This morning on my drive into work, I decided to pull off at a gas station and get a coffee. Got my change back and discovered that I one of the quarters I received started out as a proof but was at some point cast out into general circulation. Sweet to come across a proof coin, sad that it's damaged from circulation. Still shows a lot of frost on the obverse despite all of the wear & tear from circulation.
Over the course of roughly two years I've come across a total of three quarters that I was able to recognize as proofs. A 1984, 1976 and now this one. The 1976 is my most favorite one so far.
I only came across one S-mint state quarter over many years, through a vending machine. Not easy to find.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so the odds are probably greater for me to come across them compared to most other parts of the states, since we have the San Francisco mint here. I got the 1976 and 1984 quarters in the quarter change machine at the local carwash. Someone must have really needed to have their car washed and didn't mind using their proofs to do it.
I agree. It's one of my favorites as well. I love the design on the reverse, plus the duel date (1776-1976) is something that catches the eye on the obverse. Funny but my mother used to save these quarters. She worked at a coffee shop at the airport, so she would pull them out of the register. She saved them for something like 5 - 6 years. By 84' she had accumulated roughly 16 one pound coffee cans full of them. Then one day she figured they aren't worth more than face value so she rolled them all and cashed them in at the bank, and bought a 84' base optioned Camaro with the money.
Nice! When I was a kid I picked them out of circulation. I just loved the double date and the drummer reverse. I didn't have that kind of stash of them...but I did have a nice pile. At some point I will pick up a nice graded pair of the 40% silver examples.
Earlier this year, before Covid got into full swing, I asked my tellers for all their halves. I was looking for varieties but came across 3 proof halves and not in too bad condition.
Last night after getting home, I super gently went over the coin removing a lot of lint and typical surface gunk from the coin. Looks a lot nicer now. If a proof is found in circulation, is it referred to as an "impartial proof" or something to that effect? My newest addition to the "poor man's coin collection" I'm still looking for the poor man's version of the 1955 Double Die penny as well.