How long does a coin circulate before reaching AU XF VF etc.

As the title says, id like to know how long a CLAD coin or nickel, circulates (under absolutely average wear conditions) before it wears down to AU, VF, XF, VF, F, VG, G, AG, FR, PO.

Obviously this will depend in the composition of the coin, as nickle is harder than copper, and clad coins are generally harder than silver, so please pick a denomination, and post!

As of recently ive been really paying attention to the 1960s clad coinage i find in my change, and i keep seeing quarters in VG-F, Dimes in F-VF cents in XF(ish). And so my curiosity has peaked.

We are nearly 55 years into the clad era, what condition are these surviving coins in?

 

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I have 4,000 clad Washington Quarters from 1965 to 1998 and all varies from AU to G. Definitely less in the higher grades recently. Lately, I see them from G to F.

Edited: Between 5-10 years.

 

What I have noticed since I started collecting again is that the State Quarters and ATB shows a lot of early deterioration in compare with Washington Quarters. Their detail design subjected them to easily wear and tear sooner than Washington Quarters. They have more detail high and lower points of design forced them to modify their metal composition which contributed to early deterioration.

 

I am often surprised at how well glad coinage holds up. I plucked a bicentennial quarter from my change just today and found it to be in exceptional shape for its years of service...... I’ll have to say cents wear much more rapidly than other coinage simply because they circulate more.

 

As mentioned above with the statehood quarters, most of them from 1999 that i come across are in horrid shape, same with post 82 lincoln cents.

Just yesterday i got a 1996 cent that was almost unrecognizable. And as for bicentennial quarters most of the ones i find here in NYC are in pretty decent shape too, likely released into circulation more recently from a hoard or collection or something along those lines.

From what I've been seeing here (sample size of 2500 or more):

1960s
Quarters: VG-F
Dimes: VF
Nickels: VF-XF
Cents: XF (+/-)

1970s
Quarters: VF (+/-)
Dimes: XF
Nickels: XF
Cents (XF - MS)

1980s
Quarters: XF -AU
Dimes: XF - AU
Nickels: XF-AU
Cents: (pre 83)VF-AU (post) VG-MS (mostly corroded)

If i had to make an educated observation based on this sample group i would say:

1-2 years coins drop to AU from MS
2-10 years AU to choice XF
10-20 years XF to choice VF
20-30 years high VF to low VF
30-40 years VF to F
40-55 years F- VG

But NYC change sees alot of heavy use, and large numbers are corroded, or otherwise damaged.

From what you guys find elsewhere in the country is my sample accurate?

Would you say my scale is accurate?

Things like this keep me up at night lol

 

As soon as a coin hits the register more than once it is more than likely in Au condition. There is no way to judge by time how a coin, even on average circulates. What I do know is that it doesn't take more than a pocket for it to become circulated.

 

Cents composition is high in copper and it is softer but it has high resistivity to corrosion.

 

Their mintage in Billions attributed to their high circulation and also thier usage to solve fractional transactions.

 

yeah, like the ash tray of a 40 yr old car!!!

 

Clad coins are doing just fine - can't say the same for 21st century 'zincoln' cents

 

When the mint says a coin lasts about 25 years (im assuming that means circulating, and without a period of interruption) thats an interesting statement. It makes me wonder what grade on the sheldon scale a coin reaches at the end of its lifespan, before the mint considers it dead.

Im guessing probably AG or FR before it is deemed unrecognizable.

 

There's no thinking, it's scientific fact that other metals are harder specifically nickel for coins