I received a 1941 Jefferson Nickel in change today, the oldest coin that I've seen in circulation since I started back to collecting last month. Just thought I'd share this little tid bit as I found it kind of cool.
Actually as a circulating coin you are more likely to find older nickels than any other denomination - simply put the design has not changed from 1938 until 2004. Cents are different because the design now changed over 50 years ago, but wheats still turn up.
Nice find, personally I have found nothing more than wheats. Not to discount a wheat cent though, I am still elated with each one I find.
I've been searching nickel boxes with some frequency lately. For every box I probably get at least 6-8 40's & 41's. Took a while for the 38's & 39's to show up however. Across 15 boxes (took a while) I've had 5 buffalo heads turn up.
I took a vacation from the East Coast and headed to Vegas for a week. I had to go all the way there to find a 2009 Lincoln in change. Wynn hotel is giving them out in change everywhere (coffee shop, pub, etc.). What I miss is the clang, clang, clang of the coins dropping from the slots. Just isn't the same with coinless slots.
I also have found some nice 1943 nickels not in change but in rolls of nickels I get from the bank. My son has this 5 gallon water bottle that my wife and me have been putting our spare change into for him, and one day I decided to check those coins to see what i could find, and to tell you the truth I found some nice wheat cents the oldest being a 1909(regular no Initials) cent, I found like 15 wheat cents different years, Also I found a 1938, and two 1939 nickels and i still got to keep searching cause theres so many coins to look. so If I find some more it would be nice..
I think the recession has placed some older coins back into circulation. In the past couple of months, I've found some 1940's nickels, 1950's silver quarters, and 1940's and 1950's cents. In all, I've found about 15 coins in these categories.
Absolutely true!! I've come across a 1941 recently as well but I haven't found one single wheat for years. I did come across a proof nickel though!
My oldest find in lincoln cent roll was a really corroded 1880 Indian Head Cent. I cleaned it up as best I could but it is starting to darken up now. I'll post a picture soon as I locate it and you all will see just how it is now.
The banks and some supermarkets in my area have free CoinStar machines in them. They get more coins from the machines than they can use and send the surplus back. I asked if they needed any help emptying their CoinStar machine and they said..."nope".
