And the nickel's composition has been stable (save WWII) for over 150 years, so there's been no temptation for people to take the older ones out of circulation -- except for the people who want to hoard "nickel", and I think a lot of them eventually realize there's no profit in 25% nickel/75% copper and dump everything back into circulation. Jefferson nickels are the closest thing we've got to a current test for "what happens to coin populations in circulation over time". Although at this point dimes are pretty stagnant, too, and it still doesn't seem like many people care about hoarding "eagle" (or even "non-noodle-hair") quarters, so those are providing an interesting measure as well.
well you have come across one of the few that hoard eagles. I am saving every one I come across. I'm hoping that I can get my son interested in coin collecting and he can some day pass them on to his kids and so forth. There's going to come that day when my great great grandchildren will say or think "dang this is an old quarter, it's from 1982 (my birth year) and I can laugh about it
The nickel alloy is the hardest of all of the circulating U.S. coins. Therefore the coins last longer. Add to that the fact that it contains no silver and therefore would not be pulled from circulation, and you have the reason why it came to you.
The same alloy is used for the outer clad layers of dimes, quarters, halves, and Ike/SBA dollars, which is part of the reason you rarely see clad coins that look heavily worn. (The other reason is that change just doesn't circulate nearly as much as it did in the days of silver.)
Yes it was a fun find. I had forgotten, I believe it was last week, I got a 1959 Lincoln in change from Popeye's chicken. I wonder if someone local is using old coins for purchases around town.
