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 Replies: 44 / Views: 7,873 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
I grew up searching my change in Boston and moved to Los Angeles in 2008. I moved back to Boston this past March and when I put my two coin collections together and started doing inventory and sorting I noticed something bizzare. 75% of the coins I had pulled from circulation as a kid and into adulthood in Boston were from the Philly Mint, while over 90% of the coins I saved from Los Angeles were from Denver. I know that coins are probably shipped from the nearest mint to all the different banks but with the amount that people travel now a days I would think that it would be more mixed than that.
The theory I have been kicking around is that when we travel we usually take credit cards or paper money. We rarely hop on a cross country flight with all of our spending money in rolled coins or bags full of mixed change. It would seem that coins would spread a lot slower than paper currency as we don't carry too much of it around with us.
Thoughts? This is just one case out of possible millions so maybe my numbers aren't accurate for all places in the country but I thought it was worth noting. Edited by Mayflower2020
08/19/2015 12:32 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2077 Posts |
For many people, change is one way. They get it, save it up, and bring it to the bank. So when those people travel, no change moves.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
898 Posts |
I heard somewhere it takes 30 years for a coin to equally spread across the country. Not sure where, I think I heard it from someone on CCF.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1132 Posts |
I live in Indianapolis & the last 30 something boxes of cents & quarters have all been brand new 2015 Phillies. I blame Loomis. On the bright side my park collection is up to date. (Atleast the Phillies).  Edited by CopperCastle
08/19/2015 02:59 am
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
624 Posts |
I brought probably $100 in denver quarters to boston with me in my uhaul so maybe I can flood at least one small store with cross country mint marks...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
946 Posts |
I am in NJ and I snagged a Denver made quarter yesterday fresh from the mint it looked like.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
It's been common for as long as I remember of seeing a lot more Phillies on the east coast, and a lot more Denver's on the west coast. Like you say ,people who travel from coast to coast don't bring back a heck of a lot of change with them.
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Valued Member
United States
226 Posts |
I spotted a beautiful 1970-D Washington quarter in my coworkers change about a week ago. She gladly gave it to me... I think it is a solid MS-64 with a shot at 65... Not sure, but I think it was likely broken out of a mint set. BTW - I am in Virginia. |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
There's nothing abnormal about the pattern. Some coins will migrate, but nowhere near the billions they strike each year.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
30-40 years sounds about right.
I'm based in Georgia, and seeing a Denver coin is a fairly unusual occurrence until you get back to about 1995-96, then the distribution evens out until the 60s when Denver made a lot more coins than Philly.
I would expect that to an extent, the Midwest would be the source of the mixture, since it would be a grab bag as to whether the shipments would come from Philly or Denver.
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Valued Member
United States
103 Posts |
When the State Quarters came out I got rolls of every one from the bank. Out of the 50 rolls only one or two were D's. I am in Tennessee. |
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Quote:
The theory I have been kicking around is that when we travel we usually take credit cards or paper money. I agree. I never take change on a flight, that is one less thing to put in the tray going through security. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Yes, the west is typically supplied by Denver and the east by Philadelphia. Any drift from one side to the other comes from travelers and some cross traffic between banks along the border. This is why it takes so long before I see new coins. I live 40 miles from any medium or large city and the coins locally tend to stay here so the local banks seldom have to order coins from the parent banks. The only way we get new coins are from people passing through that stop to eat or buy something. We got a box of the Washington dollar coins, none of the others. The only shipment of State Quarters we ever got were the Massachusetts. I have only seen 10 quarters issued since 2007 (not 10 designs, 10 quarters) Probably less than two dozen nickels made since 2001. I've seen four 2009 cents and 15 1997 nickels since 1997. (Unfortunately everyone snatched up the silver long ago.) |
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Valued Member
United States
172 Posts |
I see a good many older (i.e. 1990s and earlier) D coins down here in South Florida. but that is probably because of all the east coast states, Florida is going to get the most tourists who DRIVE rather than fly (like Jbuck implied earlier, who does NOT empty their pockets of change before submitting to the TSA search?).
Edited by KevinH
08/19/2015 2:08 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
I am back and forth between both coasts and still have plenty of friends who live in LA who I may have keep their eyes out for the ATB D quarters for me when they come out, but it might not be a bad idea for collectors on opposite coasts to trade back and forth so the other doesn't have to over pay for common coinage that just isn't common where they are. I am also thinking that Vegas may be a hotbed for coins seeing as people are flying in from all over, and maybe bringing everything they've got to lose. :( Can understand why the Pawn Shops all do so well there. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2734 Posts |
I go on business trips east of the Mississippi at least once a year, and I bring BU rolls of Denver-mint ATB Quarters with me (in clear plastic tubes, for ease of passing TSA checkpoints). If you got a BU Kistachie-D from circulation in Atlanta or southward last June, it was most likely one of mine... And I spent ten rolls worth of them!  |
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Replies: 44 / Views: 7,873 |
Posted 08/19/2015 01:34 am
