1966 20 Cent Wavy

So how many of these coins are there?

From 1966 to 2006, inclusive, there were 1,458.3 million 20¢ coins released into circulation. How many have disappeared? Hard to tell, but the number of NZ & Fiji + British 10p probably is similar magnitude to those lost, destroyed or withdrawn from circulation.
So we will assume 1.45 billion 20¢ coins are circulating.
Now, how many 'wavy 2' are still left? Like any collectible coins a percentage will be tied up in collections and not in general circulation. For the sake of this exercise, I will assume 10% have already been snaffled.
I found my first one this morning but I have not kept a detailed record of number of 20¢ I have sorted. I estimate, knowing how many I do and how long I have been seriously doing it, that it would be between 20,000 and 25,000. A (surprisingly) close agreement with previous figure quoted here.
Put that all together with some simple maths and the answer you get is 65,000 to 80,000.
I suggest then, it would be reasonable to state that between 50,000 and 100,000 of these coins were released.

The recent ebay seller who said his opinion was 10,000 was probably just trying to talk up the price.
Anyway, it is probably safe to say that they are the rarest 20¢ variety you might possibly find in circulation - about 5 times rarer than 2004 'bighead' and about 40 times rarer than 1985 platypus.

Tell me if you disagree.
Jeff

Another calculation!
I've just thought of another way of estimating how many 'wavys'.
In the same period that it took me to find one 'wavy', I have found eighteen 2004 'big heads'. That suggests the 'wavy' is 18 times rarer and we know there were 400,000 'bigheads'.

From those figures approximately 22,000 'wavys' would be the number.

Of course, this is not a big enough sample to give a confident figure (but it looks in the ballpark) -after all, I might find another 'wavy' tomorrow and have to revise this to 45½k.
If anyone else has records for these two coins then post your figures here and I can then do a cumulative update when some more numbers are available. If you have found 'bigheads', but no 'wavys' yet, still advise that so the overall numbers are as good as possible.
It would be interesting to see what number results.

Jeff

I search an average of $730 in mixed coins per week, $66 of which are 20¢, so 330 X 20¢ each week and so far I've found 0 wavy and 4 x 2004 Large head. I've been actively searching for approx 21 months, so approx 30030 coins searched so far.
Wavy Large Head

I have found roughly 1 wavy for every 35 2004 large head 20c this year. I have been through over $26000 worth of 20c coins this year so far.

Thanks Ben for your numbers.
That now makes a total of 221 'bigheads' reported for only 6 'wavys'.

Updated estimate is now only 10860 wavys, in total, released to circulation

Obviously my initial estimate, based on total 20¢ coins in circulation is way out. I suspect to many variable there for accurate number of coins actually still in circulation to be known.

Perhaps the ebay seller who says '10,000' bigheads released is right?

Jeff

Since my last update I have found 5 more bigheads bit no wavys.
So that makes running total of 7 wavys reported for 226 bigheads.
Wavy circulation estimate is now 12,390.

Do you have a later update b_j_w_79? Or does anyone else have some figures?

cheers
Jeff

Yeah, I have to admit, thanks to this thread I've just starting doing $50 - $100 worth of 20¢ for the last two weeks ( darn you all for perky my interest! :) I used to be STRICTLY Third Reich Coinage!) and have yet to come across A Wavy OR a Big Head!

I'm actually starting to wonder if I am in an area that may have been 'fished out' and considering travelling further a field...