I had mentioned on the introductions thread that I had recently made a nice find while digging through a dealers "Junk" quarters. So here is the story behind it. I have recently got interested in double sided coin rings. I have wanted to make a few and I was going to make one for my Mom. Well I went into a local dealers store here recently and asked if he had any junk 90% quarters I could look through. He replied that he had quite a bit. So he handed me an emptied lid to a green "Monster Box" from the US Mint which contained probably $200 - $300 face value of nothing but Washington Quarters. I was looking for a 1953 for my Mom. I asked if he minded if I go through them all. He replied "Feel Free". So I did. I was pretty excited as right off the bat I started pulling out some nice conditioned Washington's from the 30's. I started setting those aside. After about and hour or so, I had accumulated a pile of about $4.00 face. One was a decent 1953 that I had originally gone in there after. The rest consisted of mostly 1935's and 1936's. I had pulled 2 1932's out because of them being a first year. I didn't check the backs for mint marks, assuming that the 1932's would not have any. I asked him what I owed, he told me $60.00. I normally would have tried to negotiate on the price. But he had just gotten beat up pretty bad by another guy trying to buy some jewelry for close to spot. Plus the 35's and 36's I pulled were in very good condition. So I handed him the cash, headed out to the car. As soon as I got into the car I had to double check the 2 1932's. The first contained no mint mark, just as I had figured, but the second which was in much better condition than the first had an "S" looking right back at me. I grabbed my loupe and took a closer look. My face started to grin from ear to ear. I had just paid $3.75 for the lowest mintage Washington quarter of the series. Woohoo!!! I knew that the rest of the little stash was just gravy.. So I rushed home and took a closer look at the rest of the quarters. Almost every one of them were a VF+ or better, several I would estimate at AU+. So here is a sampling of the little score, my best score ever.... If any of you would like to give me your opinions on grades, I'd be most appreciated. Thank you.
Thats an awesome score. I would have kept digging through that bucket until I hit bottom. I once spent 3.5 hours on a layover at a little hole in the wall coin shop waiting for a plane. I ended up bringing around $50-55 in face onto the plane. Same scenario, let me dig to my hearts content, charged me +1.5 of face, as in, if spot at the time was 17x face, he charged 18.5x face. I pulled some crazy date walkers, all in incredible condition.
Oh, I looked at every single quarter in that lid. I pulled all the best stuff out. I did go back a few day's later and put together a roll of BU 63 & 64 quarters. I asked him to give me a call when he get's Merc's, Walker's and Standing Lib's in.
Those are great coins. The 32-S is simply awesome, but the others are really great too. Keep going to this honey hole and treat him well (aka don't try to haggle).
Hmmm, I think it's time for me to visit a local dealer and go through their' junk silver' ---great find jtlee!!!
Thanks everyone. There are few that I'm considering sending in to be graded. I was thinking the 32-S and the 36-D. I have a hunch the 36-D may in the end be the most valuable of the group just because of it's grade and scarcity in higher grades. I also may send in some of the higher grade 35-S's and the 36-S's. What do you think? Is worth the expense?
i think you might have the '32-S slabbed----it's a high fine grade and the precise designation could mean quite a difference in value---especially since it is a 'key' and can sell for $200-$300 in a grade lower or similar to the one I'm guessing yours falls within.... Which limits haggling about the condition and value and certifies it as authentic as well. But, I have no idea what the grading services charge these days, except they keep increasing the cost of their service...
Nice finds! You're right, a couple of them would score as BU sliders. So are you keeping your favorite fishing hole a secret, or will you share?
Also, use a high powered magnifier and examine the "S" on the '32 and see if you spot any 'soldering blotches'...often an "S" is removed and replaced on a '32 to make it appear a rarity...I don't see any evidence of that from your photos however...so I think you hit the jack-pot!!
Thanks, I did view it under a 10X loupe. It looks legit. I knew about the removal of mint marks and soldering them onto 1932's from Philly. That's why I was so excited to confirm for my self. But, it being a raw coin I figure it would only help to get the seal of approval and a grade from PCGS or NGC.
I think I'm equally thrilled with the '36-D as it seems to be a semi-key and as you approach EF and AU territory takes quite a leap up in price. I'm on the fence of wether to call it an EF or AU. I looked at a photo of an AU50 in a PCGS holder on an auction site. I'm really leaning towards AU50 - AU55 but not certain.
I just spent a few minutes browsing on Heritage and the slabbed Washington Quarters of 1936-D in AU sold for between $80-$190 The main qualifier being 'cleaned','polished' etc-----so yours could have even a higher market value.... Either way, you did great and I'd probably slab both of those coins too.
