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 Replies: 15 / Views: 2,207 |
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Valued Member
United States
143 Posts |
Now I just wanted to say I know almost everyone on this forum know this but I'm always coming across people that think 1964 and under nickels are silver. People come upto me saying look at all these silver nickels I have. I look at them and not one of them is a WWII nickel.  Then I say sorry these are not silver then they get mad at me like I dont know what I'm talking about. Yet I stay calm and say there was only a few yrs nickel had silver in them and that is from 1942-1945. Even though they had silver in them they only had about 1/3 silver content in them. So I tell them they have a big mintmark above the Monticello. Then some of them look at me and say no those are steel nickels.  Some people need to pick up some coin books. |
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Valued Member
United States
208 Posts |
I hear ya man. I get the same thing at work. I work at a bank and have evolved into "The coin guy". Usually though when I tell people something, like your example, they are fine with it. I think I'd just tell people, "Well look it up on wikipedia and make sure I'm correct" if they got any attitude. We have one teller who always brings me shield cents. I guess she thinks they are valuable.
Edited by Rewster
09/08/2011 12:48 am
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12813 Posts |
Well... welcome guys! And yeah, a lot of people don't know specifics about coins. They hear one thing and apply it to all coins, or read/hear something and think they're numismatic experts. Jeez, I know relatively very little and I've been collecting for a year or three and (more importantly) have been interacting with this forum for a year. From which I've learned a LOT. I still know very little and consult this forum for darn near everything because there's just too much to know to be an expert on everything.
When discussing coins with friends, my challenge is not to come off as the know-it-all guy (whom no one wants to be around) or the Simpson's Professor Frink (whom, coincidentally, no one wants to be around).
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Valued Member
United States
407 Posts |
Although I've never run into such a situation (thankfully!), a lot of people don't really know much or anything about older coinage from before their "time". They go off of either things they heard, things they read, and sometimes try to put two and two together - "It's from before 1965 so it's silver!", without having any idea of the real intricacies of American coinage (like- nickels are called nickels for a reason!). We just happen to know better. I'm sure I could say some stupid stuff about stamps!
But, one of my pet peeves is people who ask you a question - because they DON'T know the answer, and then argue with you about the answer!
Sometimes ya just gotta shake yer head and walk away......
Steve
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5837 Posts |
This reminds me of something that happened a couple of weeks ago when I was in NYC scouring the Diamond District for deals on coins...
While I was waiting for a dealer to go down to the basement and bring up the bag of old halves and quarters he told me he had, a woman in her 30s came in looking to buy some silver bullion. The dealer showed her some nice ASEs and even a solid silver ingot, but she insisted that she would only buy silver that was made before 1964 since one of her friends told her that after 1964 they stopped making silver coins.
It's bad enough that she didn't realize her friend was only talking about circulated halves, quarters and dimes, but she wouldn't even consider the ingot. I guess she figured the dealer was trying to rip her off, but she was waaaay to smart for that...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4867 Posts |
A lot of people don't even look at the coins. They just use them for transactions and give no notice to the dates or who or what is pictured on the coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
917 Posts |
When someone tries to use a dollar minted since 2000, some think they have gold in them. Even a kids' show, Cyberchase, about a decade ago, used this misconception as an educational moment to teach about what was defined as money many years ago (a commodity that was agreed to have [intrinsic] value), and compared a 2000 Sacagawea dollar with a Saint Gaudens double eagle to show the difference. Another example, on the occasions that I use Ikes or Anthony dollars, a good number of them call the coins "silver dollars," and that prompts me to tell them that we haven't had circulating silver dollars since 1935. Finally, when I do use the "uncommon" coins of dollars and halves. Moreso with halves, the cashiers (mostly younger ones) ask if they are still legal to use or if they can take them as payment. I respond with "You can use coins from say, 1795 and they'd still be legal tender (but you'd have to be foolish to spend them!)." At one of the banks I frequent, one of the tellers told me that an elderly woman tried to deposit a $1 gold coin from the 1850's. But she wanted to deposit or cash in the coin for its gold value, but the bank told her they could only credit it for its face value. They then referred her to a local coin shop so she could get more than $1 for it. Edited by SilverRoosevelt
09/08/2011 10:11 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
In most such instances when you end up arguing with someone that knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING, your wasting time. Once I knew someone like that. A few of us made up stuff about coins, guns and even invented a car. When we discussed these in his presense, he joined right in and knew all about what we had made up. Look how many think we never went to the Moon and say they can prove that we didn't. It's really more fun to argue about who discovered America. As to Silver in Nickels. Just say they are all Silver and that is why they are called Nickels.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1150 Posts |
So, wait a second.
You are telling me that my WWII nickels aren't made of steel?!?!?!
I'm gonna go throw them away now. I'm so disgusted.
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Valued Member
United States
228 Posts |
justcarl: You'll get a kick out of this... In one of my old jobs, there was a similar fellow... He just knew more about every single topic than anyone else. It didn't matter, could be cabbages, ladies shoes, the wing flight velocity of a sparrow in flight - he was the ultimate authority. It got so bad - I decided to trap him. I have earned over the years - a masters rating in chess (took me 20 years), it's hard won, and no way to fake it. Now wait for it... don't get ahead of me ... One day I come in with a beginners book on chess, tucked up under my arm. I casually mentioned that I had decided to take up chess, (a group of 3 others were at the lunch table with me)... He says - "You know I have a masters rating in chess, I am a real expert on the game, I'll bet I could teach you something about the game". I agreed that he probably could - as I was just a beginner. He suggests that maybe if I have a board and pieces - he can play me. I go to my desk and bring out a miniature magnetic chess set. We play. He is probably the worst player I have ever seen. I beat him 3 straight at that lunch hour. Next day he comes in and says I was just lucky I beat him 3 or 4 more at lunch and at breaks. He is really hooked as he cannot understand how just a beginner can beat him! For the next couple weeks it continues - I must have beat him 20 or more games in a row. He never draws, or wins a single game. My rating is approx. 2250 USCF, his (if he had one, would be about 1200). I would have to die of a heart attack in the middle of the game to lose... Long story short, I finally reveal the truth to him. It slows down his bragging and lying for about 3 months. But he never did start up with me again! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Quote:
But, one of my pet peeves is people who ask you a question - because they DON'T know the answer, and then argue with you about the answer! Same here, especially when it happens here on CCF. |
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Valued Member
United States
208 Posts |
Quote:
As to Silver in Nickels. Just say they are all Silver and that is why they are called Nickels.   That's great! |
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
"Really? I've got a bag of nickels from 1964, how much do you want to offer on them?"
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Valued Member
United States
493 Posts |
I had the most fun playing scrabble with a champion in training, I'd be struggling to find a word, he'd take a look and say you can use all your letters.
People are like zombies, coins to some people are just money, and to some people money is one messed up situation.
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Valued Member
Canada
235 Posts |
A guy at work found out I collect coins so he brought in a 1951 Canadian silver dollar, probably about EF, not a bad looking coin, really. Wasn't the Arnprior variety, but still a nice coin.
Asked me if I would buy it, said sure, maybe, how much do you want.
200 bucks. He got quite insulted when I told him it was worth maybe 25 bucks max, depending on the price of silver.
My goodness.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4333 Posts |
I've had an ad up at work and a local store, that says I'm buying silver dollars at melt. Ad's been up for 2 years and not one single bite. The one local dealer gets all the business, and pays way below melt for 90% silver.
Some people would rather deal with a "professional", than to get "ripped off".
When I listen to LED ZEPPELIN...so do my neighbors...
Roll hunting since '77
Dirt fishing since '72
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Replies: 15 / Views: 2,207 |
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Posted 09/08/2011 01:24 am
