Circulation find

SanctionII

Yesterday evening I was fishing through the family loose change container for quarters and I spotted a lincoln cent that had a different look than the others. I picked up th ecent and looked at it with my loupe. Surprise, surprise. It is a 1959-P cent that is full fiery red. It is MS63 and possibly a 64. The fields are unblemished and the coin has great luster. The only negative is a couple of small carbon spots on the reverse.

Though the coin is a common date, it is very surprising to find a 45 year old MS coin in circulation. Definitely a good way to end my day. If it could only talk and tell how it managed to stay in such great shape and how it recently ended up in back in circulation.

fivecents

I remember someone on these boards pulled a extremely nice looking Lincoln cent out of a change jar, sent it into PCGS and it came back a MS68RD. It had been in that change jar for many years.

Congrats on the find.

cladking

Though the coin is a common date, it is very surprising to find a 45 year old MS coin in circulation. Definitely a good way to end my day. If it could only talk and tell how it managed to stay in such great shape and how it recently ended up in back in circulation. >>



The greatest likelyhood is that it was saved in a roll in 1959 or '60 by someone who thought
that the first year issue memorial cent would someday be valuable. This coin was passed down
with a small coin collection when the man died a few years back and the baby boomer heir re-
cently took everything to a coin shop and sold it for what they could get. The dealer put this
roll and most other moderns in his register and you just happened to make some small purchase
which required cents in change. There is often interesting pocket change at coin shows and coin
shops and many people in the hobby will acquire and disseminate it.

The coinage of the late '50's and early '60's was very heavily saved at the time. Many millions
of coins were set aside in rolls and bags and these have been trickling back into circulation for
many years. While it's unlikely any of these common uncs can ever become scarce, there is a
probability that some of them are much less common than original hoarding or common wisdom
would indicate.

One cent coins have an extremely low velocity and it's not impossible that a coin could just hap-
pen to go into a hoarde in 1960 and is only now reenterring circulation. The odds of this even
for a cent are very low. Very few clad coins last in this sort of horde for more than three years
and even cents rarely last more than around twenty years. The odds of this coin going from
hoard to hoard and escaping signs of its travels are very poor.

There are also numerous hobbyists who enjoy searching these old coins for gems and varieties.
Since the rolls are usually acquired very cheaply there is a tendency to simply spend the rejects

wam98

I was looking through some lincoln cents the other day also. Almost tossed it into the pile of rerolls. It was also a fiery red 1964-P. Well, I jerked out the ole 1964 Mint Set. Dang,,, the one I found was better than the one in the set. No nicks or finger prints and glowing red. Of course, it is in safe hands or should I say flip now.

Eastside

My wife works at one of them gas station mini marts, about two monthes back one morning this guy came in and bought $5.00 in gas and paid with a roll of dimes (OBW) she bought them because of the pretty toning on the ends, they were all 1964 D'S "keOOOOl"
A couple days pass and "deja vu" same guy and another $5.00 OBW roll gas purchase, this time they are 1963 D's, Super Keoooool, the other day she brings home a MS64 1953 S dime, and as spoiled as I am now, I said where's the rest of them. About 2 years ago I was in line at a conviniance store and the clerk is looking at a dime he pulled out of the til for change for the gal ahead of me, she says whats that and he muttered foreign canada I think as he handed it to her and she did'nt want it as I asked let me see, and I gave her a dime for it, so I came home with a 1906 S Barber Dime, that is by far the oldest coin I have from circulation. Keoooool


Eastside

wam98

Hey Lucky, I mean Eastside. I was at a checkout of a grocery store once. I noticed a guy and the cashier of my lane finaggling over something. It was a sandwich bag with some coins in it. The guy said, I don't know what their worth, what will you give me, he says to the cashier. I just need some money for gas to get home. Cashier offers $25. He takes it and walks out the door. By then, they have my full attention. The cashier that bought them says to another cashier, look all silver. And tosses them in front of my face over to the other checkout lane, landing on the counter, ching..ching. I don't know what all was in that bag but, I glanced down at it and there were two shinny Franklins on top.

Coppernicus

I know at least one way these "mid-date" Lincolns end up in circulation in MS condition: ME! I routinely drop a couple of 58-D's (fresh from OBW rolls I have searched) in the gas station trays. I'm hoping to spur someones interest in collecting.

I got back into collecting when I found a wheat cent at the gas station.

Mike

sliderider

I got a mint state 1960-D dime back as change from a toll booth attendant last year.

About 10 years ago, I got an XF Indian Head penny in my change from 7/11.

My mother once found a Seated Quarter in a roll of circulated clad Washingtons.