What year would you go back to to purchase whichever coin?

bennybravo

Our country isn't that old relatively speaking. Which year, and what coin would you horde if you could time travel?

JBK

But...how would you pay for said coins? You'd have to bring coins from that era with you.

PerryHall

@JBK said:
But...how would you pay for said coins? You'd have to bring coins from that era with you.

Go back to 1916 with a circulated common date double eagle and buy 200 newly minted dimes from the Denver Mint. Each 1916-D dime would be worth more than the double eagle.

hbarbee

JBK is correct. That is the problem in traveling back in time to procure something. In most cases it would cost more in today's dollars to get transactable funds than the items would appreciate up to today. For example, it would cost 2K now to get an ounce of gold that would spend for $20 back 100 years ago. Of course if you had a way to find them, there are quite a few high grade St Gaudens that have appreciated to way more than the 2K per piece that they would cost you.

JBK

I wanted some 1792 disme coins. I guess I could stock up on Spanish 8 reales.

RiveraFamilyCollect

I would go to Puerto Rico in 1898 and buy all the Spanish Mint Alfonso centavos coins made for Puerto Rico for pennies on the Centavos. Their short life as currency makes them hard to find and expensive.

TurtleCat

I thought about this a bunch. I would go back to the 1930s. I would use various 1934 federal reserve notes which are readily available for a small premium over face. I would buy as many gold coins as I could that were available for sale. If gold wasn’t in the cards, I’d get rolls of everything from the bank. Wouldn’t even matter, just lots of rolls.

retirednow

1877 ... get a job at the mint and then pick up all those '77 Half Dollar Patterns and any other laying around in the basement.

Manifest_Destiny

I would take a pocket full of 1873 double eagles and land in Carson City in early 1873 and scrounge as many 1870-1873-cc rarities as I could get. Maybe even knock on the mint door and see if they have any 1873-cc NA dimes or quarters available.

hfjacinto

I like the idea of the 1930's. You can buy these for not a lot and change them to gold, you can get 1914 D and 1909 S. Heck I would pick 1921 Half Dollars in Mint state.

JBK

@TurtleCat said:
I thought about this a bunch. I would go back to the 1930s. I would use various 1934 federal reserve notes which are readily available for a small premium over face. I would buy as many gold coins as I could that were available for sale. If gold wasn’t in the cards, I’d get rolls of everything from the bank. Wouldn’t even matter, just lots of rolls.

Just be careful with which letter goes with the "Series 1934", as that series date was used intil 1950.

Also, good was easier to get prior to 1933.

BustDMs

Well, I would see what bank was still in business and take my balance with me.......

Or, load up on higher denomination broken bank notes or Confederate currency- before the 1864 issue.....

Well, you can always rob a bank and use the proceeds to purchase your "new" coins and then high tail it "back to the future" so you do not get caught.

Stocking up on series 1914 notes might also be a possibility.

privatecoin

Too many to list....

TurtleCat

@JBK said:

@TurtleCat said:
I thought about this a bunch. I would go back to the 1930s. I would use various 1934 federal reserve notes which are readily available for a small premium over face. I would buy as many gold coins as I could that were available for sale. If gold wasn’t in the cards, I’d get rolls of everything from the bank. Wouldn’t even matter, just lots of rolls.

Just be careful with which letter goes with the "Series 1934", as that series date was used intil 1950.

Also, good was easier to get prior to 1933.

It was but people would still be unloading gold and collectible gold was still a thing. But I think it’s the most cost effective approach.

HillbillyCollector

Assuming I could take 2-3 of my older Double Eagles and land in New Orleans in either 1854 or 1856, just in time to trade them for freshly coined DEs of the day!👍

ctf_error_coins

Year 2000

Drive across country and hit every single supermarket to buy Cheerios boxes with a coin in it.

D808LF

I'd try something different. I'd go back to 1919 and try to find GemBU double die Mercury dimes, 95 years before they were discovered.

alaura22

If you were able to do this all or most of the coins mentioned wouldn't be rare now would they!

yosclimber

Might be more useful to go back to June 5, 1968 and tackle Sirhan Sirhan before he got his gun out....
Sure, it would be nice to have a handful of MS 1793 Chain cents, but if I only could make one of these fantasy trips, seems like it could be better used.

Custerlost

I already did it. However, my passage on the SS Republic did not go so well.

Walkerfan

1921

robec

I don’t want to be too greedy, I’d be happy to go back to 1960 when I started and pay Red Book prices on all kinds of good stuff.

PeakRarities

I would travel back to 1851, bringing with me several 1850 double eagles. I would either need to convince Augustus Humbert to sell me his personal coin below, or possibly bribe him make one more of them for me. There were only 2 proof slugs made, and the other one was sent back to the mint.

braddick

I'd go back to October 19, 2023,

I forgot to bid on a cool coin off of eBay and thus missed out.

jayPem

1794
Take as much 90% silver as the time machine can hold, straight to the mint and get it all struck into dollars!

PeakRarities

@jayPem said:
1794
Take as much 90% silver as the time machine can hold, straight to the mint and get it all struck into dollars!

What kind of 90% silver would you bring? I don't think it bode well if you showed up with rolls of Franklin halves...

jacrispies

@JBK said:
But...how would you pay for said coins? You'd have to bring coins from that era with you.

Not necessarily. I would bring bullion to the First Mint to get some fresh pre-1817 Capped Bust half dollars.

jayPem

@DeplorableDan said:

@jayPem said:
1794
Take as much 90% silver as the time machine can hold, straight to the mint and get it all struck into dollars!

What kind of 90% silver would you bring? I don't think it bode well if you showed up with rolls of Franklin halves...

Perhaps a quick stop at Benjamin's estate. He'd probably love a roll of Franklin's and a ride in the time machine..

JBK

@jacrispies said:

@JBK said:
But...how would you pay for said coins? You'd have to bring coins from that era with you.

Not necessarily. I would bring bullion to the First Mint to get some fresh pre-1817 Capped Bust half dollars.

What kind of bullion? Silver Eagles, Engelhard ingots, etc.?

It would have to be in a form they would recognize and accept.

GoldFinger1969

Either 1907 or 1923.....you can buy the MCMVII High Relief Saint-Gaudens by paying a rich premium price of $35 (1907) or wait until the early-1920's (after WW I) when the price fell into the low-$20's. Could also get some 1921's and 1922's, maybe a 1923-D

Tom147

I'd tag along with Walkerfan. Walking Libertys & Mercurys.

jacrispies

@JBK said:

@jacrispies said:

@JBK said:
But...how would you pay for said coins? You'd have to bring coins from that era with you.

Not necessarily. I would bring bullion to the First Mint to get some fresh pre-1817 Capped Bust half dollars.

What kind of bullion? Silver Eagles, Engelhard ingots, etc.?

It would have to be in a form they would recognize and accept.

Hmmmmm..... good question! I would probably melt down and refine Sterling into a pile of large bricks. Melting down 999 might raise suspicion and melting down 90% would destroy perfectly good coins! They had plenty of sterling then so that would likely be the most realistic option.

TurtleCat

You know, I suppose I could gather some gold dust and small nuggets and head to Charlotte or Dahlonega and get some fresh coins. Even if they aren’t that well made they would be uncirculated…

RLSnapper

I would go to Philadelphia in 1827 and stop by the mint to get 2 proof quarters. I already have the pocket change for it....a well worn 1811 half dollar and a few cull draped bust large cents should do it.

Dropdaflag

I would cheat and pull a Forrest Gump. Buy Apple shares and then get any coin I want in present day.

Over the course of the sprawling film, the relationship between Forrest and his former superior Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise) evolves significantly. Lieutenant Dan doesn't seem to like Forrest when they first meet, but soon enough, the two realize that they're all the other has, and that the universe keeps bringing them back together. Later in their lives, Lieutenant Dan gives Forrest some sage financial advice - to invest in Apple stock. However, Forrest doesn't understand that Apple is a tech company, not a fruit. "So then I got a call from him, saying we don't have to worry about money no more. And I said, 'That's good!' One less thing." It's a funny Forrest Gump quote that demonstrates Forrest's carefree nature.

SanctionII

1927. I would take some 1927 P double eagles to the Denver mint and exchange them for some 1927 D double eagles.

JBK

Maybe I'd go back to 1933 outside the US mint and be there when the brief window supposedly opened for the purchase of double eagles. And I'd get a receipt.

Smudge

Take some bic lighters. Sell them for coins.

The_Dinosaur_Man

I wonder how many paradoxes or broken timelines would be created just by doing this. Imagine going back in time to pick up a coin that was destined for Eliasberg or Farouk, or beating Q. David Bowers to his 1894-S dime. How would that impact today's world?

Coinscratch

I would travel forward a 100 years taking with me all of my Zinc Cents. They would sell for a fortune since they would be the only ones still intact. Plus my new money would be worth much more back here in real time. Well, our real time

Tibor

1793= Chain Cents
1799= 1799 dated cents
1796= A couple half dollars each year

GoldFinger1969

@JBK said:
Maybe I'd go back to 1933 outside the US mint and be there when the brief window supposedly opened for the purchase of double eagles. And I'd get a receipt.

There was never an official "release" of the coins but if you brought older gold coins to the Philly Mint you may have been able to exchange them if you found a sympathetic teller.

BadaBling

I’d go back to 1893…. and hang out until late 1907.

dcarr

Assuming that I would be able to return to the present time and present location after traveling to the past, I would like to go visit Clark Gruber and get some brand new 1860 "Mountain" $20 Double Eagles, and a couple perfect sets of their other coins and scrip currency. I'd pick up some 1860-1861 J.J Conway and J. Parsons pieces also.

johnny9434

I'd like to go back to 1918 and get many 1918/7 quarters

MICHAELDIXON

I would go back to the late 1960s and purchase the beautiful coppers that dealers had in their showcases at "inexpensive" prices as compared to today.

skamieniecki

Based on Redbook values I think a trip to the late 50's, early 60s with easily acquired funds of the time would allow me to purchase many great coins at reasonable prices. Could just go back in Levis a short sleeve white shirt and some converse shoes so as to not raise suspicions! Saints at $40-$43...sweet. I do agree with a previous entry that when I do get those coins, the modern sets that those coins are in would disappear. Time travel has its bug-a-boos!

pointfivezero

First choice - 1915

I would buy all the unsold Panama-Pacific five coin sets.

Second choice - 1857

I'd buy a ticket on the SS Central America and bring the sturdiest inflatable lifeboat from 2023 with me.

Third choice - 1984

I'd say no when the preacher ask me "that" question. If I had said no, I would have the money to buy any coin I wanted today.

Tim

Vetter

1916 for some Denver dimes, SLQ, doubled die buffalos and a few walkers just for fun. $5 dollars would be all I need to spend and the profits would be outrageous.

BLUEJAYWAY

1964 to appropriate a roll of the 64 Peace dollars.

dcarr

Another idea occurs ...

I would go back to 04 April 1933 and visit the US Mint/Treasury cashier to buy a dozen brand new 1933 Double Eagles ...
and make sure I got a receipt !

.