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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,389 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7936 Posts |
On another thread I made a comment to the effect that collectors picking through pocket change today have a lower chance of finding old coins than when I was looking through change as a kid in the 1960s. Then I found a 1918 Lincoln in change a few days ago. Thinking about it a bit, I am pretty sure this is the oldest (101 years old) coin I have ever found in change. As a kid, finding an IHC from the 1880s, a Liberty nickel, or any Barber types, they would not have been this old. I am pretty sure I never found any Liberty Seated coins in change, and I don't think I ever found a 100 yr old IHC. OK one data point doesn't necessarily disprove my original premise. But it did make me think again. In particular, I DO still find 1930s Lincolns in change (maybe 3 a year). Those are now 80 years old. I haven't found a 1930s Jefferson in a while, but I do find one or two War Nickels a year (75 yrs old). Both older than most of the old finds I had as a kid. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
As I think about it, you're right. I used to find V-nickels and the odd Barber coin in circulation, but never something over a hundred years old - and believe me, I did a lot of searching!
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7275 Posts |
Oldest I found was this March, I found a 1917 LWC. I once got back an IHC, but this was 40 years ago and I don't remember the date on the IHC. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1026 Posts |
I think your original premise is still valid. It just takes a lot more vigilance and a lot more change to find old-stuff today.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5239 Posts |
If you go to the roll hunting sub-forum, you will find that IHC turn up from time to time, as do "v" nickels. Mind you, we are talking about 1 in 100 thousand or more pieces. The general opinion is that these are from recent collection dumps, and have not been going from hand to hand for over 100 years. Also, some people deliberately toss in a worn old coin to circulation from time to time. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5666 Posts |
Obsolete coins are taken out of circulation faster than old coins of current issues, and there aren't any designs that come close to the longevity of the Lincoln Cent (at least the obverse). That may be why you can still find an occasional old LWC, while finding a Buffalo nickel or Mercury dime in circulation is exceedingly rare. But given the massive volume of modern coins produced each year, I agree with your original idea that finding older coins is harder now. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3323 Posts |
The oldest coin I found in pocket change was a 1909P Lincoln. At the time it was about 65 years old. So, I see what you're saying. I found a 1916 Lincoln in a CoinStar return last year, so it would have been 102 years old and technically not in pocket change. Never thought about it in those terms.
"Nummi rari mira sunt, si sumptus ferre potes." - Christophorus filius Scotiae
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Moderator
 United States
188091 Posts |
Excellent!  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17914 Posts |
You're all very lucky! I found an 1860 British penny in change shortly before decimalization (110 years old at the time) but today the oldest coins in circulation in the UK are a mere 48 years old, namely 1971-dated 1p and 2p coins, both of which are still exceedingly common (despite idiots trying to sell them for vast amounts on ebay...) |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
The lack of very old coins encouraged me to head on a slightly different tack.
I now collect two of the best examples I can find of every commemorative coin that I can get from pocket change.
For Americans, over 100 different types of commemorative coin types in current circulation. All collected at face value.
You don't have to buy over priced collector only heavily marketed 'mint product'.
Something every kid can do.
A cheap and good introduction for a kid into coin collecting.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7936 Posts |
@citationsquirrel, you may be correct, but it really made me challenge assumptions I had. As a kid in the 1960s, there were earlier types of every single U.S. coin in circulation, (though fewest for cents). Plenty of Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, Standing Liberty quarters and Walkers in pocket change right up until 1964. I think this formed a mental model that "old = earlier type," even though many of those earlier types were only 30 to 50 years old. So, now there are NO earlier types commonly in circulation, at least as judged by the obverses (OK, there is the "old" nickel... I'm still in denial about that one). As mentioned by others, only old Lincolns escape detection and can occasionally be found. @oriole, I think rollhunting is a different ballgame, in which the objective is to be exposed to thousands of times more coins than most of us encounter. But I get the point. Edited by tdziemia
09/24/2019 8:47 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2233 Posts |
At least in half dollars, you can still find a Walking Liberty half in those $500 boxes (usually it's one of the 40s dates, but I digress). But that might be because halves are generally not used for circulation. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
The problem is way to many coin collectors today compared to a long time ago. Back when I was a kid people just didn't have enough money to collect coins. Today it is easier to collect coins since they don't really have that great face value.
And no one makes gum ball machines that take pennies.
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,389 |
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Posted 09/24/2019 09:26 am
