Does anyone still do sets from circulation (including young collectors)?

kranky

While going through thousands of Lincolns pulled from circulation in the late 1980's, I was setting aside some of the nicer ones I came across. And then I wondered: does anyone even collect from circulation any more?

IvanOnly

I do

I completed the 2nd and 3rd Whitman books for lincoln cents.

I pulled as much as possible from Circ, then the rest I picked out of rolls

halfnut

I did up to a few years ago now I'm just working on my two Reistry set's. I still pull Stathood Quarters from circulation for my my wife who is doing three sets for the grandkids.

coinguy89

I used to fill up roosevelt dime and Jefferson nickel albums, but realized that I could take the money I was using to fill those and go buy some nicer stuff anyway. However I am working on 1cent, 2cent, and 10cent Canadian coins from circulation.

cladking

Whitman and Harris are selling millions of the trifold folders for circulating coinage. While sales
may not be as high as in the early '60's it has to be believed that many of these are getting filled.
They are available at many of the larger book sellers right on the shelf. Most dealers inventories
also include these folders for quarters, nickels, dimes, and cents. Indeed, it looks as though these
supplies are actually moving of the shelves.

More telling perhaps is the decrease in the numbers of better date and higher grade quarters which
can be found in change. Dates like the '68-D are getting decidedly difficult to locate and when they
are found there is a growing chance that they'll be damaged. Collectors seek the better examples
of all coins they collect so where only about 25% of common dates are damaged, about 50% of the
better dates will be damaged as the nice examples are removed.

There are many varieties which were not discovered until long after the coin was in circulation. With
some of the moderns this will prove disasterous to future collectors (and current) because these coins
were simply not saved in rolls and bags and usually don't exist in mint sets. Such coins are now only
found in worn condition and in circulation. Some of these are also scarce.

jakeblues2

I started my collection at 8 with Lincoln Pennies from circulation. I was amazed at what a variety of dates you could find if you just bothered to look at what was in your pocket.

Now I'm 24 and I don't have the time for searching through tons of pennies, but I still collect state quarters from circulation. There is something fun and thrilling about finding that missing state or mint or finding a better condition than one you had previously in your album. And all it costs if is the cost of that one coin you'll never spend. State Quarters are neat, but IMHO, are overhyped in high mint state and especially proof conditions. My guess is that these prices will be much lower after the series has run its course and reasonable collectors realize that everybody and their grandma (especially grandmas) has such high pops of the proof and silver proof sets that they really won't be worth as much. Plus, I don't find the state quarters visually interesting enough to "need" stunning proof examples. Texas and Florida were such disappointments......

But it is fun to get each new quarter as it comes out, and search for Denver mints (fewer of them here in NY). I have a Dansco album I keep them in, and everytime my wife comes in with $50 of quarters from the bank for laundry, I hijack them for a few minutes and search them. This is real coin collecting---not dropping thousands of dollars for a piece of plastic with an encapsulated something that a normal person would pay 1/10 the price for.....

So yes... coins from circulation are great.

In another vein, I am thinking of starting a collection of circulated Morgans. I saw somebody here once post some photos, and I was impressed. I find wear on classic coins to be so cool--who knows who touched the coin? MS coins from the 19th century sat in a bank vault... no history there....

A good circulated sets looks, IMHO, much nicer than a technically nicer set with no life...

Coinerww

I am keeping the best two of every date and mintmark that I find in circulation.

prooflike

State quarters here....

Betta285

I'm working on a complete penny and nickel set from circulation

jim

metaldtct

Yes. Additionally some folks keep dug coins. My daughters friend family is not in the best economic condition. She (the friend) shares my interest in obsolete American coins. I give her some of my common date dug coins. Occasionally I give her a common date that wasn't dug. I can't even afford to have high grade coins, let alone give them away. I collect coins that appeal to me. Not one is a big $$$$$ coin. Not one is rare or scarce, but they are awesome to me.
This summer I gave her Barber dime (slightly bent) and a merc. (winged liberty for you purist). Today I dug a buffalo nickel (not clean enough to see the date yet) and a 1942 S merc. that looks like new to me. There is a real good chance that she'll end up with those too. Why? Cuz when that little kid gets a coin she smiles real big, says Thank you, and you can see she means it. Collect what you like, that way regardless if they go up or down in value you're happy with what you have.

HH Metaldtct

coinbuf

I'm on my forth set of nickels pulled from circulation. Thay will never be worth much but its fun.

Chris

sliderider

I still pull wheat cents from circulation. Most of them go into my junk box, but a few end up filling holes in Whitman folders. Don't see very much silver anymore, but once in a whiole one still comes my way. I had a period of about 3 weeks where I pulled 3 silver Roosies, 4 Mercs, a Buff and probably 2 dozen wheats from circulation, then they just stopped. I also got a roll of nice red BU 1958-D cents from a bank recently.

InYHWHWeTrust

Yes! Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters....and half dollars from rolls at the bank, once or twice a year. Lots of fun with our four children! I don't find silver much at all. My challenge is find the highest grade of AU in circulation, always something to do.

BTW, after 1 year of looking, I still haven't found a 69-D, 71 or 71 D Washington quarter from circulation, any grade!!

Anyone else with tough dates?

don

Shamika

I do with my son. I want him to appreciate "the hunt".

cladking

ttt

AJ2525

I'm looking through a few rolls a week. I couldn't complete the Jeff nickels so I'm buying the last few to complete the set. But I'm still getting them by the roll and looking through them. I have more than a roll of 57D, 58D and 70S pulled out. I'm surprised at getting 9 1939 Jefferson's in the last year from rolls. I think they are about the oldest coin you'll expect to find in circulation.

I'm also looking through cents for the guy at coppercoins.com. He asked if I would go through $50 this year, I'm $7 short right now and pickings are very slim in cents here in Colorado Springs.

USMC_6115

My Dad had a bunch of old Whitmans around (cents, nickels, dimes, quarters) in various states of completion that I'm currently doing with pocket change. It takes a while, but it's doable and fun..

Hedger

Doesn't seem worth it anymore.