The 'what do you do with..' thread got me thinking. I go through a lot of coins that come in from all directions. I pick through and pull out the goodies, pick out the severely damaged, roll up the rest and put em in the bank. Now, I've been doing this for more years than I care to admit, and I now realize that the little jar that I've been putting the damaged ones in isn't so little anymore...none of them are! I wonder what in the world to do with them all.. the're much to banged up to spend, nobody wants them (I've tried) and it's against my religion to actually throw money away. I have mixed feeling about giving them to charity (kinda like giving a mesh t-shirt to a freezing person). There they sit for now.
Build a display for the severely damaged coins that would have had numimatic value and reap the benifits of education. Explain what each coin is and its worth in various conditions and donate it to the ANA or a local club or display at your local library.
None have any numismatic value as all are common, circulation issues from 1965 and later. They have been bent, cut, scortched, buried, corroded, etc. I doubt that anyone would want to collect these, much less actually touch them
No need to play any head games with your local bank.They gladly exchange coins which they then pull from circulation and return for destruction.They also accept damaged money as long as the serial number can be read.If the teller give you a hard time,just ask for a manager and tell her or him that they are required to accept and exchange the coins according to Federal Law. ~ Jim http://groups.msn.com/USCoinCollecting/_whatsnew.msnw
Numist, I think you missed Jeff's point. Have you ever been to an ANA convention or regional coin show? A nice, museum quality display of those damaged coins would indeed be interesting and if you pick your category well -- US is crowded -- you can come home with an award. For several years, many years ago, a collector of Large Cents had a display of coins used for other purposes. More than one had been cut into a gear. How do coins get damaged? What damages are more common? Less common? Which coins get damaged most? Least? and so on. If you don't want to do the work of a display or if you do not want to write an article, then that is another matter entirely. I agree, though, with his point: the coins are educational.
Oh, I've been attending shows since around 1970 or so. I thought about doing an exhibit such as described, but not with this lot since most are coins that are in really hideous condition and the majority are just cents with maybe a nickel or dime or so included. Some of the coins are so corroded or caked with junk that they were nearly passed up as dirt. I think the idea of an exhibit as you both have described is really good, and certainly be an attention-getter but if I put one together, I would want to include many more denominations and include many different series. An exhibit of the ones in 'the jar' would most likely make a run on the convention bathroom
So, how many buckets of these coins do you have @numist Maybe some art? They are doing floors now with us cents. Glue and cover the floor in epoxy.
Maybe I'll do a poormans version of Fenns Treasure and bury it somewhere then leave hopelessly vague clues to its whereabouts
I have metal detected way too many damaged coins.. Enough to fill 2 jars. I don't need anymore I also don't know what to do with them.
Some collect them. I have a friend who has put together an ugly quarter set. The uglier the better as long as he can read the date. Why you may ask. His response, why not.
I have been in a similar situation. I took the damaged coins to the bank, asked the teller if they would accept them, and she dumped them out and took about 75%. The rest were almost unrecognizable as coins. And those continue to sit in a jar.
You started this thread 20 years ago. You still have that jar of damaged coins? Have you added to it over the years? I'm actually kind of amazed you responded to this thread. Usually that is not the case with these old resurrected threads. Everybody is usually long gone.