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 Replies: 25 / Views: 3,782 |
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Valued Member
United States
462 Posts |
Hi,
So there are all these initiatives to remove the $1 and to just use the $1 coin and one of the arguments is that coins last 30 years, but is that still true?
I could see how back in the early 80's this could be true, but with today's coin composition I'm not so sure. Sure, you do find coins that are from the mid 80s still in circulation, but taking a look at how quickly the zincoln's rot there are many that look like they'll barely last 3 years.
The new dollar coins haven't been in circulation for 30 years so there's no evidence to say it will last that long. On top of that, it's not widely used so who's to say that with normal handling it will last even 10 years.
Just wondering what others think what others think about coin durability these days.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
7096 Posts |
The Aussie 1 dollar coin has been in circulation since 1984 and there are heaps of 1984 coins found in change that are still quite good  |
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Moderator
 United States
187446 Posts |
The Zincoln rots because it has to be made cheap, and it is still not cheap enough! They need to stop minting them.As for other coins, look at how many 1964 nickels we still find in change. Enough said. Kill the one dollar note, use one dollar coins.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
I see no reason why copper and nickel alloy coins cannot last 30+ years in circulation. Plated coins are an entirely different matter and are much more prone to corrosion.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
613 Posts |
well, if you're talking cents, I think you're spot on. The cupronickel stuff seems to last forever. Copper cents, too. I'm always finding 60-70 year old nickels that look solid.
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Moderator
United States
187446 Posts |
I should also add, look at all of the pre-1982 cents we find in change and how well they look for their age. Looking to the rotten Zincolns as an indicator of how well the dollar coins will hold up is like watching a dung heap to see how long a mountain will last. |
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Valued Member
United States
144 Posts |
I still get nickels, quarters and dimes from the late 60's in my spare change.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
996 Posts |
I was never a fan of the clad dimes and quarters but eventually saw the genius in them, they provide a superior coin composition that for 50 years has proven itself. I still see the occasional 65-70 coin in common circulation, even well worn coins are still extremely usable.
The 5 cent coin also wears very well, and that composition hasn't changed since the Civil War except for a couple years during WW2. I just searched $50 worth and found a few in the 40's, a few in the 50's and threw back a boatload of 60's issues, all over 50 years old and still commonly seen and usable.
The only coin that really doesn't hold up is the zinc penny. It really doesn't circulate like they used to though, most end up being used once or twice and then ends up in someones coin jar. I suppose that is sufficient for now and I hope it will just go away soon.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2270 Posts |
I don't know why the mint keeps using the 30 year figure. This was the estimated life span of clads in 1965 and they never changed it. They didn't figure that the clads would wear much better than the silver because they are lighter and more durable. The actual life expectancy of a quarter in 1965 was actually closer to 40 years. In modern times this is decreasing because a quarter no longer has much value so people allow them to get away. It's now down to about 30 years for those that still survive. Dimes are even lower.
I'd guess a dollar coin would have a life expectancy of about 35 years if put in circulation today. Of course as long as Congress loves to spend money a dollar coin won't have much value in a couple decades either and its life span will decrease.
If Congress didn't love wasting money there would already be a dollar coin in circulation and they'd be half way worn out already.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
Edited by cladking
11/12/2015 10:06 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
Quote:
The Zincoln rots because it has to be made cheap, and it is still not cheap enough! They need to stop minting them.
As for other coins, look at how many 1964 nickels we still find in change. Enough said. A agree about Zincolns. No one uses them, no one cares about them, and all they do is rot away and cost the government money. Cents have had a good run, produced every year (except 1815) since 1793, and it's time for them to go. You're also right about 1964 Jeffs. They make up about 2.6% of all circulating nickels I've searched. That's what's good about nickels- even though there isn't a lot of silver involved, you can still find early dates in circulation without much trouble. To get back to the actual topic of the thread, I think dollar coins probably will last a while, considering they're mostly copper. However, I'd still prefer a silver-colored coin, probably cupronickel. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4932 Posts |
There's plenty of copper cents in circulation, but zinc cents hardly last several years.
Nickels last, dimes last, and quarters last well over 30 years. Halves would, if they were used more frequently.
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Moderator
United States
187446 Posts |
Quote:
If Congress didn't love wasting money there would already be a dollar coin in circulation and they'd be half way worn out already. Agreed. |
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New Member
United States
24 Posts |
Many of the 1965-67 quarters I get have acquired a pleasing smoothness, but even after 50 years they are not worn enough to be graded G-6. The clad coins, whether you like them or not, stand up to the test of time.
As for Lincoln Cents, they wouldn't still be around if it weren't for the zinc lobby.
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Moderator
United States
187446 Posts |
Quote:
As for Lincoln Cents, they wouldn't still be around if it weren't for the zinc lobby. Preach! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
632 Posts |
Dimes and quarters are all cop-nickel composition and there are plenty 40-50 year old coins in circulation. Same with cents and nickels you can find even older no problem. I will admit that some of the original 2000 mintage year Sac's I've seen recently have been pretty beat up, but they will last 30 years no problem. I handle change every day and I see bright red cents from the late 80's all the time. Just because Zincolns are a cheap composition doesn't mean that they'll just dissolve like sugar cubes in a decade.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19930 Posts |
Kill the Cent and kill the one dollar note! BIG GOVERNMENT IDIOTS!
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Replies: 25 / Views: 3,782 |
Posted 11/12/2015 3:04 pm
