Last Time You Found A Defunct Design In Change?

in the past two years I have found 6 Indian Head cents in change, always around Christmas.

About 30 years ago I got an Indian Head cent. Before that I'd have to go back to about 1964 for a couple Buffalo nickels

Add up the silver retraction of the 60's (which caused an almost complete transformation of larger value coins), the retraction of the half dollar and dollar coins from general circulation and the longevity of the Nickel and Penny designs and it is almost impossible to see prior designs.

The last time I saw obsolete coins in regular circulation included a nickel Indian Head cent a few years ago, probably from a collection dump. I got a dateless Buffalo nickel in change at the bank a few years back but I think the teller knew I was a collector and saved it for me. As a kid in the 60's I would take my 50 cents a week allowance and buy a roll of pennies and I think I found a couple IHC's. Back then Wheaties were still easy to find and not always kept as some of them were less than 10 years old. I don't think I ever got a Mercury dime or SLQ in change, and I have been watching my coins for close to 50 years...

Got a 1956 D Wheat cent at Chipotle last week. Does that count? LOL...

I, too, would like to seek a small bit of clarification with regard to your question: "change" as in received back via the normal procedure following a cash purchase, and/ or through normal coin roll hunting methods?

I have neither seen, nor found, an Indian Head cent anywhere.

I have come across multiple Buffalo nickels via coin roll hunting and "cashier job grabs," but never received one second-hand.

Awhile back, I stumbled upon a few Mercury dimes in a customer-wrapped dime roll I purchased from a bank, but that constitutes my only exposure to that series. I also found a Barber Dime--my first, ever--in a CoinStar machine return tray.

Standing Liberty quarters have never popped up.

Again through coin roll hunting, I have been fortunate enough to put aside about a roll each of Walking Liberty half dollars and Franklin half dollars, but none from the Barber series. With the latest being perhaps 5 years ago, there were several instances in which I was directly handed loose Franklin half dollars by bank tellers, but this has not happened in a very long time.

A small (100 coins or so) Eisenhower dollar bag order through a bank yielded 1 Morgan dollar and 1 Peace dollar, but I have not been exposed to either of these coins directly.

I have never come across any obsolete denominations.

I have been working as bookeeping (in USA )for almost 8 years and these coins are the old designs I had found so far ....The most recent findings were the barbers months ago .... I found a Mercury dime a couple years ago but unfortunately I think I lost it .

The human factor in circulation change is a big one. A Brinks machine cannot tell the differece between a V nickel or a Jefferson, but an even halfway observant person would realize immediately.

The source of a machine wrapped roll is also important. A messy, tired collector under pressure from the wife to "clean this mess up or I will" is bound to make some slip ups. I have been asked to check many change jars before they go to a coinstar, and have rescued a 1909 VDB cent, a few random European coins from the 1800s, and even an ancient Roman coin of emperor Valentinian I.

Nice finds, Paola1!