I know that some mercs were in circulation in the early 70's, because I stole them from my sister's collection and bought candy. 35-40 years later, full of guilt, I bought about a dozen or so from a local auction in MS and mailed them to my sister to make up for my stupidity.
<< <i>I was highly alarmed when comic books went from 10 cents up to 12 cents. That's how it was then. >>
The cost of a Twinkie two pack was 12¢ when I was a kid.
Russ, NCNE >>
And those Twinkies were deeeelicious, weren't they Russ?
Anyway, I am a "mature" collector. That means I'm over 70 and under 100. The title of this thread makes me chuckle. In 1956-1960 I used to cash my check and take the money in silver dollars, because my father-in-law was collecting morgans, and we eventually found every coin except the '93's. So, we'd look thru a bunch every time we went to visit him. We never did find that '93-s though. So, he bought one from Bowers & Ruddy for $500.00 (a nice XF) at a bourse in LA in 1971. He sold his entire Morgan collection for $2000 a few years later.
The store clerks always frowned at me when I paid for stuff with morgan/peace dollars, because they didn't have a slot in the cash register for them; so they'd raise the tray and throw them underneath. I sold bags of warnickels for $220 ($20 over face). But, my hands got so sore from sorting them out, I finally gave up on those. I played blackjack in Las Vegas when real silver (not Ike) dollars were used, rather than tokens.
It saddens me to see proof sets (1961-2-3-4) that I got directly from the mint now going to the melting pot. But....that's life, I guess.
I'm the Proud recipient of a genuine "you suck" award dated 1/24/05. I was accepted into the "Circle of Trust" on 3/9/09.
I quit collecting comic books when they went to 12¢.
I was alive before 1965 so anything over a nickel was silver.
I have told this before but if you have ever heard the term "Case Quarter"
When the coinage first changed to clad, drink machines would not take the new lighter weight clad coins so people would ask if you had a "Case Quarter" (a silver quarter) for two dimes and a nickle or this new quarter.
Ron
Collect for the love of the hobby, the beauty of the coins, and enjoy the ride.
I was over 30 when I saw my first clad quarter. Then a friendly bank teller let me have one. That was against bank policy. That was "Give no clads to collectors!"
By 1958 I was searching all denominations including silver dollars obtained at face by date and mint mark. I regret that I did not come aboard on type B quarters and type 2 halves until 1973. I remember type B's sticking out like a sore thumb in my earlier quarter searches. But those were the heavily circulated ones that picked up tarnish in the high relief crevices. I would grab one to see what was going on, but ony discarded it when I saw how worn it was. The high grade ones I didn't spot then.
<< <i>I was over 30 when I saw my first clad quarter. Then a friendly bank teller let me have one. That was against bank policy. That was "Give no clads to collectors!"
By 1958 I was searching all denominations including silver dollars obtained at face by date and mint mark. I regret that I did not come aboard on type B quarters and type 2 halves until 1973. I remember type B's sticking out like a sore thumb in my earlier quarter searches. But those were the heavily circulated ones that picked up tarnish in the high relief crevices. I would grab one to see what was going on, but ony discarded it when I saw how worn it was. The high grade ones I didn't spot then. >>
I regret it more.
I noticed the difference but couldn't identify any kind of pick up point so mostly ignored them. I eventually stuffed a few XF's and AU's away but finding them would be a job.
I found some great stuff over the years but just missed out on the type b's.
I have spent silver 10 DM coins in Germany, they were the commemoratives that Germany used to make. Similarly I have spent silver 100 FF coins in France up until 2000.
In memory of my kitty Seryozha 14.2.1996 ~ 13.9.2016 and Shadow 3.4.2015 - 16.4.21
I imagine there are a lot of us who grew up watching old westerns and dreaming of buried loot of some sort. Who hasn't read "Apache Gold, Yaqui Silver" by J. Frank Dobie? Well, ya' should.
I gained some of my first insight to the "worth" of silver back in the '50s when I received my first silver, Indian-made rings and belt buckles from out west. Then, at some point, I found out it was the same stuff in change. Yeehaa!
<< <i>I remember them. 5 pop bottles would give me a nice silver dime. >>
Same here. I think the OP is trolling....
Not only do I remember silver in circulation, it was not uncommon in the early 1960's to see Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, SLQ, WLH, and Silver dollars.
I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector. Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
That about broke my heart, too, but then we always had the used comic book store--6 cents with a cover and 5 cents without. Was truly a wonderful 25 cent expenditure at the time. (2 or 3 used comics, an RC Cola and a small bag of candy)
Dang, there really are a bunch of fogies around here that can actually remember silver circulating coinage. I can remember when I was a kid in the mid 1970's wondering why I never got any dimes or quarters dated before 1965 and then my dad literally gave me a whole coffee tin full of coins he accumulated while he was in college and voila - there they all were - Mercs, silver Roosies etc. Still have them all these years later. The best coin in there at least for me, was the 1878-S $1 right on top of the pile.
In memory of my kitty Seryozha 14.2.1996 ~ 13.9.2016 and Shadow 3.4.2015 - 16.4.21
I was about 9 or 10 when I first learned that some pennies were worth more than a penny. I thought, "why doesn't everyone just find the ones that are worth more than a penny, and then they'd be rich?" One of my biggest finds was a 1933-D.
That was about the same time that you'd see those advertisements in the backs of comic books offering to pay up to $400 or some such obscene number for an 1804 Dollar or $200 for a Gold Stella (I don't remember the exact numbers), and I would wonder how it felt to own one of those coins and be so rich!
And man, when I started looking through my first Redbook, I couldn't figure out why anyone wouldn't just sell their $2.50 gold pieces and get the cheaper $5.00 gold pieces. It seemed like a great way to get more gold. Unfortunately, I didn't even see my first gold coin for another 12 or 14 years.
Q: Are You Printing Money? Bernanke: Not Literally
Silver coins were the only thing in circulation while I was growing up. I could even go to the bank and get some rolls of pennys (cents), and find a few Indian Heads now and then. Silver dollars, no problem they had them by the roll for $20 each.
successful BST deals with Meltdown, Broadstruck, lordmarcovan, MisterTicToc, JINX86, BXBOY143, MBCOINS and others
About 1945 I requested the two oldest silver dollars in stock from a friendly savings bank teller. I got circulated 1879 S and 1884 O. In later years I went through many silver dollars but never got an 1878 until 15 years later in about 1960. Some young collector got 2 XF 1878 8TF for Christmas. He took them to the supermarket and swapped them for 4 rolls of cents. I got the silver dollars. I found many 1878's after that including a BU bag of 1878S.
I have to confess that I'm too young to remember circulating silver on two counts, one being born in the 1980s and two, living in Britain where silver was discontinued much earlier, the last issues being 1946.
Even so I do remember spending one silver coin in all this time, an old 1930s 50% silver florin in 1992 just one year before they were all demonetised! Sadly our oldest coins in circulation now date from 1971, so nothing much interesting in change any more!
<< <i>When we wanted to know if anyone had any change larger than a nickel we asked if anyone had any silver.
Steve >>
My grandmother (from Europe) would call change silver too. In the late 60s she was in a grocery store and wanted to cash a dollar for change. When she gave the dollar to the woman at the register, she asked for silver. The woman said, "I am sorry, I do not have time to search the change draw for silver." I'll never forget that. Unfortunately, except to fill my coin folder, I never thought to hold on to all the silver that I sorted through.
American Numismatic Association Governor 2023 to 2025 - My posts reflect my own thoughts and are not those of the ANA.My Numismatics with Kenny Twitter Page
I could go to my local bank as a teenager and buy all the Morgan & Peace dollars I wanted for $1.00 each. You could even find an ocasional Barber coin in circulation.
<< <i>Yep... No clad when I was a kid... and would frequently get IHC's in change on my paper route, got a couple of Columbian halves as well, V nickels too. Cheers, RickO >>
I had a local newspaper route, a Grit magazine route and collected for UNICEF... I'm feeling old again. I got to look through all the coins I collected. Very few people paid via check back "then" and NO ONE paid with a credit card or an ATM card! >>
Wow! Grit magazine....haven't heard that in years! Yes, it was before the time anyone told us mercury was poisonous.....you could sure shine up the silver with that stuff. Yikes....maybe I am getting older. George
Comments
my sister's collection and bought candy. 35-40 years later, full of guilt, I bought about a
dozen or so from a local auction in MS and mailed them to my sister to make up for
my stupidity.
<< <i>It boggles the mind when you think about it! Time marches on and all of that. >>
They were circulating until I was in my teen years.
If I could have half of the silver coinage that went through my sticky little fingers as a kid, I could have retired years ago!
<< <i>It boggles the mind when you think about it! Time marches on and all of that. >>
They were circulating until I was in my teen years.
<< <i>
<< <i>I was highly alarmed when comic books went from 10 cents up to 12 cents. That's how it was then. >>
The cost of a Twinkie two pack was 12¢ when I was a kid.
Russ, NCNE >>
And those Twinkies were deeeelicious, weren't they Russ?
Anyway, I am a "mature" collector. That means I'm over 70 and under 100. The title of this thread makes me chuckle. In 1956-1960 I used to cash my check and take the money in silver dollars, because my father-in-law was collecting morgans, and we eventually found every coin except the '93's. So, we'd look thru a bunch every time we went to visit him. We never did find that '93-s though. So, he bought one from Bowers & Ruddy for $500.00 (a nice XF) at a bourse in LA in 1971. He sold his entire Morgan collection for $2000 a few years later.
The store clerks always frowned at me when I paid for stuff with morgan/peace dollars, because they didn't have a slot in the cash register for them; so they'd raise the tray and throw them underneath. I sold bags of warnickels for $220 ($20 over face). But, my hands got so sore from sorting them out, I finally gave up on those. I played blackjack in Las Vegas when real silver (not Ike) dollars were used, rather than tokens.
It saddens me to see proof sets (1961-2-3-4) that I got directly from the mint now going to the melting pot. But....that's life, I guess.
The poster must be joking or a yn.As far back as the 70s silver coins were still in change.
I was alive before 1965 so anything over a nickel was silver.
I have told this before but if you have ever heard the term "Case Quarter"
When the coinage first changed to clad, drink machines would not take the new lighter weight clad coins so people would ask if you had a "Case Quarter" (a silver quarter) for two dimes and a nickle or this new quarter.
Ron
I recycled the paper in college in 1967.
Received 'A' on both.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
By 1958 I was searching all denominations including silver dollars obtained at face by date and mint mark. I regret that I did not come aboard on type B quarters and type 2 halves until 1973. I remember type B's sticking out like a sore thumb in my earlier quarter searches. But those were the heavily circulated ones that picked up tarnish in the high relief crevices. I would grab one to see what was going on, but ony discarded it when I saw how worn it was. The high grade ones I didn't spot then.
<< <i>I was over 30 when I saw my first clad quarter. Then a friendly bank teller let me have one. That was against bank policy. That was "Give no clads to collectors!"
By 1958 I was searching all denominations including silver dollars obtained at face by date and mint mark. I regret that I did not come aboard on type B quarters and type 2 halves until 1973. I remember type B's sticking out like a sore thumb in my earlier quarter searches. But those were the heavily circulated ones that picked up tarnish in the high relief crevices. I would grab one to see what was going on, but ony discarded it when I saw how worn it was. The high grade ones I didn't spot then. >>
I regret it more.
I noticed the difference but couldn't identify any kind of pick up point so
mostly ignored them. I eventually stuffed a few XF's and AU's away but
finding them would be a job.
I found some great stuff over the years but just missed out on the type b's.
<< <i>...yeah boy! just one of the many un-filtered smokes back then, along with chesterfields, pall malls and of
course camels. >>
Don't forget Old Golds.
<< <i>
<< <i>...yeah boy! just one of the many un-filtered smokes back then, along with chesterfields, pall malls and of
course camels. >>
Don't forget Old Golds. >>
There was also:
Phillip Morris Commanders
Lucky Strikes
Herbert Tarrytons
Ron
I gained some of my first insight to the "worth" of silver back in the '50s when I received my first silver, Indian-made rings and belt buckles from out west. Then, at some point, I found out it was the same stuff in change. Yeehaa!
Oh Crap!
This means I'm dead.
I mean, I knew it would happen some day, I just never dreamed it would be while sitting at my lap top posting to the forums.
Oh well!
The name is LEE!
<< <i>I remember them. 5 pop bottles would give me a nice silver dime. >>
Same here. I think the OP is trolling....
Not only do I remember silver in circulation, it was not uncommon in the early 1960's to see Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, SLQ, WLH, and Silver dollars.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
Now, that same silver quarter and silver dime will buy that same pack of King Size Kools for $7.50
weird,eh???
<< <i>I used to buy my Mom a pack of King Size Kools on my way home from school with a silver quarter and a silver dime. 35 cents.
Now, that same silver quarter and silver dime will buy that same pack of King Size Kools for $7.50
weird,eh??? >>
Not if you live in VA ... You'll be able to buy 2 packs ...
So true, so true
That was about the same time that you'd see those advertisements in the backs of comic books offering to pay up to $400 or some such obscene number for an 1804 Dollar or $200 for a Gold Stella (I don't remember the exact numbers), and I would wonder how it felt to own one of those coins and be so rich!
And man, when I started looking through my first Redbook, I couldn't figure out why anyone wouldn't just sell their $2.50 gold pieces and get the cheaper $5.00 gold pieces. It seemed like a great way to get more gold. Unfortunately, I didn't even see my first gold coin for another 12 or 14 years.
I knew it would happen.
In later years I went through many silver dollars but never got an 1878 until 15 years later in about 1960. Some young collector got 2 XF 1878 8TF for Christmas. He took them to the supermarket and swapped them for 4 rolls of cents. I got the silver dollars. I found many 1878's after that including a BU bag of 1878S.
I'm 56 and not only remember circulating silver coins but Buffalo nickels, Mercs, WLHs etc.
I remember when a quarter would get a Coke a bag of chips AND a candy bar.
Depending on selections made, combinations one could buy with a quarter were "several".
Nowadays you can't get anything for a quarter. Right about 1 thing though!
Times certainly have changed.
I have to confess that I'm too young to remember circulating silver on two counts, one being born in the 1980s and two, living in Britain where silver was discontinued much earlier, the last issues being 1946.
Even so I do remember spending one silver coin in all this time, an old 1930s 50% silver florin in 1992 just one year before they were all demonetised!
<< <i>When we wanted to know if anyone had any change larger than a nickel we asked if anyone had any silver.
Steve >>
My grandmother (from Europe) would call change silver too. In the late 60s she was in a grocery store and wanted to cash a dollar for change. When she gave the dollar to the woman at the register, she asked for silver. The woman said, "I am sorry, I do not have time to search the change draw for silver." I'll never forget that. Unfortunately, except to fill my coin folder, I never thought to hold on to all the silver that I sorted through.
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2019 ANA Young Numismatist of the Year
Doing my best to introduce Young Numismatists and Young Adults into the hobby.
<< <i>I know what wing of the nursing home you're in. >>
Did you get your handle just for this thread?
for $1.00 each. You could even find an ocasional Barber coin in circulation.
<< <i>I assumed you started this thread to stir up comments? >>
Either that or... he was bored while they were processing his credit card at Starbucks for his chocolate mocha low cal soy latte.
<< <i>
<< <i>Yep... No clad when I was a kid... and would frequently get IHC's in change on my paper route, got a couple of Columbian halves as well, V nickels too. Cheers, RickO >>
I had a local newspaper route, a Grit magazine route and collected for UNICEF... I'm feeling old again. I got to look through all the coins I collected. Very few people paid via check back "then" and NO ONE paid with a credit card or an ATM card! >>
Wow! Grit magazine....haven't heard that in years! Yes, it was before the time anyone told us mercury was poisonous.....you could sure shine up the silver with that stuff. Yikes....maybe I am getting older.
George
My War Nickels https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/nickels/jefferson-nickels-specialty-sets/jefferson-nickels-fs-basic-war-set-circulation-strikes-1942-1945/publishedset/94452