Look What My Missus Found In Her Change Yesterday.

[Phil FK 3]

Made my day!

At first my missus thought it was a 1p coin. But how on earth did it end up back in circulation after a century!

[Peckris 579]

Made my day!

At first my missus thought it was a 1p coin. But how on earth did it end up back in circulation after a century!

Nice find! As to how it got into circulation, it's anyone's guess. One thing you can rule out though - despite having a face value one tenth of a 1p, its metal value is greater, and its numismatic value is incomparably higher so anyone thinking they were 'pulling a fast one', must have been a right plonker.

Unless someone was desperate to use a public loo and this was all they could find? Nah, the days when one pee = 1p are long gone, now it's 20p.

[TomGoodheart 373]

Odd. I carry a few old predecimal coins around. Maybe someone did the same and accidentally it got into change.

I'm sure I read somewhere (I think it was another forum) of someone that recently found a William III coin in change! Maybe some wealthy numismatist is slipping a few old coins into change to spark people's interest!

[Peckris 579]

Odd. I carry a few old predecimal coins around. Maybe someone did the same and accidentally it got into change.

I'm sure I read somewhere (I think it was another forum) of someone that recently found a William III coin in change! Maybe some wealthy numismatist is slipping a few old coins into change to spark people's interest!

Interesting theory! Mind you, I was already interested and looking feverishly through bank bags in the late 60s when I discovered a GVF 1909 halfpenny, an ABU 1938 halfpenny, and an EF 1935 halfpenny. I have always wondered how they got into circulation.

[scottishmoney 18]

In the past week of searching through coin rolls from my credit unions I have found an 1874 Indian cent, an 1890 Indian cent and a 1909 Lincoln. With the Lincoln it just looks pretty much the same as a bronze coin from pre-1983 but the Indians look different enough you would think someone would have noticed them and kept them. I canna say I mind getting a 140 year old coin from circulation.

I have wondered that the farthings might slip out as a penny coin from time to time. Occasionally I have found tanners masquerading as a nickel - most recent was a 1960 Irish tanner.

[davidrj 194]

This one came from circulation masquerading as a penny back in the 1960s

All right it's in crap condition, but very rare (a nominal mintage of 363,000, but probably far less) current values in USD from the 2013 Argentinian catalogue B $80, MB $250

One of those "find me another" coins

[RLC35 288]

Each year our coin club members take a handful of old coins (V-Nickels, Mercury Dimes, Wheat Cents, etc.) and spend them, in an effort to bring attention to the types of coins once used in the U.S. The local newspaper is informed of what is going on, to help advertise the action, by the members. It's a lot of fun, and occassionally brings new members into the club, thanks to the newspaper ad. advising of the clubs action.

[Rob 2,996]

Each year our coin club members take a handful of old coins (V-Nickels, Mercury Dimes, Wheat Cents, etc.) and spend them, in an effort to bring attention to the types of coins once used in the U.S. The local newspaper is informed of what is going on, to help advertise the action, by the members. It's a lot of fun, and occassionally brings new members into the club, thanks to the newspaper ad. advising of the clubs action.

You have the advantage that they are still legal tender. Things from the Channel Islands, Falklands, Gib etc are occasionally found, but differ only in design from the regular coins. Our old coins in circulation are all demonetised, not to mention the numerous foreign examples that have been passed off as British which never should have entered the system anyway. They can and do come from anywhere.

[RLC35 288]

Each year our coin club members take a handful of old coins (V-Nickels, Mercury Dimes, Wheat Cents, etc.) and spend them, in an effort to bring attention to the types of coins once used in the U.S. The local newspaper is informed of what is going on, to help advertise the action, by the members. It's a lot of fun, and occassionally brings new members into the club, thanks to the newspaper ad. advising of the clubs action.

You have the advantage that they are still legal tender. Things from the Channel Islands, Falklands, Gib etc are occasionally found, but differ only in design from the regular coins. Our old coins in circulation are all demonetised, not to mention the numerous foreign examples that have been passed off as British which never should have entered the system anyway. They can and do come from anywhere.

True Rob. Any U.S. Bank or individual, would be happy to give you $5 for a five dollar gold piece! Ha,Ha. With that said, most workers at McDonalds will look at you funny, if you give them a half dollar, as half dollars seldom circulated now, and they can seldom be obtained, even fom the banks!

[scottishmoney 18]

True Rob. Any U.S. Bank or individual, would be happy to give you $5 for a five dollar gold piece! Ha,Ha. With that said, most workers at McDonalds will look at you funny, if you give them a half dollar, as half dollars seldom circulated now, and they can seldom be obtained, even fom the banks!

From experience not many tellers would think the $5 gold piece was real. I have never found gold in a bank nor have I heard of any stories of it in the last 20 or so years. But silver, even silver dollars from before 1935 turn up from time to time. I have come across large quantities of silver halves:

These I found in 2011.

Here is one that a teller saved for me a couple of months ago:

It pays to pay these young, attractive tellers off with candy etc. There is one that when she gets bored she goes through the rolls looking for stuff that she then lets me buy for face value. I am trying to get her to collect.

[DaveG38 385]

Odd. I carry a few old predecimal coins around. Maybe someone did the same and accidentally it got into change.

I'm sure I read somewhere (I think it was another forum) of someone that recently found a William III coin in change! Maybe some wealthy numismatist is slipping a few old coins into change to spark people's interest!

Interesting theory! Mind you, I was already interested and looking feverishly through bank bags in the late 60s when I discovered a GVF 1909 halfpenny, an ABU 1938 halfpenny, and an EF 1935 halfpenny. I have always wondered how they got into circulation.

Although they are not common, its still possible to find early (1971) 1p and 2p pieces in change in EF-UNC condition. I found several when I was looking at the portcullis designs of the 1p coins last year. Those coins would now be 42 years old, so turn the clock back to 1967 say, and that means there's a good chance of finding a EF-UNC penny or halfpenny going back to 1925. OK, 1909 is pushing it, but I can see why some nice condition coins could have been found.

[RLC35 288]

True Rob. Any U.S. Bank or individual, would be happy to give you $5 for a five dollar gold piece! Ha,Ha. With that said, most workers at McDonalds will look at you funny, if you give them a half dollar, as half dollars seldom circulated now, and they can seldom be obtained, even fom the banks!

From experience not many tellers would think the $5 gold piece was real. I have never found gold in a bank nor have I heard of any stories of it in the last 20 or so years. But silver, even silver dollars from before 1935 turn up from time to time. I have come across large quantities of silver halves:

These I found in 2011.

Here is one that a teller saved for me a couple of months ago:

It pays to pay these young, attractive tellers off with candy etc. There is one that when she gets bored she goes through the rolls looking for stuff that she then lets me buy for face value. I am trying to get her to collect.

Some banks sell mint products, proof sets, gold coins (recently minted), and recent commemoratives,here in the Midwest.

[Peter 615]

My father worked at an agricultural centre and Saturday mornings I would run to his works and was trusted to search the till and safe.(he was the boss)

I got so many French pennies,silver and buns.

The journey home in a Hillman Avenger via the fishmongers where we bought bloaters for tea.

Last season I bought a load of sprats and apart from every local cat I had my daughters and wife tucking in.

[Peckris 579]

Odd. I carry a few old predecimal coins around. Maybe someone did the same and accidentally it got into change.

I'm sure I read somewhere (I think it was another forum) of someone that recently found a William III coin in change! Maybe some wealthy numismatist is slipping a few old coins into change to spark people's interest!

Interesting theory! Mind you, I was already interested and looking feverishly through bank bags in the late 60s when I discovered a GVF 1909 halfpenny, an ABU 1938 halfpenny, and an EF 1935 halfpenny. I have always wondered how they got into circulation.

Although they are not common, its still possible to find early (1971) 1p and 2p pieces in change in EF-UNC condition. I found several when I was looking at the portcullis designs of the 1p coins last year. Those coins would now be 42 years old, so turn the clock back to 1967 say, and that means there's a good chance of finding a EF-UNC penny or halfpenny going back to 1925. OK, 1909 is pushing it, but I can see why some nice condition coins could have been found.

That's easy to explain : millions of early decimals were set aside in speculation that as the first year(s) they would someday be worth a premium; over time, as that hope has died, people would naturally offload their useless coppers into circulation.

[copper123 1,352]

My guess would be that some short sighted old git had been rumageing around in a 20p box in a local collectors fair and had left it in his pocket by mistake.

Immediate loss for him and a thrill for your missus , if you pardon the expression

[DaveG38 385]

Odd. I carry a few old predecimal coins around. Maybe someone did the same and accidentally it got into change.

I'm sure I read somewhere (I think it was another forum) of someone that recently found a William III coin in change! Maybe some wealthy numismatist is slipping a few old coins into change to spark people's interest!

Interesting theory! Mind you, I was already interested and looking feverishly through bank bags in the late 60s when I discovered a GVF 1909 halfpenny, an ABU 1938 halfpenny, and an EF 1935 halfpenny. I have always wondered how they got into circulation.

Although they are not common, its still possible to find early (1971) 1p and 2p pieces in change in EF-UNC condition. I found several when I was looking at the portcullis designs of the 1p coins last year. Those coins would now be 42 years old, so turn the clock back to 1967 say, and that means there's a good chance of finding a EF-UNC penny or halfpenny going back to 1925. OK, 1909 is pushing it, but I can see why some nice condition coins could have been found.

That's easy to explain : millions of early decimals were set aside in speculation that as the first year(s) they would someday be worth a premium; over time, as that hope has died, people would naturally offload their useless coppers into circulation.

Oh I'd agree about 1971 coins. They were the commonest of the older EF-UNC coins I found, but there were still quite a number of slightly later dates, including the early 1980s. I guess some might come from coin jars being emptied out, but I still found it not so unusual to find top condition coins in change back in the £sd era.

[Accumulator 52]

Odd. I carry a few old predecimal coins around. Maybe someone did the same and accidentally it got into change.

I'm sure I read somewhere (I think it was another forum) of someone that recently found a William III coin in change! Maybe some wealthy numismatist is slipping a few old coins into change to spark people's interest!

Interesting theory! Mind you, I was already interested and looking feverishly through bank bags in the late 60s when I discovered a GVF 1909 halfpenny, an ABU 1938 halfpenny, and an EF 1935 halfpenny. I have always wondered how they got into circulation.

Although they are not common, its still possible to find early (1971) 1p and 2p pieces in change in EF-UNC condition. I found several when I was looking at the portcullis designs of the 1p coins last year. Those coins would now be 42 years old, so turn the clock back to 1967 say, and that means there's a good chance of finding a EF-UNC penny or halfpenny going back to 1925. OK, 1909 is pushing it, but I can see why some nice condition coins could have been found.

That's easy to explain : millions of early decimals were set aside in speculation that as the first year(s) they would someday be worth a premium; over time, as that hope has died, people would naturally offload their useless coppers into circulation.

Oh I'd agree about 1971 coins. They were the commonest of the older EF-UNC coins I found, but there were still quite a number of slightly later dates, including the early 1980s. I guess some might come from coin jars being emptied out, but I still found it not so unusual to find top condition coins in change back in the £sd era.

I have a door stop (a Remy Martin VSOP bottle ) filled with 1/2p's, collected in the early days of decimalisation. If they were still legal tender and the bottle broke they could easily have ended up back in circulation.

[Peckris 579]

Odd. I carry a few old predecimal coins around. Maybe someone did the same and accidentally it got into change.

I'm sure I read somewhere (I think it was another forum) of someone that recently found a William III coin in change! Maybe some wealthy numismatist is slipping a few old coins into change to spark people's interest!

Interesting theory! Mind you, I was already interested and looking feverishly through bank bags in the late 60s when I discovered a GVF 1909 halfpenny, an ABU 1938 halfpenny, and an EF 1935 halfpenny. I have always wondered how they got into circulation.

Although they are not common, its still possible to find early (1971) 1p and 2p pieces in change in EF-UNC condition. I found several when I was looking at the portcullis designs of the 1p coins last year. Those coins would now be 42 years old, so turn the clock back to 1967 say, and that means there's a good chance of finding a EF-UNC penny or halfpenny going back to 1925. OK, 1909 is pushing it, but I can see why some nice condition coins could have been found.

That's easy to explain : millions of early decimals were set aside in speculation that as the first year(s) they would someday be worth a premium; over time, as that hope has died, people would naturally offload their useless coppers into circulation.

Oh I'd agree about 1971 coins. They were the commonest of the older EF-UNC coins I found, but there were still quite a number of slightly later dates, including the early 1980s. I guess some might come from coin jars being emptied out, but I still found it not so unusual to find top condition coins in change back in the £sd era.

There were certain repetitive finds : in 1968-69 it certainly wasn't unusual to find 1958, 1959 and 1964 halfpennies virtually BU, nor 1959 sixpences, nor shillings of virtually all dates back to the early 60s, etc. Also 1949 pennies with lustre would turn up fairly frequently, but there were no BU halfcrowns pre-1966, nor any of the 1950s cupro-nickel long considered difficult, and those three halfpennies I mentioned were definitely unusual finds.

[Generic Lad 25]

I love circulation finds, they're fairly plentiful here in the US (all things considered). Found everything from silver dollars from the 1880s, tokens from the US civil war, tons of silver half dollars.

Circulation finds pretty much fund my collection.

[scottishmoney 18]

I love circulation finds, they're fairly plentiful here in the US (all things considered). Found everything from silver dollars from the 1880s, tokens from the US civil war, tons of silver half dollars.

Circulation finds pretty much fund my collection.

My oldest finds by denomination:

Cent - 1874 - just last week, also found an 1890 the following day in a roll search.

Nickel - 1890 found early last year

Dime - 1923 got last year

Quarter 1928 - found in the reject slot of a coin counter machine in 2012

Half - 1942 found in a bank in late 2012

Dollar - an 1897 I bought in a restaurant when I was a kid - the customer before me had spent it.