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What constitutes a "cull" coin?

logger7logger7 Posts: 8,582 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited January 30, 2020 4:01PM in U.S. Coin Forum

I was taken aback by a grader's characterization of a certain impaired coin as a "cull" and therefore not worth much. What would lead you to call a coin a "cull"? Does it even apply to better date coins?

Comments

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,546 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Melt value only.

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,260 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Smudge said:
    Melt value only.

    What if a cull (holed and seriously damaged) Brasher Doubloon were discovered? Would it only be worth melt?

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,546 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 30, 2020 4:18PM

    @PerryHall said:

    @Smudge said:
    Melt value only.

    What if a cull (holed and seriously damaged) Brasher Doubloon were discovered? Would it only be worth melt?

    Wouldn’t call that a cull. Edit rare coin damaged. I see cull as like junk silver.

  • BillDugan1959BillDugan1959 Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Calling Justice Potter Stewart!!! Calling Justice Potter Stewart!!!

    Yes, a better date can be a cull if it is a cull. You often see really low-end Morgans, better dates and mintmarks, that practically nobody wants.

    The cull Brasher Doubloon would get sold, of course. The buyer might be somebody who already owned a decent one, who would destroy the cull to help insure the value of his or her piece.

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,260 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Smudge said:

    @PerryHall said:

    @Smudge said:
    Melt value only.

    What if a cull (holed and seriously damaged) Brasher Doubloon were discovered? Would it only be worth melt?

    Wouldn’t call that a cull.

    We need to first define what a cull is. I always thought a cull was any coin that was seriously damaged to the point that it would be worth less than a Poor-1 coin.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,021 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I used to use the word cull to mean a reject. But that's just me. Peace Roy

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • CoinJunkieCoinJunkie Posts: 8,772 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Well, one of the definitions of the term cull is:

    reduce the population of (a wild animal) by selective slaughter

    which would lead me to the conclusion that a cull coin is one that's been designated for melting (or possibly, sale as junk metal).

  • ilmcoinsilmcoins Posts: 525 ✭✭✭✭

    A coin just worth its precious metal content and with zero numismatic value. Such as a cull Morgan. I have never heard of a non-precious metal coin referred to as a cull... such as a cull Indian Head Cent.

  • Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ilmcoins said:
    A coin just worth its precious metal content and with zero numismatic value. Such as a cull Morgan. I have never heard of a non-precious metal coin referred to as a cull... such as a cull Indian Head Cent.

    Where have you been? Any type of coin can be a "cull?"

  • KliaoKliao Posts: 5,582 ✭✭✭✭✭

    To me a cull coin is anything that is severely damaged like a hole, or a low ball coin that grades 3 or lower.

    Collector
    75 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 45 members and counting!
    instagram.com/klnumismatics

  • BillDugan1959BillDugan1959 Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have a back room with a pretty fair amount of low end coin stuff piled up in it. Of the Indian Head Cents back there, there are at least two rolls of "culls". Some of those are in the early 1870s. The room has a bunch of low denomination base metal culls. Culls culls culls. One of the banes of Numismatics.

  • CommencentsCommencents Posts: 349 ✭✭✭

    I see bags of Morgans from APMEX, lol

  • scotty1419scotty1419 Posts: 928 ✭✭✭

    Searching for Morgans, I'm amazed at how many slightly better dates/mints examples that are out there in HORRIBLE condition - damage/bad cleanings etc. Apparently, they're worth more than melt, but a strong drive up in silver might do wonders for clearing out some of this horrible inventory that people are stuck with and has no business in any collection...

    Cull=a coin you should just put out of its misery...

  • ShadyDaveShadyDave Posts: 2,203 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @scotty1419 said:
    Apparently, they're worth more than melt, but a strong drive up in silver might do wonders for clearing out some of this horrible inventory that people are stuck with and has no business in any collection...

    Cull=a coin you should just put out of its misery...

    I agree!

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If it were not for culls, some collectors would not have a collection. ;) Cheers, RickO

  • mustangmanbobmustangmanbob Posts: 1,890 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Ironically, 127 Lincoln Cents, Wheaties, earned that title, and were rewarded with a Viking Funeral yesterday. I took some scrap copper to the recycler, and 127 bent, damaged, gob smacked Lincolns went along, on the way to being reincarnated. To ensure they do not escape, they are dumped in a copper radiator, and the top smashed down.

    1952-D was the most common date.

    There were also some foreigns that joined them in the copper group, and a lot more in the brass group.

  • KliaoKliao Posts: 5,582 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @mustangmanbob said:
    Ironically, 127 Lincoln Cents, Wheaties, earned that title, and were rewarded with a Viking Funeral yesterday. I took some scrap copper to the recycler, and 127 bent, damaged, gob smacked Lincolns went along, on the way to being reincarnated. To ensure they do not escape, they are dumped in a copper radiator, and the top smashed down.

    1952-D was the most common date.

    There were also some foreigns that joined them in the copper group, and a lot more in the brass group.

    I thought it was illegal to melt down copper pennies for their copper content

    Collector
    75 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 45 members and counting!
    instagram.com/klnumismatics

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