I've found a V nickel, which is two generations before the Jefferson nickel and I found a Barber dime. Have you ever found a coin more than one generation back in circulation?
I found a Barber Dime in a roll not too long ago bugo. Also, a V nickel in loose change several years ago. Both were common dates and well circulated but still exciting to find. Bruce
I actually found the dime in a Coinstar machine, but that's close enough to circulation. The V nickel was in the till at work. As far as one generation back, I've never found an Indian head penny, a buffalo nickel, a Mercury dime, a Standing Liberty quarter (I am convinced there are under 100 of these in circulation in the entire country if there are that many) or a peace dollar, but I have found three Franklin halves from '52 and '53 (2 from the first customer; the other customer had two JFKs and a Franklin, and I bought all three halves (The Kennedy halves were post 1970 so no sllver.)) I would have thought that I would have found a Buffalo nickel before i found a V nickel or a Mercury dime before I found a Barber dime but it didn't work out that way. Finding coins this way is very unpredictable. I could end up with a 1950 quarter and a handful of wheats or I could end up with nothing.
I've found an Indian Head cent, Buffalo nickel, Mercury dime, Franklin half, and Ike dollar in circulation. I guess the Ike is actually three generations back.
Ooh, Ike dollar -- tricky! But since the Sacs are still being made, I think it only counts as two generations back. I suppose one could make the case that IHCs are three generations back, from Shield, LM and Wheat Lincolns. Four, if you differentiate copper from zinc; five or six if you count the wartime compositions -- but that's getting a bit silly. Might as well count seventy-odd "generations" for the State/AtB quarters. I did have a bank teller show me a Capped Bust half that someone cashed in just a couple of years ago. Five generations back, and I think you'd have a hard time going back much further than that -- sure, someone could cash even a flowing-hair coin, but the chances of any one of us being the lucky recipient are pretty slim.