I found an 1883 V nickel turned into a love token today in a machine wrapped roll of nickels. Really a crazy, rare find. Overall I found 6 40%ers, a silver quarter, 2 silver dimes, a silver nickel, 5 wheats and a 2020 W Rockefeller. An awesome day.
Nice haul! It's amazing how much stuff is out there. Did it come from theft? Kids getting into dad's collection for ice cream money? It always made me wonder when I found a hoard.
Given the coin's condition, I suspect it is a metal detector find and whomever found it determined it wasn't worth much or was worth hanging onto. Most of the time when coins from the 19th Century turn up in circulation they are in poor condition and typically have a lot of wear or environmental problems. The easiest explanation for this is that they are released intentionally due to their perceived low value. However, that doesn't change the fact that they have a lot of history to them, particularly a contemporary love token like this.
Thanks everyone. Certainly not something I was expecting. Roll hunting I’ve found a ton of cool stuff and this is right up there, probably top 5-6.
It’s hard to find a V nickel in circulation. This is my 12th V nickel, my oldest nickel and 3rd oldest dated coin overall (1830 Bust Half, 1874 IHP).
I have found V-Nicks as early as 1888. In the fall of 2016 I ordered a box from the bank that ended up having 76 V-Nicks in it, from 1892-1912-D. No coins better than good condition, but still cool to find. I think all total over the years I have gotten about 120 or so V-Nicks, several hundred Buffalos.
