Tell us about the best coin you ever FOUND.

Shamika · September 15, 2007 4:34AM

Doesn't matter if it was in the dirt, in circulation, or in your father's sock drawer.

Cladiator · September 15, 2007 4:51AM

While walking to school my freshman year in highschool I found a 1943 Walker, well circulated, in a pile of trash on the side of the street. I had no interest in collecting at that time and don't remember what I did with the coin. I may have lost it in a drunken poker game.

OKbustchaser · September 15, 2007 4:59AM

1961, age 10...I found what I later learned was a type 1 1917D Standing Liberty quarter. WHOO-HOOO naked boob!! I was a collector for life.

STONE · September 15, 2007 5:02AM

1920 Buffalo Nickel when I was 5, which got me interested in collecting coins

30AnvZ28 · September 15, 2007 5:03AM

I was given a WLH from the store cashier at a local family run grocery store. She had found it in a roll of halves that they used for change... I guess I didnt find it... but she did... and I would have found it, because Im allowed to go through them all... well, was, when I was younger and still living there.

oildvr · September 15, 2007 5:12AM

I found a 1789 spanish reale metal detecting an old carriage road in Lancaster, Massachusetts several years ago.

silverpop · September 15, 2007 5:32AM

the best coin that i've found was this 1972d Lamanation error penny that i found in change

GritsMan · September 15, 2007 6:12AM

I found a F 1909 VDB in change about ten years ago. I'm sure it had recently been liberated from someone's coin collection, but I thought it was pretty cool.

WaterSport · September 15, 2007 6:16AM

When I started collecting and searching rollls in 1964, my best find, and STILL in my collection..1924 D Lincoln in AG!

WS

sumnom · September 15, 2007 6:22AM

1886 cent (type II) on top of a fresh dirt pile.

1908 cent in circulation.

1912 cent in my old dirt driveway.

1926 nickel in circulation.

1943 dime in AU. I got it as a tip when I was a paper boy in 1978. And yes, I was collecting then!

1981-P dollar in circulation.

1985-S half in circulation.

1996-W dime in circulation.

2005-P dollar in circulation.

itsnotjustme · September 15, 2007 6:25AM

At about age 13, a 1723 Half Farthing while metal detecting in Concord Massachussetts.

busco69 · September 15, 2007 7:16AM

I found a 1872 2 cent piece in a safe that was thought to be empty and set out for trash . I also had keys made for the safe and kept it to.

Cocoinut · September 15, 2007 7:18AM

A 1929-D half in EF/AU. Found in a bag of junk silver halves.

Jim

edix2001 · September 15, 2007 7:32AM

An MS 63 Wisconsin low leaf.

taxbuster1040 · September 15, 2007 7:34AM

A 1945 silver walking liberty half, in a roll of kennedies...

TwoSides2aCoin · September 15, 2007 7:42AM

The best coin I found today is an MS 67 1964 D Washington quarter. I think PCGS will disagree with me, though.

Collectorcoins · September 15, 2007 7:45AM

1900-0/CC Morgan in a BU roll of Dollars. Got it certified by NGC MS63.

Cgb · September 15, 2007 8:07AM

A 1955 Double Die cent.

options26 · September 15, 2007 8:14AM

It's funny how you remember the best finds:

Age 7, got a 1907 EF Indian penny in change, went back with my Dad asked the cashier if there were any more and got 6

Age 25 or so, found a 1949-S dime while walking the dog, it was laying in the street?

Age 36, last year got a 1901 Indian penny in change, really poor shape, but sure made my day

Still own all the above.

originalisbest · September 15, 2007 8:20AM

"Best" coin I ever found was a really nice G, no-problem '14-D cent - unfortunately it was my neighbor's wheats I was checking, and not my mom's. Nevertheless, I dutifully stapled it into a 2x2 for her and indicated on the holder what it was and the retail value. Which I think at the time was $60-$70? Nice memory.

MrHalfDime · September 15, 2007 8:32AM

Like Oildvr, I found a 1769 Spanish half reale using a metal detector. Other finds include a 1749 British half penny, a ca. 1787 French 10 centime, and an 1867 Quebec token, all in the northern New England area. From circulation, in addition to nearly all dates of Canadian small cents and five cent nickels, I have found an AU 1936 1/12 Anna from India and numerous other foreign coins. Around 1980, I was able to complete a collection of Jefferson nickels entirely from circulation, including the 1939-D and 1950-D (2 examples).

GTOster · September 15, 2007 8:49AM

Heres My Best find ever
Linky
Paul

gonzer · September 15, 2007 9:07AM

A Fine '69S DDO (the big one) Lincoln in 1973. Couple years later needed cash and realized $385 for it.

DoubleEagle59 · September 15, 2007 9:07AM

It was actually my brother who found this coin....

We were kids at a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game in the 60's, when during the intermission, my brother and I watched this penny being kicked about, to and fro, by about 10 different people. My brother, being the person that always finds money on the ground (you know the type) finally tracked down this penny and picked it up. The look on his face was pure joy. It was a 1909 VDB!! We wished for the elusive 's' mintmark to appear, but no such luck. Anyways, it's still a fond memory for me of my brother.

RichieURich · September 15, 2007 9:31AM

<< <i>A Fine '69S DDO (the big one) Lincoln in 1973. Couple years later needed cash and realized $385 for it. >>

WOW! I bet you (and me, and everyone else on the Forum) would like to own it now!

Edit to add: My best find was a 1950-D nickel in VF in change from a copy machine in 1977.

SUMORADA · September 15, 2007 9:43AM

Back in march we were lucky enough to find a good amount of gw smoothies, found this a week later while sorting the smoothies for grade...............................

ILikeMercs · September 15, 2007 9:46AM

I was demo'ing a building once and found a shiny 1942 Merc inside a wall. I didn't know about overdates then but my ex-wife kept it. I hope it was just a regular 1942.

Cameonut · September 15, 2007 9:53AM

Back in the early 60's I found a 1917-s Walker with the mint mark on the obverse in my father's pocket change. Probably the best coin I ever found in circulation. I still have it somewhere in the vault.

09sVDB · September 15, 2007 10:03AM

Don't know if this is considered "found" but I bought $100 face of WLH's for $100 from a bank about ten years ago.

MoneyLA · September 15, 2007 10:04AM

I was about 13... so this goes back to 1964 or 65.

I found a Jefferson, from the same year, that didnt look "right."

turns out, it had multi strike clash marks.

I sent it to Coin World, who published photos of the coin. Yes, they returned the coin.

I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to have a photo of my coin in Coin World with a "credit."

cheers, Alan Mendelson
BestDealsTVshow.com

Shamika · September 15, 2007 10:11AM

<< <i>Age 7, got a 1907 EF Indian penny in change, went back with my Dad asked the cashier if there were any more and got 6 >>

At such a young age, you were quite wise to go back.

Shamika · September 15, 2007 10:12AM

<< <i>Around 1980, I was able to complete a collection of Jefferson nickels entirely from circulation, including the 1939-D and 1950-D (2 examples). >>

Many have tried this (me included), but you're the first person I've known to actually accomplish it.

Shamika · September 15, 2007 10:16AM

<< <i>Don't know if this is considered "found" but I bought $100 face of WLH's for $100 from a bank about ten years ago. >>

When you say "WLH's" do you mean WALKING LIBERTY HALVES? If so, all I can say is YOU SUCK!!!

coindeuce · September 15, 2007 10:22AM

On Tuesday of this week. I was searching a bulk bin of EF Morgans that the boss had brought back from a buying trip. An 1894-P was with all of the common crap. He didn't even offer to buy me lunch for finding it.

sfs2002usa · September 15, 2007 10:32AM

While digging dirt in a garden on 13th St in Albuquerque I found a 1944 S Mercury. It's somewhat
worn and I made the big error as a kid of "cleaning" the dirt off it with toothpaste. Yikes! I'm embarrassed
to admit to it. I also found the same year in circulation a 1935 Series F Silver Certificate. Funny but
I rec'd quite a lot of silver dimes in change and a 1969 silver Kennedy. I haven't rec'd any silver
in change since. Maybe I don't shop as much with currency anymore.

drwstr123 · September 15, 2007 11:12AM

In the ol' days, it was fun checkin' change:

fc · September 15, 2007 11:26AM

1909P wheat penny at seven eleven. slightly bent, corroded, dirty,
and etc.. and looks so hot in my album.

yes, hot. sexy. stunning. :-P

MASSU2 · September 15, 2007 11:40AM

Just last year I found a 1925 Stone Mountain half in about XF searching through a roll of Kennedy's.

GoldenEyeNumismatics · September 15, 2007 11:58AM

Last fall I found a AU 1972 DDO Lincoln (the big DDO, not one of the less prominent ones) on the floor of the local library.

SamByrd · September 15, 2007 12:38PM

The best circ finds were a 51s dime bu, 1910 lincoln au with a little red still both 8 or 10 years back.
2 years in a bag of wheats I found a slick 14d , It is for sure a Poor 1 or 2 really worn down and the trusty microscope is needed to read much of the details.

FEVER · September 15, 2007 3:10PM

First "find of my life" was back in 1960 when I was 9 years old. A buddy and I were crawling around in an old house that had the windows broken out of it and no front door. It was a real "rats nest". As we dug through the trash I crawled under the sink cabinet and found a little cardboard box, about 2 inches square, on a piece of wood inside that made a little ledge for it to sit on. I opened it up and there was cotton on top. Inside, laying on another piece of cotton were TWO Unc. 1909 VDB cents (no S). My buddy and I split them between us. Funny, but I have never told this story until now!

The latest "find of my life" was the 1835 Capped Bust Half-Dime, LM-12 Discovery Piece in February of this year!

Edgar

tightbudget · September 15, 2007 3:33PM

3 rolls of 1999 Wide AM cents from the bank.

A close tie would be a 72 doubled die from a roll of cents, which now resides in a PCGS 63 red holder.

Within this year though, I have found a 16-D Walker in good, an AU 1948 Franklin, 5 proof 1957 Franklins, a trime (got it from the bank two weeks ago), and a 1908 Newfoundland 5 cent coin.

DoctorPaper · September 15, 2007 3:44PM

In 1954, as a kid, found this lying on the back of a kitchen shelf in a house we moved into on Long Island. It was my first "old" coin, and I still have it.

lordmarcovan · September 15, 2007 3:54PM

TrustNo1 · September 15, 2007 4:03PM

1979 SBA wide rim

ModernCrapNut · September 15, 2007 7:48PM

As a kid, I found all the Lincoln and IHC, Buffalo and Jeffs I collected in either circulation or searching rolls. I never did find that '09-S vdb or '14-D though.

lordmarcovan · September 15, 2007 7:57PM

I got a 1914-D cent, but it wasn't in circulation. It was in a bag of bulk wheaties.

PCGS XF40'ed it. Cha-ching!

HIGHLOWLEAVES · September 15, 2007 9:59PM

It was February, 2005 and the Wisconsin Extra Leaf Quarters had been discovered in Tucson, AZ and San Antonio - Austin, Tx. Real early on that Tuesday morning, I drove from the New Braunfels, Tx area to Austin which is state Capitol of Texas. I purchased a roll of new WI Quarters and found a beautiful Extra High Leaf variety coin in Round Rock, Tx at what was then Bank One Bank. The Wisconsin Quarter Texas Experience was the highlight of my 50+ years of numismatics. Then, Rick Snow and Chris Pilliod's theatre presentation which discussed the WI Extra Leaf Quarters in Milwaukee's ANA show last month was also a highlight !! May you enjoy collecting coins everyday !! Mark.

IGWT · September 15, 2007 10:05PM

I found a buried 1883 Shield Nickel while weeding the garden when I was a kid. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It’s quite corroded, but it has pretty smooth surfaces and the details are still sharp, suggesting that it had dropped out of someone’s pocket before it had seen much circulation.
Still have it.

morganbarber · September 15, 2007 10:06PM

In circulation- 1983 DDR Lincoln
In melt bags- 1892-O Barber half

Rodius · September 15, 2007 10:20PM

When I bought my business, tucked in the back of a drawer were 6 rolls of cents. 4 were uncirculated 1977 cents and 2 rolls of wheaties. The best of them was a 1909 VDB in EF condition. Lots of mint marks from the teens and twenties in the rest of the rolls along with nothing newer than 1950. A good find.

Tell us about the best coin you ever FOUND.

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