Friends gave me a tub full of old coins
Blackin
Posts: 23 ✭✭✭
So my buddy and his wife are going through her cousin's things(he passed away) and came across a tub of old coins. They know I've recently gotten into coin collecting due to getting my own grandfather's old coins, so they thought of me.
Anyways... I open one box and it has probably 10,000 or so pennies in it. Mostly wheats, but there are these incredibly shiny pennies scattered throughout. Initially, I figured someone busted off a few rolls of recent years.
And then I started picking them out. This is about a 3rd of what I've picked out so far. A TON (Maybe 3-4 rolls) of 1968 P/D/S in this shape. dozens and dozens others ranging from around 1963 through 1982.
What have I tripped across here??? 
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Absolute n00b! 
Inherited a few thousand coins from grandparents. Mostly Indian and Lincoln wheats. Trying to learn the art of collecting!!
Comments
Those are proof coins. Originally the mint sold them at a premium. Now they have basically no extra value. Certainly an unusual find though
It wasn't uncommon in the 1950s through 1970s (and even before) for folks to essentially "hoard" rolls of mint state cents. This even included keeping many, many proof coins, which is something you see here. Some folks even went so far as to build "roll sets" where they would attempt to buy solid date and mint rolls of mint state coins going back into the 1930s. There are so many rolls of these available that The Greysheet has for many years listed MS roll bid prices for Lincoln cents. As for the later years of proof coinage, many cents were bundled together and sold in tubes when proof sets were broken apart for the more valuable, higher denomination coins.
It's a cool find.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
as said, coins taken from proof sets sold by the mint
That's neat to see
Many, but not all, are proof coins. I can see a couple of 1979-S coins which are proofs.
1979-S proof cents have a "cameo" contrast between Lincoln (slightly rough surface) and the fields (smooth, mirrored surface).
The 1968-S and 1972-S in the upper left corner do not look like proofs. They might be from mint sets, though.
Introduce me to your friends!
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
Nickelodeon
bunch of proofs
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Tough choice what to do with these...70's proof sets don't have much value and the individual coins are not worth much unless they grade very high, like 70. Worth something though 'cause of the quantity, nice friends! Still cool to see and thanks for posting!
K
A large hoard of proofs
That kind of storage is not conducive to the long term preservation of Proof coins. These coins, especially the cents, are very delicate.
I would at least put them in rolls
I grabbed some clean neo gloves and then carefully put each one in a flip for right now until I figure out what to do with them.
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Absolute n00b!
Inherited a few thousand coins from grandparents. Mostly Indian and Lincoln wheats. Trying to learn the art of collecting!!
There is some nice album material there for sure!
bob
Makes cents to me. Nice friends!
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I’d start looking at the Wheats. He obviously knew special coins, let’s see why he saved those wheats.
What's the chance of getting a PR70 from a roll of proof coins?
Those years, for proof sets, have pretty low values, compared to the original purchase price. So, many have cracked them open for the halves, quarters, dimes, and just put the cents and maybe nickels aside...like you found.
As has been said, unless they graded high, not worth much.
Cool find, for the coolness factor. Value factor not really there.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
1%
0% for 1970s
Please check my math. 😀
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Given the low value of the whole group, I suggest building yourself a small set and sharing the spares locally to get others to start collecting. The San Francisco Mint continued using its mintmark but stopped issuing cents for general circulation after 1974, therefore any cent with an "S" on it after that date is pretty much a guaranteed proof.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
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Before you go through them, make a list of the important varieties, both proof and business strike. There are many for that period. You can start at http://varietyvista.com/01b LC Doubled Dies Vol 2/index.htm Know what you seek and then look for them. Best of luck!
Get some gloves and start making yourself a collection!
You did the right thing by puttin them in flips.
Not valuable, but a Proof is a Proof is a Proof!
Pete