One collector's trash...

[Finn235]

I'm sure that we've all given into curiosity and looked through the coin shop's junk bin once or twice. Sometimes, we get lucky.

 

Post all of your best finds from the junk bin (or coins purchased for less than $1)

 

Here are a few that I picked up back in 2001 for 25 cents each.

 

10 Centavos, Philippines, 1945-D

 

 

5 Pfennig, Germany, 1918

[gxseries]

This one: damaged, worn, scratched etc but it cost me only a dollar a few years ago. Tough to find in any condition but it's impossible to find in any decent condition for less than a thousand dollars.

 

1798 1/4 ruble

 

[Saor Alba]

Not imaged, but I once bought a 1788 Connecticut cent out of a junk box that the dealer admitted he had planted in the box 25 years before I recognised it and bought it. Nobody else in all that time had recognised what it was. It is beaten up, but a very inexpensive colonial.

 

My best buy price wise is a VF example of a 1684 Irish Halfpenny that has Charles II on it. In February 1685 Charles II died, and in fact his younger brother did become King. This greatly disturbed the Protestant establishment in England as James II was a practicing Roman Catholic and they were concerned that he would overturn the prominence of the Anglican church in English politics. These 1684 halfpennies were the last coins minted for Ireland during the reign of Charles II. Only a small portion of the coinage had been struck whence Charles II had died, resulting in a scarce date for 1684 dated coins. I bought mine for $3 or so, but now it books at $200.

[Art]

I love junk boxes but have no dealers in my area who have them.

[ikaros]

I love dumpster diving! That's where find most of the coins for my birth year set, and the chest up at Allen's always has some pre-decimal British copper and copper-nickel in it. It's usually good for a few Soviet-era issues (rarely anything over 15 kopeks) too.

 

This 1961 British penny isn't rare, but it's in gorgeous condition, with clear traces of mint lustre still evident:

 

Likewise a nice condition 15 kopek piece of 1941:

 

And a fairly high-grade Jamaican halfpenny:

[cartwheel]

I found some cracking WW2 zinc occupation coins for just 10p each.

[ScottO]

ahh the junk boxes, my first priority on arrival is to raid there

and with this bargain bin find i beat you all hands down

1958 50 francs, 500k mintage - worth about £100 - found in the 10p bargain bin

1728 sixpence for 25p - i have no idea how it ended up there ether

1902 J 10 pfennig, EF grade 815k mintage, around $20 in krause - 10p again

all these 10p each also

[andyg]

Both of these came from the same junk box for 30p, a few years apart though.

 

 

Vietnam 50 Dong 1975 - most melted as scrap

Ecuador 2 Sucres 1973 - not issued, 7 Known (there are more than this!)

[ScottO]

I knew i had forgotton one

what a south african halfpenny of george V is doing in a 10p bargain bin i dont know.... let alone a 1928! 107k mintage

[bobh]

Best bargain I had so far ... this coin was in the seller's "dust bin" with the flip stapled to a 3x5 inch filing card at a coin show in Basel, Switzerland (2005):

 

 

That's right, he marked it as "selten" (scarce) but wanted only CHF 20 for it (at the time, about $17)! Who was I to argue with him???

More pictures here:

http://hairgrove-goldberg.com/Gallery/ihc_br_1872

[Ætheling]

It's been a while since I last got near a bargin bin, I just don't go to coin shops or fairs anymore, too busy working!

 

Last time I did was at the York coin fair in Jan 2005, some American dealers had a junk box and I cherry picked out a shed load of Third Reich material.

 

Would quite like to go through a few junk boxes on a silver hunt. I love finding scrap silver mixed in with other junk.