For a given mintage year, how long does it take for a coin, or set, to begin to lose availability? For instance, the recent quarter and nickel series' have big mintages, and are readily available in pocket change. There must be a point in time where these become scarce, and folks begin to hold on to their pocket change, or their uncirculated purchases during the year of issue. Nowadays, without having the bulk composition of a precious metal, it seems to me that condition or appearance becomes paramount to the appeal and/or value. I suppose the Susan B. Anthony series might be an example.
They will probably stay in circulation till the coin wears to the point you can bearly read it or until the series changes . rzage
I think it generally takes a significant metal or design change to drive a specific coin out of circulation. The modern dollar coins are an exception as they are hardly circulated as it is. Those in circulation may survive the next couple ice ages...
Think about this - how many coins dated 1965 do you still find in your change ? Then think about cents & nickels - how many do you find in your change dated before 1965 ? Answering those questions I would say it is at least 50 years or more.
That said - how long did it take the silver coins to disappear from circulation? If you buy into some peoples speculative crystal balls you may need to start hoarding your nickels... Would be something to see nickels and clad coins get hoarded for there metal value. Hope it doesn't happen in my life time!!! You just really never know what may change tomorrow.
Most were gone in less than a year - and that was billions of coins. Price of nickel and copper is dropping rapidly, may continue to drop or may not.
