily of the reverse, a 2004 Columbian 20 peso piece. Then there is the 2004 Barbados 1 cent coin with a trident on the reverse and on the obverse what appears to be the small country's coat of arms. I'm at a loss as to defining which of these is the best circulation find. All the foreign coins were honestly found inside a roll of pennies. |
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
18670 Posts |
I was able to complete 3 entire sets of Jefferson nickels from circulation back in the mid 60s. I had a paper route and would receive Indian heads. Buffalo's. SL quarters. V nickels. Mercury's and  occasional silver dollars. This is how I got started collecting. My rarest find in circulation was a 31s lincoln |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2207 Posts |
I remember finding a 1955-S dime in change. It being a key, semi-rare date, I engaged in a bit of drama and tossed it across the room in surprise. I was able to find it and put it in an album. I remember finding a Mercury dime or two in circulation when I was little (mid 1960s). I still find War Nickels occasionally. But I'm fascinated by people who talk about finding IHCs and Buffalos in circulation--something I've never experienced, even though I've been collecting since 1972. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1132 Posts |
I received a Franklin half as part of a tip when I was working as a delivery boy for a downtown burrito joint. I recently pulled a silver cert. out of a stack of $1's at my current job. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
917 Posts |
Ghostrider the Euro coin was probably from Germany if it is an oak leaf.
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Pillar of the Community
1325 Posts |
1927 Australian 3 pence. Not only is it silver, it is old, and it is from the other side of the planet! So beats my IHC or V nickel just because how much traveling it did to come to me as if it were just a normal dime. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
548 Posts |
Well, I'm quite proud that I've been able to put together an entire collection of decimal pennies just from coins in circulation. We only adopted a decimal currency in 1971 so it was really easy to find a circulation example from each year, 1971-2014.
The only exception is 1972 which was released in proof only and so doesn't count. I could get one but it would mean buying an otherwise pointless 1972 proof set.
Edited by Demarco Bishopp
10/04/2014 5:26 pm
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Valued Member
Germany
85 Posts |
I received an uncirculated Cypriot 5 cent piece from the grocery store, a Monacan 2 Euro in change from McDonalds, and found that I had an 1898 Swiss half frank in my pocket when the parking meter refused to accept it.
Looking through ones change has gotten much more interesting in Europe since 2002!
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2781 Posts |
off metal error (supposed to bi-metallic) , found in pocket change (got it back from 7-11) $750.00  |
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5174 Posts |
Lowest mintage: one of these Armenian 50 dram commemoratives (don't recall which one offhand). Sure, they aren't particularly rare or valuable, but at 50,000 mintage that coin would beat anything else I could've found anyway.
Most valuable: slightly off-center Israeli 10 sheqel. It's a bit of a joke example - I hadn't found any other coins worth more than 10 sheqel (at that time, about $2.5; these days closer to $3).
Most unexpected non-foreign: Israeli 1986 "Edmond de Rothschild" 1/2 sheqel commemorative. (I think I should note that by "non-foreign" I mean that the coin was found in the respective country.)
Most unexpected foreign given by a cashier: Italian 20 lira 1973 (in Russia). Heard rumors of US golden dollars turning up in circulation, never actually got to see any.
Most unexpected foreign found when literally checking change (already given): Polish 50 groszy 1995... not many coins in that particular category.
Oldest: Soviet 20 kopek 1961. Not particularly interesting, and common enough that I think I've had two. Unfortunately, chances are that, unless I visit the US or Switzerland, my change will never have anything older.
I don't know what the "prettiest" coin was (Serbian and Armenian coinage is just generally pretty, but it probably doesn't count if I found it in Serbia and Armenia respectively, and I hadn't kept much records of cashier-given foreigns; could be one of the 10-ruble bimetallics, but I have no idea which one specifically).
If you wonder, my Armenian and Serbian visits were both in 2014, I've been to Israel many times but these particular coins were found in 2012, and I think the rest was in 2013 but I don't recall specifically.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1116 Posts |
january1may from your description of coins founds you do seem to be in an area where you can find interesting. Plus the amount of travel that you do sure adds to those very interesting finds.
I've been to Mexico, Bermuda, and a few other countries but only received U.S. coins in change.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Problem with question is no time frame. Remember that some members are old so when they were taking coins out of change, some of those are now called rare or just expensive. For example when I was a kid, I filled my Lincoln Cent Folder with all from change including 09S VDB and 14D and 22 plain. Of course this was so long ago, not many coin collectors around. Roosevelt dimes not invented yet same with many other coins we use today. Way back you could fill an Indian Head Nickel book from change in a matter of days. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4809 Posts |
Good point Carl - context is everything!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
814 Posts |
I have a few... 1995 ASE1964 Canadian silver dollar 1867 3-cent nickel |
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Replies: 21 / Views: 3,875 |
Posted 10/03/2014 10:13 pm
