The rat rod is somewhat of a valid metaphor. Just like under the hood there’s a killer drivetrain, under the surface lies a precious metal (in this case).
"Today the crumbs, tomorrow the
loaf. Perhaps someday the whole damn boulangerie." - fictional Jack Rackham
@BillJones said:
I have never understood the attraction to a worn out pocket pieces. Dealers are looking for profits, and I understand this, but I don’t want this stuff as a collector. I am entitled to my opinion. This is a lump of silver with no history and no numismatic importance.
I have never understood the attraction of owning a 1913 V nickel either
@Connecticoin said:
Wow, I would like to know how it got worn down like that - all I can think of is it was a pocket piece for 60 years from a member of the New Rochelle Country Club.
Can you say "rock polisher". There is NO WAY a coin of that age could wear like that...….without help.
@BillJones said:
I have never understood the attraction to a worn out pocket pieces. Dealers are looking for profits, and I understand this, but I don’t want this stuff as a collector. I am entitled to my opinion. This is a lump of silver with no history and no numismatic importance.
I have never understood the attraction of owning a 1913 V nickel either
If you have read my posts on the past, neither do I. I have posted several times that if I had one, I would sell it to purchase “a real coin” ... or a number of “real coins.” I could supply a list, even though I have left the U.S. coin market for the most part.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
Barely identifiable coins don't interest me, but I do enjoy mid-circulated coins VG-VF original and without issues, as much as early AU and MS coins, they have more character to me as they have served their purpose in commerce. The Registry is all about the extreme high or low end, the middle doesn't get much interest. Well, that leaves more for me.
Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty - biography of US Mint's first chief engraver
@Connecticoin said:
Wow, I would like to know how it got worn down like that - all I can think of is it was a pocket piece for 60 years from a member of the New Rochelle Country Club.
Can you say "rock polisher". There is NO WAY a coin of that age could wear like that...….without help.
Bologna. And grading companies have designated plenty of artificially worn coins as such. I’ll take their opinion over yours.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
@DNADave said:
I picked this thread to read during a no. 2. So it wasn’t a total waste of time.
I’m gonna wipe and go look up the sold price.
I would look stay seated and look at the price first as you may need to go again quickly
m
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@Connecticoin said:
Wow, I would like to know how it got worn down like that - all I can think of is it was a pocket piece for 60 years from a member of the New Rochelle Country Club.
Can you say "rock polisher". There is NO WAY a coin of that age could wear like that...….without help.
Bologna. And grading companies have designated plenty of artificially worn coins as such. I’ll take their opinion over yours.
OK Mark....if you really believe a coin from that time period can wear to that degree with no help.........all I can say is ........I have some Ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell ya.
@DIMEMAN said "OK Mark....if you really believe a coin from that time period can wear to that degree with no help.........all I can say is ........I have some Ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell ya."
DIMEMAN, I'm confused ... are you saying that a coin that was a pocket piece for 30 - 40 years (let alone 70 or 80) could not wear down like this? I think we've all encountered silver coins from the 1920s that are in poor condition, and they circulated for only 40 years.
Also, you might want to try a rock polisher on a half dollar at some point; I don't think it will look much like the New Rochelle!
@Higashiyama said: @DIMEMAN said "OK Mark....if you really believe a coin from that time period can wear to that degree with no help.........all I can say is ........I have some Ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell ya."
DIMEMAN, I'm confused ... are you saying that a coin that was a pocket piece for 30 - 40 years (let alone 70 or 80) could not wear down like this? I think we've all encountered silver coins from the 1920s that are in poor condition, and they circulated for only 40 years.
Also, you might want to try a rock polisher on a half dollar at some point; I don't think it will look much like the New Rochelle!
If this coin was put in a pocket in 1938 and carried every day until now it would not be that worn. And I have seen coins out of a rock tumbler that looked like that. But it all doesn't matter. I would rather have the 67+ that the same money would get you.
@Higashiyama said: @DIMEMAN said "OK Mark....if you really believe a coin from that time period can wear to that degree with no help.........all I can say is ........I have some Ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell ya."
DIMEMAN, I'm confused ... are you saying that a coin that was a pocket piece for 30 - 40 years (let alone 70 or 80) could not wear down like this? I think we've all encountered silver coins from the 1920s that are in poor condition, and they circulated for only 40 years.
Also, you might want to try a rock polisher on a half dollar at some point; I don't think it will look much like the New Rochelle!
If this coin was put in a pocket in 1938 and carried every day until now it would not be that worn. And I have seen coins out of a rock tumbler that looked like that. But it all doesn't matter. I would rather have the 67+ that the same money would get you.
I suspect you are confusing clad copper/nickel with 90% silver.
@50cCOMMEMGUY said:
Oh no! Here we go again 😂😂
🎢
This thread has certainly sparked some strong opinions!
You are new here. Just wait for our Coin Festivus Day in December when we air our grievances. Stick around
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Might as well share mine from the same group. This one is uncertified, as there’s no date present and 2 date possibilities. In a way that’s good for me, if it had been certified I’m sure it would have been way beyond my reach. I’m thinking a US Commemorative capital plastics holder. It’s my favorite coin and I have a number in various grades and even love tokens so I couldn’t resist one from Pogue to add to my collection.
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.
It looks clear to me. If you’re confused about something, I don’t understand what it is or why.
That fingerprint on the reverse kills it for me. It was probably where they held the coin while rock polishing it
m
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
It looks clear to me. If you’re confused about something, I don’t understand what it is or why.
That fingerprint on the reverse kills it for me. It was probably where they held the coin while rock polishing it
m
Mark....believe it or not but I knew a guy that could make any coin look like the OP's and they would pass at PCGS.
I choose not. I say that having carried a Large Cent and Sesqui Half for almost 15 years.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
If I saw this raw on the bourse I would expect $50-$100, but since there is an apparently quite active thread about it I will go the other way and say $2,500. Now, I must find out.
@TomB said:
If I saw this raw on the bourse I would expect $50-$100, but since there is an apparently quite active thread about it I will go the other way and say $2,500. Now, I must find out.
One of your guesses is closest to the truth than the other.
@Connecticoin said:
Wow, I would like to know how it got worn down like that - all I can think of is it was a pocket piece for 60 years from a member of the New Rochelle Country Club.
Can you say "rock polisher". There is NO WAY a coin of that age could wear like that...….without help.
Bologna. And grading companies have designated plenty of artificially worn coins as such. I’ll take their opinion over yours.
I agree. The (what was formally a) New Rochelle coin was not tumbled.
@SiriusBlack said:
Might as well share mine from the same group. This one is uncertified, as there’s no date present and 2 date possibilities. In a way that’s good for me, if it had been certified I’m sure it would have been way beyond my reach. I’m thinking a US Commemorative capital plastics holder. It’s my favorite coin and I have a number in various grades and even love tokens so I couldn’t resist one from Pogue to add to my collection.
@ifthevamzarockin said:
When I think back 20 years or so, all the flat silver coins I turned in to the refinery to be melted makes me a little sick.
That is what helps make them so scarce and appealing. Poor silver coins are like baseball cards in that respect, every had a pile of them but few thought they were worth preserving.
Sean Reynolds
Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
@ifthevamzarockin said:
When I think back 20 years or so, all the flat silver coins I turned in to the refinery to be melted makes me a little sick.
Yes but it depends on the series.
Slick Barbers are ultra common and so far have no chasers.
Slick Franklins, Kennedies, commems, Ikes, etc. have the appeal of coins that don't often show up in ultra low grades.
And I think it depends on the date range within the series.
A 1934 quarter in FR02/PO01, yawn, thousands of them still out there.
A 1963-D in FR02 would be a different story.
@ifthevamzarockin said:
When I think back 20 years or so, all the flat silver coins I turned in to the refinery to be melted makes me a little sick.
Yes but it depends on the series.
Slick Barbers are ultra common and so far have no chasers.
Slick Franklins, Kennedies, commems, Ikes, etc. have the appeal of coins that don't often show up in ultra low grades.
And I think it depends on the date range within the series.
A 1934 quarter in FR02/PO01, yawn, thousands of them still out there.
A 1963-D in FR02 would be a different story.
While it’s apparent that various silver commemoratives were spent, they weren’t produced for that purpose, so far more were saved. That’s what makes well worn examples uncommon and of interest to certain collectors. Also, for various reasons, some issues are far more difficult than others to locate in circulated condition, much less, in extremely low grade.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
@Higashiyama said: @DIMEMAN said "OK Mark....if you really believe a coin from that time period can wear to that degree with no help.........all I can say is ........I have some Ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell ya."
DIMEMAN, I'm confused ... are you saying that a coin that was a pocket piece for 30 - 40 years (let alone 70 or 80) could not wear down like this? I think we've all encountered silver coins from the 1920s that are in poor condition, and they circulated for only 40 years.
Also, you might want to try a rock polisher on a half dollar at some point; I don't think it will look much like the New Rochelle!
If this coin was put in a pocket in 1938 and carried every day until now it would not be that worn. And I have seen coins out of a rock tumbler that looked like that.
The New Rochelle looks perfectly natural for a circulated coin, but I DO NOT KNOW much about what coins look like after a long run in a rock polisher. I assume they will look polished, for starters, but that that effect could be eliminated with a year or two in ones pocket with other coins. I would also guess that the edge of a tumbled coin will have much more wear than normal for a circulated coin with the same amount of detail loss. Can anyone here shed more light on this?
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Comments
It is not just coins:
CAC GOLD
P01
Those tires look like MS70s!
The ones touching the ground that is.
The rat rod is somewhat of a valid metaphor. Just like under the hood there’s a killer drivetrain, under the surface lies a precious metal (in this case).
"Today the crumbs, tomorrow the
loaf. Perhaps someday the whole damn boulangerie." - fictional Jack Rackham
I have never understood the attraction of owning a 1913 V nickel either
Lafayette Grading Set
Can you say "rock polisher". There is NO WAY a coin of that age could wear like that...….without help.
If you have read my posts on the past, neither do I. I have posted several times that if I had one, I would sell it to purchase “a real coin” ... or a number of “real coins.” I could supply a list, even though I have left the U.S. coin market for the most part.
Barely identifiable coins don't interest me, but I do enjoy mid-circulated coins VG-VF original and without issues, as much as early AU and MS coins, they have more character to me as they have served their purpose in commerce. The Registry is all about the extreme high or low end, the middle doesn't get much interest. Well, that leaves more for me.

Bologna. And grading companies have designated plenty of artificially worn coins as such. I’ll take their opinion over yours.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
I picked this thread to read during a no. 2. So it wasn’t a total waste of time.
I’m gonna wipe and go look up the sold price.
I would look stay seated and look at the price first as you may need to go again quickly
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
OK Mark....if you really believe a coin from that time period can wear to that degree with no help.........all I can say is ........I have some Ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell ya.
@DIMEMAN said "OK Mark....if you really believe a coin from that time period can wear to that degree with no help.........all I can say is ........I have some Ocean front property in Arizona I would like to sell ya."
DIMEMAN, I'm confused ... are you saying that a coin that was a pocket piece for 30 - 40 years (let alone 70 or 80) could not wear down like this? I think we've all encountered silver coins from the 1920s that are in poor condition, and they circulated for only 40 years.
Also, you might want to try a rock polisher on a half dollar at some point; I don't think it will look much like the New Rochelle!
If this coin was put in a pocket in 1938 and carried every day until now it would not be that worn. And I have seen coins out of a rock tumbler that looked like that. But it all doesn't matter. I would rather have the 67+ that the same money would get you.
My neighbor is a Korean War Veteran. He carries a Silver Dollar that he got the first time he had a pass. It is totally slick on both sides.
Lafayette Grading Set
I suspect you are confusing clad copper/nickel with 90% silver.
As I started this thread, I must say that I am honored.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
When you cross that line from “stupid money” to “stupid grading service”, it is a very dangerous line to cross sometimes!
Wondercoin
Mitch, I believe that you spelled “stoopid” wrong and twice.😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Oh no! Here we go again 😂😂
🎢
This thread has certainly sparked some strong opinions!
"Today the crumbs, tomorrow the
loaf. Perhaps someday the whole damn boulangerie." - fictional Jack Rackham
You are new here. Just wait for our Coin Festivus Day in December when we air our grievances. Stick around
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Or the next CAC thread.
It'll just make you have to go again.
It looks clear to me. If you’re confused about something, I don’t understand what it is or why.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
It looks clear to me. If you’re confused about something, I don’t understand why.
If I look at it intensely next to an MS version I can see the resemblances.
You've got to be quite a coin technician to see New Rochelle devices on that PO01 without a helper.
I should have used this 'amazed' emoticon instead.
Might as well share mine from the same group. This one is uncertified, as there’s no date present and 2 date possibilities. In a way that’s good for me, if it had been certified I’m sure it would have been way beyond my reach. I’m thinking a US Commemorative capital plastics holder. It’s my favorite coin and I have a number in various grades and even love tokens so I couldn’t resist one from Pogue to add to my collection.
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.
@SiriusBlack:
Nice Columbian! I feel like the date is crying out to be read ... except it seems to want to say 1895.
That fingerprint on the reverse kills it for me. It was probably where they held the coin while rock polishing it
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Mark....believe it or not but I knew a guy that could make any coin look like the OP's and they would pass at PCGS.
I choose not. I say that having carried a Large Cent and Sesqui Half for almost 15 years.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
If I saw this raw on the bourse I would expect $50-$100, but since there is an apparently quite active thread about it I will go the other way and say $2,500. Now, I must find out.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
One of your guesses is closest to the truth than the other.
I am making a note on my calendar!
"Today the crumbs, tomorrow the
loaf. Perhaps someday the whole damn boulangerie." - fictional Jack Rackham
You can disagree if you want, but it can be done.
Wow - A big payday for the seller.
.
U.S. Type Set
I agree. The (what was formally a) New Rochelle coin was not tumbled.
When I think back 20 years or so, all the flat silver coins I turned in to the refinery to be melted makes me a little sick.
Very cool piece!
That is what helps make them so scarce and appealing. Poor silver coins are like baseball cards in that respect, every had a pile of them but few thought they were worth preserving.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
Nice cameo look on the Columbian
Lafayette Grading Set
Yes but it depends on the series.
Slick Barbers are ultra common and so far have no chasers.
Slick Franklins, Kennedies, commems, Ikes, etc. have the appeal of coins that don't often show up in ultra low grades.
And I think it depends on the date range within the series.
A 1934 quarter in FR02/PO01, yawn, thousands of them still out there.
A 1963-D in FR02 would be a different story.
While it’s apparent that various silver commemoratives were spent, they weren’t produced for that purpose, so far more were saved. That’s what makes well worn examples uncommon and of interest to certain collectors. Also, for various reasons, some issues are far more difficult than others to locate in circulated condition, much less, in extremely low grade.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
The New Rochelle looks perfectly natural for a circulated coin, but I DO NOT KNOW much about what coins look like after a long run in a rock polisher. I assume they will look polished, for starters, but that that effect could be eliminated with a year or two in ones pocket with other coins. I would also guess that the edge of a tumbled coin will have much more wear than normal for a circulated coin with the same amount of detail loss. Can anyone here shed more light on this?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.