Gems from Circulation

I found this Idaho quarter a few weeks back in circulation and thought there was a special quality to it

 

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I bit off center.
Nice find

 

a bit off center, but still within norms

 

humm, ok.
Then what is the special quality?
(maybe a question for the ceo).

 

I look at a lot of coins every year and especially quarters. In a typical year since 1965 I've found about three or four nice sharp gems to save with most of them being the current year. A few would be up to three years old.

If I get two gems in change at once I ask where they do their banking and go to that branch and ask for new rolls. It often works to find quantities of gems. So some years I'll get as many as a few hundred gems. Others, there won't be any at all. It's just the luck of the draw.

 

Ah - you came out of hiding. Most of the coins I pull from circulation if compared to what can be found in the market aren't gems, But they catch my eye for some reason. It might be that it is just a still red 1985 Lincoln or in this case the strike and the fields were excellent. Blowing it up is almost a disservices.

 

Yeah it is a bit off center. I didn't notice that. It had a very reflective surface and I liked the strike. That's why I originally pulled it from circulation. And now that you mention it, it is off center.

Ruben

 

Actually, it might be just the photo editing - look at this one

Still slightly off center but nothing exciting

 

Let it be perpetual.

PERPETUALLY SEARCHING FOR THE NICE ONES.

 

I just haven't had a lot to say recently.

Everything I save isn't a gem. In fact I even save some circulated coins if they are different. There used to be quarters that had reverses that appeared to be struck from proof dies for instance. Unfortunately I neglected to save any of these but I do see a few PL coins in as low a grade as XF. There are varieties and minor errors that also catch my eye. I don't really get a lot from pocket change and rolls but there are interesting and diffeent coins out there.

Some of the oddest are coins with the wrong reverse on them. Each year there are little modifications in the dies and most moderns can be dated by the reverse alone. A few quarters will have the wrong reverse. Both the '74 quarters appear with a '73 reverse and, if memory serves, the Philly even come with a '72 reverse. Some of these are very dramatic though most are pretty subtle. It's a shame there's no '77 with a bicentennial reverse.

 

None yet, just wait...

What does a 72, and 73 backs look like?

Ruben

 

I found this little guy yesterday:

 

Wow ... That is a great cent, even in a 2x2.

 

I love finding these!

 

Great Photo as well. That looks like an MS level coin

 

two great finds! The 69 -D is better though

 

Another one:

 

Yea, but it's amazing to find a zinc cent that old and not completely torn up.

 

Here's one of my most amazing finds:

 

where di u find that?