| Author |
 Replies: 9 / Views: 2,059 |
|
|
Valued Member
United States
292 Posts |
Who here places a value on coins they picked out of pocket change or by roll hunting vs coins purchased from a dealer or individual? Most of my coin collecting was done as a kid in the 1960's and 70's. My brother had a newspaper route from 1966 to 1969 and would let me go through his change. Lunch money. Etc. My entire complete Jefferson nickel and Roosevelt dime collections, and my Lincoln Cents (no 1909S, 1909S VDB, or 1922plain) and many IHC and Mercury dimes came from pocket change. Back then I thought that was how you did things. Needless to say, all the coins are circulated good to AU. The 1914D LWC F and the 1931S LWC XF came from the school lunch lady's change she let me go through. Just out of high school I worked the counter at fast food and we had people pay for food with Morgan dollars, Buffalo nickels, rolls of silver (somebody's pilfered collection?) I kept these collections intact rather than trying to improve them with purchases, and I value them above the ones I've bought as an adult. Edited by EDM
02/26/2021 2:03 pm
|
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
I used to go through a big coffee can of Lincoln's my grandma used to keep. This was probably early 70s and I still have those coins. No keys though like a 14-D or 31-S.
I love finding nice old coins in the wild, but realistically you aren't going to find a lot of the coins you need to complete sets that way,
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
7934 Posts |
Agree with @KenKat. Like the OP, my (never completed) Lincolns, Jefferson nickels, etc. came from pocket change, but I was not as organized or focused (though I did have access to cash register that handled exclusively cash transactions through the 1970s). But I never found -D or -S mint cents before 1916, let alone a 31-S or 14-D, nor did I even get the 39-D or 39-S nickels. Now I collect pre-1800 World coins, so I would wait a VERY long time for wild caught  Edited by tdziemia
02/26/2021 11:44 am
|
|
Moderator
 United States
187702 Posts |
Almost all my circulating coins from the 1960s to the mid 2000s came from circulation. Other than the obvious NIFC issues, a few "white whales" were bought at coin shows. Only recently have I resorted to mint sets to fill those holes not being filled by my cashless trend. My entire business strike ATB set has come from the Mint. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4618 Posts |
Our Once-in-a-Lifetime "Wild Caught" coin was a Cheerios Dollar.
We actively sought out this one because I figured that someday the PACKAGING might be valuable. We bought boxes and boxes of cereal for a almost a full year, it's Amy's favorite snack, and once we had the coins, we put the package in a drawer and forgot about them. We didn't even know it was valuable until several years after we found it. It was around 2011 or so that we were leaving Texas to move to New Jersey when Amy asked if it was really worth anything. When I researched the coin I found out about the prototype reverse and how few were certified we couldn't believe it!
It graded MS-67 and sold through Heritage Auctions in 2019 for $4200.
ANA ID: 3203813 - CONECA ID: N-5637 Clean a coin that may be worth collecting? Please DON'T! When in doubt, leave it dirty!! 
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
2781 Posts |
yoko wins, the off metal strike that I got in change from 7-11 only netted $750 until then I wasn't a collector, but used the funds to finance my start down the rabbit hole. that $750 has since costs a couple of 10 of $1000's (don;t tell my wife) as to the OP, I don't collect anything modern so wild caught isn't an option (but I still look!) supposed to be bi-metallic:  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
561 Posts |
Similar to @tdziemia, but as a classic type collector, wild caught finds just aren't an option I have however hung onto my circulation finds from when I was very young and I will never get rid of them, heck they're what got me into the hobby (major favorites: a 1942 Washington and a 1942s Mercury) But I just don't see myself managing to pull a Draped Bust dollar from the till at work  |
|
Pillar of the Community
Australia
1610 Posts |
@Yokozuna - I had never heard of a Cheerio dollar till now. In Australia, we refer to those mini cocktail hot dogs as Cheerios so I first thought the Cheerio dollar was some Oscar-Meyer promotion.  Interesting reading, especially how some unopened boxes contained a regular dollar and also how the number number of Cheerio dollars thought to exist at present is far less than the number minted (5,500). This is another great coin story from the USA. My other favourite is the Double Eagle. Ironic that both coins involve an eagle. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
8938 Posts |
The best coin I've found in the wild was either my 1988 FS-901 Lincoln Cent which graded MS65RD and at the time was Pop 1/0, it has since fallen to Pop 3(2?)/1. The other would be my double struck in collar Lincoln Memorial cent (my PFP). |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I've been coin collecting since my Dad brought home a newly releasted Penny made of Steel back in 1943. I now have 10 of the 1916D Mercury dimes in 12 almost complete sets. All from his change over the years. Several sets of Lincoln Cents also. Back then so many coins considered rare were common in change. I used to spend Silver Dollars as if just regular money. |
| |
Replies: 9 / Views: 2,059 |
|
Posted 02/26/2021 11:43 am
