Rare Coins Used To Buy Cigarettes

From that story:
Interesting leap of logic there, LOL.

When I had a home delivery milk route in Landingville Auburn Orwigsburg area in eastern PA back in the late 70's I would usually get 2 Silver certificates and 3 silver dimes in the milk box at one stop every Saturday for years. ( Milk was 1.15 a half gallon )
I told him that they were worth more money on several occasions when he would come out to buy a half gallon of orange juice too, but he didn't care, and did not seem to be connected very much with the outside world, nor did he care to be. I did try to tell him I collected coins but it was like I was speaking in Greek to him, so I was OK with taking it, and I'd give him some ice cream whenever I saw him for free. ( OK, I felt a little guilty )
He had no family and was a potato farmer, I am sure he is long gone now as he was probably in his early 80's when I knew him.
I had another little old lady who told me that she arrived in her farm house around 1890 and they came in wagons pulled by horses and it took many days to get there from Philadelphia.
She must have been a change saver too. Once in awhile I would get "old money" from her.
I never got a key date or anything from either of these two people, but they both were similar, they way they lived in the country, and were old, alone, and pretty much removed from the rest of the world.
Back in the late 70's silver certificates weren't worth much more than a buck anyway, unless they were certain ones, and I didn't get those series/signatures either. I did get a lot of nice dimes and quarters and nickels though. Mercury dimes from most any date but mostly 40's and War Nickels, some better condition early Wash quarters and regular early Jefferson nickels in great condition. Occasionally, some nice later Buffalo's.
The old man went through the depression era and did not believe in banks.
I am sure this was the case.
Is it possible that those coins came from somebody that has no coin knowledge? That perhaps has come to the point in this economy, where they have to go to the jars of change that Grandma or Grandpa left behind?
I think so, the lady may not be a crook, just uneducated.

Interesting use of the word rare.

And, don't those cops have better things to do, like solve crimes?

Or are they so bored that they have to search for one that may have been committed?

Elimist makes a good argument.

For some roll hunters, it is!

Or they could be culls or Such and she was trying to pass on to maybe spark interest. I've done it with a couple that were in really rough shape.

I don't think the Lancaster Police Dept's concern is 'silly' at all!

I give them a big 'thumbs up' for bringing this to the community's attention! If this is a theft, this might be a case where the coins were stolen from a drawer/box/etc. and the theft may not have been (otherwise) noticed by the victim for a long time. By posting pictures of the coins, they might be recognized by their rightful owner (if applicable) and they would have a much better chance to get their coins back (or at least catch the thief!).

I looked at the pictures. Nothing super-rare, but they looked a little too nice to be 'culls' (except maybe for one nickel).

Keep in mind that the clerk who received these coins thought something might be suspicious, otherwise the clerk wouldn't have turned them in to the police in the first place. Most clerks who'd 'notice' these coins would have simply bought them out of their drawer and taken them home.... even if they suspected that they were stolen!

Thank you, Lancaster P.D. and the super-honest Turkey Hill clerk!

i agree to the part that it may be exaggerated... some people don't really care about coins much