Do you cherry-pick your change...

when buying something from the office honor snack bar? Once after some serious digging I found 1961 and 1963 dimes in the change jar. I later found an 1986 proof nickel. Somehow, it seemed a bit unethical choosing those particular coins for my change. Anyone else do this? Feel guilty?

 

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I do it all the time and no, I don't feel the least bit guilty.

 

Here in Boston, rich Yankees go through their neighbors' trash.
Can you explain this guilty thing please?

 

Why would you feel guilty? Non-collectors could care less about coins, if someone picked it out it would get tossed in a jar, snack machine, or coin machine. I know I have a 1961 quarter someone was trying to use in a snack machine at work the machine wouldn't accept and someone swapped it out and gave it to me.

 

Cherry pick it baby, cherry pick it!

 

Thanks everyone! I'll still try my best to be subtle.

 

I do this, and no, don't feel the least bit guilty. This snack guy may also cherry pick, or he may just throw it into a coin counter. Either way, he's in the business to sell snacks, not roll-hunt. As long as the tray is good, it really doesn't matter. Any more than I would hold silver coming out of the change tray in the soda machine for that guy.

 

Not only my change, but also my bills. Looking for web notes or radar notes, etc. Made a few bucks doing it but keep hoping for something big.

 

Infernal Yankees fans anyway. How in the world are they even allowed to pillage rubbish cans let alone live in Boston?

Go Sox!

 

I would ask the person who controlled the money jar or whatever first, but I'm a goody two shoes

 

I was in the pharmacy about a year ago and noticed a wheat cent in the little plexiglass donation box for the local humane society. I told the pharmacy clerk that I would give a $1 donation if I could buy that particular cent from the donation box and she said sure. So she went and got the key and pulled the cent out and I placed a dollar in the open box. I turned the cent over and it was a 1926 - must have been rewarded for a good deed since I got that and not some common 40s or 50s cent. Never hurts to ask, and actually you can make it a win win situation.

 

This morning I noticed a neighbor left four fine uncut calabashes (pumpkins & squash varieties) on the curb; the Halloween-seasonal decor getting tossed.
I didn't ask, I TOOK. Still don't understand the guilt thing. That sounds neurotic, but scooping up the freshest roadkill for supper sounds like just 'Yankee thrift' to me.

'Finders Keepers' and 'Waste-&-wantism' : understanding you don't need to ask if/when others didn't grab it first.

This thread should have lots of penny adages by now, I'll add one.

"A penny saved is a penny got;
Firm to this scoundrel maxim keepeth he,
He of its rigour will ne bate a jot
Til he hath quenched his fire and banished his pot."

 

I'm more subtle about it than my husband is. He examines each coin right in front of the register & the cashiers always think that they gave him the wrong amount of change!

 

i do the same thing, my wife just laughs at me

 

I do that too lol. Always get weird looks from the cashiers.

As far as cherrypicking change goes, I go through every single penny, nickel, dime, and quarter roll that goes in my cashier's registers when I'm managing. I don't error search or anything but silver, wheat, and foreign goes home with me. Brought home 5 wheats (from 1917-1951) and 6 canadian cents yesterday. '61 dime the day before.

 

I cherry pick my change sometimes. The other day at CVS, I saw the reverse of a wheat penny and asked for it. One of the managers lets me cherry pick the penny rolls. He has a lot in the clear plastic rolls. Out of 3.00 in pennies from those rolls the oldest wheatie I've found is a 1919 P. I've gotten about 5 wheats in the last week, and one Canadian 1952-2002 Penny. I couldn't find much about it, but it's dateless on the reverse. I saw the same coin sell on ebay for 27.99 in UNC condition. I'll try to get some pics, the toning on this penny is pretty neat.

 

Well I kind of do that - but with the bills also. For the coins I just look for wheaties, etc. When I get home is when I look under a glass - mostly the pennies. I also search the bills and change at work for our little concession stand. I also pickup any change I see any where I see it.

 

I wish he was a little more inconspicuous sometimes, but it's gone on for so long that I don't let it get to me anymore. People are going to think whatever they want anyway and I love when he gets excited over a small find. He literally carries a lighted microscope with him everywhere though. Our best success has actually come from the local casinos. We may not make any $ playing slots, but we've gotten several buffalos & some really unique star/off center bills.

 

My last trip to vegas was a bust in that I found nothing pre-1960, no star notes or anything to keep. I did find some of the park quarters I have not seen. Never found an off-center note, but did once find a web note.

 

I think there is a larger elderly population around this area. Maybe more are cashing in change that they've been saving? We even got a $5 silver certificate last weekend at Best Buy. It wasn't a rare date & not worth much, but still... It was fun to get.