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Pocket Pieces
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Raybob15239
Posts: 1,359 ✭✭✭
I have been carrying three pocket pieces for a couple of years. They all started out mint state but are getting pretty beaten up. My pocket pieces are a 1971 P Ike, a Teddy Roosevelt medal and Denver Mint medal from a souvenir set. My goal is to see how much wear I can inflict from just being in my pocket as I walk. [Edited to add -- The pocket pieces are usually banging around with my car keys and any other change I may have. Lots of contact marks. I also will take the three pieces in my hand and kind of shuffle them together, like a numismatic take on a fidgit spinner...] 
Show me your pocket piece(s)!
Successful B/S/T transactions: As Seller: PascoWA (June 2008); MsMorrisine (April 2009); ECHOES (July 2009) As Buyer: bfjohnson (July 2008); robkool (Dec 2010); itsnotjustme (Dec 2010) TwoSides2aCoin (Dec 2018) PrivateCoin Jan 2019
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This is a retired pocket piece my grandfather gave me in the mid-90s. I carried it until his passing, then out of fear of losing it....I stopped carrying it. My most prized coin/bullion that I own.
MY GOLD TYPE SET https://pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/gold-type-set-12-piece-circulation-strikes-1839-1933/publishedset/321940
I like the round! (Always have been a fan of Morgans.) Too much sentimental value to risk, so I don't blame you for not carrying it anymore. I had a 1900-O Morgan pocket piece years ago. I once dropped it pulling something out of my pocket and it went down an elevator shaft... only about 3 floors, but it still picked up a big rim ding. I was actually able to get it back after that. Carried it for a year longer and forgot to take it out of my pocket when the suit went the the cleaners and I never saw it again. If I lost any of my current pocket pieces I might be a little disappointed about the Ike and starting over again, but I would not be too upset about any of them.
My goodness. Are you carrying a jackhammer in your pocket also?
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I carried this piece for about 6 years... granted, it was pretty worn when I got it. One day it was just gone. I lost it somehow and I never did find it.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
The Ike has been beaten up pretty good... it does not look that bad in hand. Could be the lighting or the cell phone camera.
Funny............ a lot of coins INITIALLY sent out by the Philly Mint look about as bad as some of those pocket-pieces!! (Maybe I'm just biased because the Denver Mint seems to put out a cleaner product than my local Mint.....)
This story starts in 1942, the year my Uncle was drafted for the Army. Before leaving for Basic Training, he, like it was customary to do back then, went to the Bank and obtained an Uncirculated silver dollar for a good luck pocket piece. In this case it was a 1883 Morgan. He carried it with him all through training and to Africa and to Italy. Afterwards, he carried it for years, gradually wearing the surfaces down.
He gave it to me when I joined the Army in 1965. I carried it all though training, to Jump School and it made all my jumps. It went with me to the Dominican Republic in 1965, to Japan, to Viet Nam in 1967 - 1968 and to Australia on R&R. I carried it until about 5 years ago when I lost it but when doing my laundry I saw something in the washing machine and there it was.
Glad you still have it. Great story behind it.
I put this out there a couple of weeks ago...
My pocket piece, 19 years later...
Phenomenal story. Glad you found it.
I lost my 2006 ASE on a road trip in '16.
10 years.
I'll get over it.
I discuss it with my Dr.
Since then I pack this around.
My Father-in-law bought one of those 'Story of Silver' promotions back in the 70s. Framed; little bag of silver shot, war nickels, all 90%-ers and this.
I was given it when he died and gave little lots of coins to my grandkids and just kept this.
2 years in.
One or the other, depending on how tight I want to pull the belt...
very cool stories. i used to carry a few coins around with me, but almost lost a couple and then finally washed one in the washing machine...ruining any numismatic value it had. since then, i have sworn off pocket pieces. some people are good carrying them...but for me, it's not good.
Back in the early 2000s I tried carrying one of those parody Arkansas quarters around in my pocket to show people for a laugh, but one night at the pub I accidentally spent it. The funny thing is, I was in Germany at the time and it apparently passed as a two mark coin.