Have We Drained The Supply Of Collectable Coins?

I've always wondered if this was just romantic myth. I grew up in the '60's, I don't recall my parents, grandparents or any other relatives hoarding silver coin. I'd have to say that a large percentage of the population probably weren't even aware, or cared, that their silver coinage had changed composition. In the mid 70's as a teen, I was roll hunting and going through change jars. As I recall, there was one friend who's mother had stashed away a jar full of Mercury dimes.

Of course, tons of silver coin were turned to melt around 1980, and major percentage of any hoarded silver disappeared.

Just look at the mintage numbers for dimes and quarter and you will see that, for the first time in history, mintage rose above a billion a year for the period 64 to 67, before dropping back in 68. This was due to hording of the previously issued silver coins. The mints were running at full steam to replace them, and dropped all none essential functions like making and selling proof sets or even using mint marks during this time.

The US Mint had a percentage of circulated coin melt to produce new.

Cannibalism!

Well its a good thing you are in the coin roll hunting forum then huh?

Some areas have been depleted of some things, while others have been depleted of other things. Halves seem to all be good in one area, and bad in evry other area. If the type of coin you are checking seems dry, just try a different coin? I haven't found anything decent in dimes except a 1970S. Wheats are all through boxes of pennies. Nickels always turn up something: buff, war, foreign.