Did someone spend a proof coin?

scooter25 · April 30, 2007 3:22AM

I was at the gas station today and when I got my change I received a 1971 S dime it looks like it is straight out of a set. My question is was someone that hard up that they spent a proof dime at a gas station? Or did they mint 71 S dimes for circulation?

fc · April 30, 2007 3:24AM

probably a kid getting a few choice coins from his dad's collection
to spend on candy?

i know my mom lost a few silver quarters to me that way when
i was young and found the jar in the basement. :-|

Flashpoint · April 30, 2007 3:24AM

I found a 1972-S quarter the other day.......Has me asking the same.

Adam

2manycoins2fewfunds · April 30, 2007 3:26AM

Its not that uncommon.
Searching bank rolls of half dollars I'd say 1/1000 are proof.
Kids break into the coin sets they were given for Christmas, and lets not forget theft.............

scooter25 · April 30, 2007 3:27AM

The nice thing is it looks like it is directly out of a set no scratches or anyhting nice strike and plenty of luster. :-)

jmj3esq · April 30, 2007 3:33AM

I recently got a Proof 1988 S Proof Washington Quarter in change at disney word. It looked like it had circulated for a while. I occasioanly place a proof into circulation just for fun.

ipmman · April 30, 2007 3:37AM

This happens when kids steal from their parents, and was more common in the 1970's when pocket change had value.

When I was a teenager in Hawaii working at Mcdonalds in the 1970's, I came in for my shift, and my cash drawer was full of proof coins. Apparently some kid, around 10 or 11 used them to buy hamburgers. Obviously took his parents proof sets and broke them open. There were also some silver coins there as well.

I still have those coins, impaired as you would expect.

Newcomp103 · April 30, 2007 3:40AM

Slab it!

MadMarty · April 30, 2007 3:44AM

Sometimes when I crack open proof sets the dime or the quarter drop on the floor. So I spend them!

dbldie55 · April 30, 2007 3:47AM

I still have a 1978-S cent I found in a roll.

N8 · April 30, 2007 3:51AM

The '85 proof Washington that I found in circulation a couple of years ago is responsible for sparking the interest in collecting that got me where I am today. Its not in the best of condition but I still hang on to it

jmj3esq · April 30, 2007 4:10AM

is responsible for sparking the interest in collecting that got me where I am today

That is exactly why I place a few into circualtion from time to time. Hopefuly I will get someone new into the hobby.

tahoe98 · April 30, 2007 5:53AM

<< <i>I was at the gas station today and when I got my change I received a 1971 S dime it looks like it is straight out of a set. My question is was someone that hard up that they spent a proof dime at a gas station? Or did they mint 71 S dimes for circulation? >>

heck ya! have you seen the price of gas lately?

rah1959 · April 30, 2007 6:59AM

I like to search Half Dollar rolls....since January 1st, 2007 I have searched $5500 worth of halves....

Here are the Proofs (impaired proofs is possibly the correct term?) I have found since Jan 1st

1967 SMS
1969-S
1971-S
1972-S (three of them)
1974-S
1978-S
1979-S
1981-S
1988-S
1998-S (90% Silver)

Some still have cameo....most have all mirror fields...but most shows some slight dings and wear from being in the coin counters...

But...still a nice find...I keep them all and hope to complete a set of "Roll Searched/Found Proof Kennedys"

pendragon1998 · April 30, 2007 7:16AM

I too have come across a proof in circulation - a 2002 kennedy in $400 of halves I was searching.

Heck, I once almost got a Lafayette commem from a fellow elementary school student (I was in 4th grade at the time) in exchange for a fudge bar I was selling at the ice cream chest. I lost it when I tried to bum 50c off a teacher to buy it out of the cash box (I was too honest to steal it). The teacher called the kid's parents and they busted him for raiding Dad's collection.

Cladiator · April 30, 2007 7:17AM

Spending proof coins is fun.

Newcomp103 · April 30, 2007 7:20AM

Marty wants to see if he can find one that will grade PR1....(that would be Proof 1....not Poor 1!)

brogine · April 30, 2007 7:52AM

Not proof but still...15 or 20 years ago I got 16 Mercury dimes as payment for a cab fare.
During many years as an apartment manager I've rolled 70 to 80,000 quarters from a washer and dryer and I've found 3 or 4 or 5 silver ones. Two at the same time once in a batch of $5 or $10. Probably not merely chance.

lordmarcovan · April 30, 2007 7:59AM

I've gotten impaired proofs in circulation twice.

Omega · April 30, 2007 11:38AM

I found a 1982 proof Kennedy while searching rolls about a month ago.

QBert · April 30, 2007 11:46AM

Most modern proof are pocket change. Why not spend them.

pendragon1998 · May 3, 2007 5:07AM

Well, speak of the devil...

I was just at my local Walk-all-ovah-ya, depositing $111.50 in rolled (mostly) cents I've gone through in recent months. That, for anyone who's interested, is over 35 lbs.

Anywho, I thought I'd see what they had in the way of halves. They didn't have much, just $35, but when I got outside and looked through the $5 in unrolled coins, I came across a pretty nice 2000-S clad proof kennedy.

Nothing else of interest in the rolls, but that was a nice surprise for $0.50.

anablep · May 3, 2007 7:27AM

Got a proof 1969-S dime in my change when I was 14 or so. Never found another proof in change again since.

Still have the dime..

Barndog · May 3, 2007 7:34AM

I just added the contents of a 70s (I forget which one) Proof Set (minus the IKE, which went into my Dansco 7070) to a large bag of change I deposited at the bank. Someone will get the coins and think they're pretty interesting, at least I hope so.

BlindedByEgo · May 3, 2007 7:41AM

My buddy that owns a B&M shop gets common bulk proof sets in at face value, cuts the coins out of the cello, and spends them. He says that some people are so lazy that they will sell them to him below face, just to get the quick buck.

Earendil · May 3, 2007 8:37AM

I found a 1986-S half-dollar in a roll one day that is in about Fine condition, with no mirroring left, and severely worn legends, hairlines, etc. I was about ready to spend it until I saw the 'S' mintmark. I can only imagine how long it must have been circulating to have become that worn. My guess would be it was put into circulation very close to when it was first minted.

GaCoinGuy · May 3, 2007 12:15PM

Back about 2 years ago or so, I put about $40 of clad proofs from 69-98 in circulation. They were all hazy or hairlined coins and not worth much else.

Did someone spend a proof coin?

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