Coin Droppers - Are there valuable quarters out there?
Quote: AZDuffmanLook if you like but waste of time IMHO.
IIRC, silver coins are a slightly different color than cupro-nickel. It may be easier to look for the color, instead of checking every date.
Quote: DieterIIRC, silver coins are a slightly different color than cupro-nickel. It may be easier to look for the color, instead of checking every date.
The easiest way is to stack them. The ones that don't have any copper coloring on their edge are likely to be silver. The same goes with dimes, and I think Kennedy half-dollars as well. (I don't think Eisenhower dollars were minted before they stopped using silver.)
As for state coins, or the newer National Parks coins, I don't think any are worth more than 25 cents - not even the ones from 1999. The same goes for Bicentennial quarters, which, IIRC, were actually minted over multiple years.
Kennedy Halfs from 65' - 69' are 40% Clad.
The stacking trick works for me.
In 2010 I found a $100 bill in a casino. And in 2012 I found $60 (in twenties) on a sidewalk. In other words, in my experience I've had better luck finding valuable paper bills lying on the ground than I've had receiving valuable coins as change from a cash register.
On 3 separate occasions I have found bags of marijuana lying on the sidewalk, but I digress...
Quote: AyecarumbaThanks for the replies. What about the "states" quarters? Are any of them worth looking for?
I don't think state quarters were ever done in "rare runs". Some collect sets, sure. But I can't imagine there being a demand for any. All the collector need do is break bills and wait.
I would argue against AZD, although with an asterisk. When I worked retail I felt overwhelmed with old money. I kept a hundo laying around just so I could buy it all up. Old half and full dollars, tons of silver quarters, even old bills (a surprising number, in fact). I had hundreds of dollars, piles, really, of old money at my house. Other than sports cards when I was a kid, it was the only thing I ever collected.
*Granted, that ended in 2008 when I left retail, and a lot has changed in the precious metal scene since then. But still... if I had constant contact with tons of money, I'd keep checking it all. Especially quarters. Shake a bunch in your hand and you can tell instantly when you found a keeper.
If you're looking to collect, I'd make a friend at a smoke shop or other such place that draws a certain type of clientele. I used to get young adults who had apparently raided dad's stash so they could afford a pack. Had one pay nearly $20 for gas and smokes, all in old silver coins. That was a good day =) Find a place like that and offer $1 for any they save for you, who knows?
Quote: beachbumbabsOn the states quarters, and those more recent (parks), if there's a D or P, they're ordinary quarters. If they're "S", they were minted in San Francisco (rather than Denver or Philly), and they're silver-clad, rarer, and worth more than face value.
Babs,
While that is true, those San Francisco coins were made in very limited amounts and given out to collectors as uncirculated. It would be extremely odd if anyone found one of those.
For my last job I purchased Precious Metals, so I dealt with this stuff everyday before I was laid off. I found a couple of silver half dollars and quarters since checking my coins. I don't check too hard for Wheat Pennies since there is very little numismatic value and almost no precious metal value.
Remember the 1909 S v d b penny? I have about twenty zinc pennies from the WWII era. '43s as I recall.
As a kid I would go to the bank after school and buy $20 worth of penny rolls. Sit at one of their tables and go through them. Might find a couple from before 1920. Then roll them back up and cash them in. I wonder if banks today would be that accommodating. Kids don't do that anymore.
Had a friend that once gave me a mostly complete set of Indian head pennies if I would teach him a certain song on the piano. I did. Was about 15 at the time. Should have become a piano teacher.
Quote: FaceI don't think state quarters were ever done in "rare runs". Some collect sets, sure. But I can't imagine there being a demand for any. All the collector need do is break bills and wait.
I would argue against AZD, although with an asterisk. When I worked retail I felt overwhelmed with old money. I kept a hundo laying around just so I could buy it all up. Old half and full dollars, tons of silver quarters, even old bills (a surprising number, in fact). I had hundreds of dollars, piles, really, of old money at my house. Other than sports cards when I was a kid, it was the only thing I ever collected.
This is a good post to start a major comment on the idea of collectable money.
First, to sum up on the old quarters and dimes. 1964 was the last year of the silver quarters and dimes. Since they left circulation there have been various people hoarding them. This really took off after the Hunt Brothers tried to corner the silver market by 1979, driving the price of silver to $50 an ounce ($172 in today's dollars) and inspiring the characters of the Duke Brothers for "Trading Places."
To see if a quarter is silver look at the date and be sure it is <=1964. Look at the side and it will be all silver, not the copper/silver stripe we have today. A trained ear will notice a difference in sound if it is dropped on a table, and sometimes vending machines are finicky about taking them, they may reject at first. Or not. Once I found a silver coin because the machine would not take it.
Paper money is harder as it does not last long. "Silver Certificates" have some value. Some people collect various series of dollars, one I know of is the ones with Treasury Secretary Joseph Barr as he only had the job 30 days. But the value is not a whole lot greater than face value, and condition comes into play here.
Now, back to what Face wrote. At most stores or banks there is at least one employee who collects this stuff. The drawers will be vultured daily, and other employees will sell him or her the currency or coin. It then disappears, forever. So you have the newest coins being 50 years old in the first place and hordes of cashiers and tellers getting first dibs to overcome. Yes, you may find some, but it is not like the 1980s when they regularly showed up.
Now, "accidents" happen. My brother-in-law drained his dad's silver certificate supply buying ice cream as he thought they were dollars. Old uncle Harry can die and the heirs do not know what the coins are worth. But again, a clerk will know and scoop them right up. People who handle money know money and tend to notice rare coins and bills at a glance.
Now, onto state quarters and other collectables. FUGHEDDABADDIT! If something is billed as "collectable" at production it hardly ever is, and the only exception I might consider are certain cars. Even then, so many people preserved their Grand Nationals because they saw what then 18 year old Road Runner Superbirds were going for that the Grand Nationals never took off in value as expected. State quarters? They are just quarters. If you have a perfect set, and I mean the highest grade, and the set is complete, yes in 50 years they might go for twice face value.
Now, collecting them can be fun. I dismantled my incomplete collection because the fun ended and time for something new. Keep a set for your eventual grandkids if you want, but there will never be more than face value in them.
What must be remembered from collecting is that things have to get "old" before they are "antique." Not many items got saved years ago. Pre-Civil War and you used everything just to survive. Items were handmade and expensive. They were used until worn out, then repaired and used more. But then the Industrial Revolution really kicked up and all kinds of new stuff was made. No longer did you have to repair everything. Frugal people and pack rats kept some things starting then.
So many of those things, coins and goods, were stashed away. But they were stashed away without intention of having big value. There were antique dealers and collectors of course, but it was not what it is today. By 1980, though, the Baby Boomers started making real money and wanted memories. The value of things from a Honus Wagner card to old cars to almost anything shot up.
Manufactures started making the "instant collectable." People bought it if it was "collectable." But most of it will never be worth anything. If there is one old train set at the store it may be worth $500. If there are 10 they are probably worth $25 each. "Pawn Stars" used to do a great job explaining this.
Finally, my story. In 1995 the Browns were planning to leave the city of Cleveland so three of us went to see the "last" game the Steelers would play there. I bought and kept a program. The city was handing out little 3x5 cards asking the fans to behave lest it look bad to get another team. I kept my card and program, then put them away. I moved, moved, moved, moved to AZ, moved, and finally found it all in some box. I asked a buddy if he wanted it and he did not. I almost threw it away.
A week later I find a girl in the office is a big Browns fan along with her dad. I offered it to her along with a special edition beer can for the event that the entire city bought and saved same as me. On eBay they sell for maybe $2. She was very grateful and framed the card for her dad. When she showed it to me I told her to tell him that it is probably the only well-preserved copy as most ended up on the ground. She said he was happy and laughed at that part.
Would this "collectable" be worth much? I doubt it. Right now it is "old." Might take 30 more years to be worth anything. Even then there is no value in the contents, like the silver quarters. And if football gets banned in 20 years well there was so much other "collectable" junk out there that it would be a very niche market. But in 50 years watch to see if Chumlee's grandson buys it across the counter.
Quote: AZDuffman
Finally, my story. ... I bought and kept a program. The city was handing out little 3x5 cards asking the fans to behave lest it look bad to get another team. I kept my card and program, then put them away. I moved, moved, moved, moved to AZ, moved, and finally found it all in some box. I asked a buddy if he wanted it and he did not. I almost threw it away.
On eBay they sell for maybe $2.
Would this "collectable" be worth much? I doubt it. Right now it is "old."
If it ever does rise in value, some printer will churn 'em out by the thousands. A 3x5 card with black ink on white cardstock is too easy to duplicate, Honus Wagner? not so much. Vintage lithography can be identified under a loupe by it's random dot pattern, which computer printing can't duplicate.
Quote: GreasyjohnRemember the 1909 S v d b penny? I have about twenty zinc pennies from the WWII era. '43s as I recall.
My brother has a 1909 VDB (not "S", though) somewhere. Also, weren't the 1943 ones "steel" instead of zinc?
Of course, when they started minting the 1943 pennies, there was still some copper left in the pressing machines from 1942, so there are a few copper 1943 pennies, which are one of the Holy Grails of coin collecting (especially as, IIRC, the U.S. Mint refused for decades to admit that they even existed - supposedly, there are a few 1944 steel pennies as well). Reportedly, for every copper 1943 penny, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of copper-plated steel 1943 pennies that unscrupulous people have tried to pass off as all-copper.
One of the things I used to do was to separate pennies into three groups - pre-1982 (copper), post-1982 (zinc), and 1982 (reportedly, some are copper, and some are zinc).
Note that the San Francisco mint hasn't minted coins for general circulation in decades - and even then, in the last few years when it did, they were pennies. (I don't think there has been a San Francisco nickel since around 1965.)
Quote: AZDuffmanState quarters? They are just quarters. If you have a perfect set, and I mean the highest grade, and the set is complete, yes in 50 years they might go for twice face value.
Back when they came out, I was a cashier at someplace or other. Other cashiers would do a little ":ooh, ahh" as the next one came out, and would snag one for their folder.
The actual collectors, I'm told, were buying whole rolls of uncirculated coins. They weren't putting together folders; they were putting together bricks of rolls to sit on for 50-75 years.
They're probably hoping that California splits into two, and that maybe their California quarters will be worth more, since that state doesn't exist anymore.
Quote: ThatDonGuyMy brother has a 1909 VDB (not "S", though) somewhere. Also, weren't the 1943 ones "steel" instead of zinc?
Of course, when they started minting the 1943 pennies, there was still some copper left in the pressing machines from 1942, so there are a few copper 1943 pennies, which are one of the Holy Grails of coin collecting (especially as, IIRC, the U.S. Mint refused for decades to admit that they even existed - supposedly, there are a few 1944 steel pennies as well). Reportedly, for every copper 1943 penny, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of copper-plated steel 1943 pennies that unscrupulous people have tried to pass off as all-copper.
One of the things I used to do was to separate pennies into three groups - pre-1982 (copper), post-1982 (zinc), and 1982 (reportedly, some are copper, and some are zinc).
Note that the San Francisco mint hasn't minted coins for general circulation in decades - and even then, in the last few years when it did, they were pennies. (I don't think there has been a San Francisco nickel since around 1965.)
I was just reading up on 1943 pennies, and yes, the zinc cents were mostly steel with a zinc coating. They seem so light and nonsteely. Coin collecting is fascinating.
As a kid, I found an Indian Head penny in the street, and once got a V nickel as change.
I have a 1983 complete MLB card collection still in the box. Have a Jose Conseco uncirculated rookie card that I paid $75 for in '91. And a Nolan Ryan rookie card with one soft corner that I paid $250 for in that same year. (Don't worry about making me feel bad if my investments have not done well. I should probably have looked into selling the Nolan Ryan card at the time of his induction.)
Quote: DieterThe actual collectors, I'm told, were buying whole rolls of uncirculated coins. They weren't putting together folders; they were putting together bricks of rolls to sit on for 50-75 years.
Also, a number of companies bought rolls of coins so they could sell sets through mass marketing methods, usually for around 50 cents per coin (but they threw in a free frame in which to place the coins).
I have been trying to collect the "full set" - all 55 (originally 50, but then they added an 11th year with, IIRC, DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Marianas) with both Denver and Philadelphia mint marks. Living in California, getting the Denver ones was easy, but there are still a few Philadelphia ones I am missing. I have been out east a few times, but banks tend to frown on people going up to tellers and asking them for specific quarters, especially if there are other people in line.
Quote: zippyboyIf it ever does rise in value, some printer will churn 'em out by the thousands. A 3x5 card with black ink on white cardstock is too easy to duplicate, Honus Wagner? not so much. Vintage lithography can be identified under a loupe by it's random dot pattern, which computer printing can't duplicate.
Exactly. A true fan will cherish the memory. $5 is the most they might pay, though. I do like the satisfaction of knowing it will have a good home, strange as that is.
Quote: Dieter
The actual collectors, I'm told, were buying whole rolls of uncirculated coins. They weren't putting together folders; they were putting together bricks of rolls to sit on for 50-75 years.
Feds love that. Pay a nickel or less to make what you sell for $0.25 and then it will be 50+ years before you have to make good.
I have a 199somehting full set of NHL cards. If my nephew keeps liking hockey I will probably give them to him when he is old enough to appreciate them properly and not sell them for beer. Some NFL cards from the same era, maybe one of them pull and OJ or something and I can put them on eBay.
This is exactly what my sorry ass (and my brother) did to my dads silver jar.Thank goodness we were busted before the jar emptied completely. Some of the things I did as a young (before age 16) lad were just mindbogling. Dad put me to work at 16 and it put an end to my stealing. Pops would tell me about the times he played poker with my grandpa. He said on occasion that the players would deliberately toss a silver coin in the pot just to see if gramps would here the sound it made against the other coins. He said it wasnt long before gramps was digging the silver coin out of the pot. lol Good stuff.Quote: FaceI don't think state quarters were ever done in "rare runs". Some collect sets, sure. But I can't imagine there being a demand for any. All the collector need do is break bills and wait.
I would argue against AZD, although with an asterisk. When I worked retail I felt overwhelmed with old money. I kept a hundo laying around just so I could buy it all up. Old half and full dollars, tons of silver quarters, even old bills (a surprising number, in fact). I had hundreds of dollars, piles, really, of old money at my house. Other than sports cards when I was a kid, it was the only thing I ever collected.
*Granted, that ended in 2008 when I left retail, and a lot has changed in the precious metal scene since then. But still... if I had constant contact with tons of money, I'd keep checking it all. Especially quarters. Shake a bunch in your hand and you can tell instantly when you found a keeper.
If you're looking to collect, I'd make a friend at a smoke shop or other such place that draws a certain type of clientele. I used to get young adults who had apparently raided dad's stash so they could afford a pack. Had one pay nearly $20 for gas and smokes, all in old silver coins. That was a good day =) Find a place like that and offer $1 for any they save for you, who knows?
Quote: mdhThis is exactly what my sorry ass (and my brother) did to my dads silver jar.Thank goodness we were busted before the jar emptied completely. Some of the things I did as a young (before age 16) lad were just mindbogling. Dad put me to work at 16 and it put an end to my stealing. Pops would tell me about the times he played poker with my grandpa. He said on occasion that the players would deliberately toss a silver coin in the pot just to see if gramps would here the sound it made against the other coins. He said it wasnt long before gramps was digging the silver coin out of the pot. lol Good stuff.
Nice =) Fortunately my grandpa is the exact same way. Every time we play cards and you hear that *ping* of silver, he's on it like a hawk, trading it out for a modern quarter. And with me being with him so much I learned early about coins, like at the age of five. So when I came of the age when I needed to raid a change jar, I left all the goodies behind and only used worthless money ;)
But... all those coins and all those bills I collected in retail? Well... I really wanted an ATV, and only had one source for a downpayment...
All I have left is a dime from the 1880's and a 1923 dollar bill =,(
Quote: AZDuffmanIt has been 50 years since "valuable" quarters have been made and they have long ago been hoarded. Look if you like but waste of time IMHO.
Honestly if you know what they look like silver coins are immediately and noticably different than Copper coins. So you don't actually have to look through all your coins and check them, if you know what it looks like it's obvious when you're handed one.
And I've gotten a few over time in change, but not a lot or anything. I just noticed it right away because I had already bought some silver coins and knew what they looked like.
Quote: Boney526Honestly if you know what they look like silver coins are immediately and noticably different than Copper coins. So you don't actually have to look through all your coins and check them, if you know what it looks like it's obvious when you're handed one.
And I've gotten a few over time in change, but not a lot or anything. I just noticed it right away because I had already bought some silver coins and knew what they looked like.
I think I have gotten 1 in change in 10 years. I still give a cursory look to all quarters and dimes I get.
I have a 1lb coffee can filled with quarters and dimes, time to make a split to some other container. I keep the nickels and pennies on their own as the metal value is higher than the coin value. Keep them for worst case and if that never comes when I die someone can go thru it all and wonder what on earth I was thinking.
Quote: BoulderDamItForgot to mention the War Nickel. You can identify it by the "P" above Monticello on the reverse of the coin.
These exist in "S" and "D" versions as well. The significance of the "P" is, before something like 1969 (when the mint marks on coins besides pennies, moved from the back to the front), coins minted in Philadelphia did not have a "P" on them; it was the absence of a mint mark that indicated that they were from Philadelphia. The mint mark on the older non-war nickels is to the right of Monticello.
Quote: ThatDonGuyThese exist in "S" and "D" versions as well. The significance of the "P" is, before something like 1969 (when the mint marks on coins besides pennies, moved from the back to the front), coins minted in Philadelphia did not have a "P" on them; it was the absence of a mint mark that indicated that they were from Philadelphia. The mint mark on the older non-war nickels is to the right of Monticello.
Yes, but those other nickels, to my knowledge, do not contain any added value beyond face. The Buffalo Nickel has Numismatic value, but I was referring to the Jefferson Nickel.
Quote: BoulderDamItYes, but those other nickels, to my knowledge, do not contain any added value beyond face. The Buffalo Nickel has Numismatic value, but I was referring to the Jefferson Nickel.
So am I.
Non-war Jefferson nickels before sometime in the late 1960s had their mint marks on the back side, to the right of Monticello; S, D, or no mark (for Philadelphia). War-era (silver) Jefferson nickels had them above the dome; S, D, or P.
From 38' - 64' it was to the right of Monticello, except for the "Wartime Nickels" which have a large mint mark above Monticello. There was no mint mark from 65' - 67'. Starting in 68' they moved it to the Obverse, a bit next to the date.
But now there's TITO, moot point.
