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Circulation Extremes


Finn235

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Just curious to know what everybody's been digging up over the years. Just to clarify, circulation means that the coin was used at face value to purchase something, or was turned in to the bank at face value. So why don't you share with us your:

 

1. Oldest coin found in circulation (at time of finding... a 1910 coin found in 2009 beats an 1890 coin found in 1970)

 

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition (AU or close condition)

 

3. Rarest coin in circulation (standard makes only)

 

4. Most unlikely (extremely rare error, proof/bullion coin, foreign/obsolete coin that is radically different from domestic coin)

 

 

For me:

 

1. 1927 wheat penny found in 2009, AG condition (82 years)

 

2. 1941 nickel found in 2009 AU condition (68 years):

5c_1941_Ob.jpg

 

3. 2004-P Sac dollar (2.66 million made)

 

IMG_0976.jpg

 

4. 1989-S Proof nickel found in roll with '41 mentioned above; had evidently been circulating for some time (pic eventually)

 

IMG_0979.jpg

 

1936 Standing Liberty Half spent in 2009; customer didn't think it was worth finding a buyer for it. Half dollars as a denomination might as well be obsolete by now, and this design is twice-over obsolete.

50c_1936_Ob.jpg

 

 

 

Show us what you've got!

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This is very difficult because our current circulating coinage only stretches as far back as 1971 (and that's only the bronze stuff, most of the current larger denominations were only introduced in the 1990s). Well here's my attempt anyhow;

 

1.Oldest coin found in circulation for me was a 1930s florin (can't remember the exact date) it was many years ago c.1992, so the coin was roughly 60 years old when I spent it.

 

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition; Another tough one but I suppose it would have to be something from the decimal era, mostly late 1980s stuff in grades approaching UNC which isn't an everyday occurance. I have found some 1970s bronze coins with lustre though.

 

3. Rarest coin in circulation; Well there are rarer issues out there that i've not found, but the rarest I've cherrypicked is a rather scarce variety of the 2006 ten pence.

 

4. Most unlikely; Very, very rarely I have recieved some old halfpennies in change or some old shillings from the 1940s, but this hasn't been for some time. I get 2 and 5 euro cents occasionally which aren't common. I have also got Lincoln cents in change before too.

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1. Oldest coin found in circulation = 1911 Lincoln Cent found two weeks ago in change.

 

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition = 1911 Lincoln Cent in VG/F.

 

3. Rarest coin in circulation = 1943D Silver Nickel in VF+

 

4. Most unlikely = Three uncirculated Monroe Presidential dollars found on the floor of a Long Island Railroad train last year.

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1. Oldest coin found in circulation = 2 1909 cents found last year, one was a VDB

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition = 1909 VDB

3. Rarest coin in circulation = 1923 Buffalo nickel, earlier this year, and in VG

4. Most unlikely = a blank from a bronze cent found ca. 2002. I have also found several clips, including one from Canada.

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1. Oldest coin found in circulation: I'm not sure if it counts as a coin, but a few years ago I found a civil war trade (Mid 1860's) token that looked like a really beat up cent. Coin wise, I got a 1898 Indian Head in change, about 4-5 years ago.

 

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition: I just last week found an Au 1939 Jefferson Nickel. My guess is it was broken from a collection.

 

3. Rarest coin in circulation: A few years ago a 1927-S Standing Liberty Quarter. Again, likely broken from someones collection.

 

4. Most unlikely: I've found half a dozen proof coins in circulation but most unlikely was probably the Australian five cent piece (The one with the echidna).

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1. Oldest coin found in circulation = 1909 Lincoln Cent found in 2006 (this was the latest one, I've found others).

 

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition = Probably a 1964 Proof Kennedy found in a roll circa 1996.

 

3. Rarest coin in circulation = probably the 2006 P and D Halves I got at the bank a couple months ago, also found 87 P & D halves in rolls before.

 

4. Most unlikely = 1949 Franklin I got in change at a corner store in NJ back in 1995

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1. 1860 1/2d just before decimilisation (1971)...I was very young and friends and relatives helped me.

2. 1945 2/6 UNC as above

3. 1949 3d as above 400k + minted (from memory)

4. I found a 1 Euro coin in my change pot which obviously was instead of a £1 coin. (worth about the same now !!!)

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1. Oldest coin found in circulation - 1911 cent, I think

 

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition - early Jefferson, don't remember the date

 

3. Rarest coin in circulation - I haven't found anything astoundingly rare. Maybe an S-mint or WWII nickel.

 

4. Most unlikely - probably an S-mint silver dime. S-mints are rare this far east and silver dimes are pretty much extinct in circulation.

 

 

Great idea for a thread!

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1. Oldest coin found in circulation - 1910 Cent

 

2. Oldest coin at time of finding in best condition - Early Jeffersons

 

3. Rarest coin in circulation - other than for a few impaired proofs, I still regularly get 1999-D SBAs in circulation here in the Appleton, WI area (about 11M made). I have gotten a few mid-2000s 'collector sales only' Sacs, too.

 

4. Most unlikely - usually some-odd foreign coins, such as a fairly recent Italian €0,05 (in the cash draw at work, mixed in with the Cents) or, especially, a 10 kopeek coin from the old Soviet Union back during the late 1980s (got it as a Dime).

 

Mike

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