I’ll go you one better - if they genuinely do enjoy error-picking from rolls, I genuinely fear for what other ways they are missing the point of life’s enjoyments. Of course, do what you like! But jeepers, please try to succinctly be able to explain WHY the heck it does. A bunch of us absolutely don’t get it. “Dis ain’t da way we’uns was brung up!”
I think a lot of new people were brought in by the state quarter program but when they finished that and then found that pretty much every thing since 1965 can be easily found, and it really isn't possible to find valuable date and mint combinations of older coins in change. So they went to the only things that ARE possible to find which are errors. MOST of which are minor and of little value. But there IS still the possibility of finding valuable error coins in pocket change. Back in the 1950's collectors scoured their change looking for the 1909 SVDB or 14 D cent. Almost no one ever found one but every now and then Fortune would smile on someone. Today they are looking for 1972 or 95 DDO cents, 1992 Close AM's, 1999 Wide AM's etc. And every now and then, but rarely, Fortune smiles. You're NOT going to "Strike it Rich", but as they say with the lottery, you can't win if you don't play. The problem is we get inundated with questions about the minor stuff and even more so simply damaged coins.
I used to "find" rare coins in my pocket change, in a round about backwards sort of way. Up through 2016, I saved in tubes absolutely every coin from my change from ANA summer show to the following one the next August. Then, we'd take it all, in a stout canvas sack, to my son's bank where they had unlimited coin counting for account holders. BTW, they no longer do. We turned it into currency that was his "find one rare coin to buy with this" mad money budget for the ANA show. He never failed to find at least one he wanted. The typical stash was around $300, sometimes less, sometimes more. With THIS method, we were guaranteed at least one nice rare addition to his sets, and he didn't have to examine tons of coins under high magnification. Probably saved his vision.
@Conder101 I hear what you’re saying about error coins. Yes, without question, it is possible. But is it possible enough to put all of one’s collecting effort into that endeavor? I suppose there are some folks who want to do that. But there’s so much more to this hobby that they are missing out on in the meantime.
There are more “usual” ways to be a beginner collector. For example, I have one obsolete Dansco into which I put only “found” coins, no individually bought coins. I put in there ONLY circulation pulls plus what i find in miscellaneous bulk purchases. It’s amazing how close to a full BU album it’s getting. I forgot to mention they’re cents. Most of my nice Denver examples I get during road trips. Philly takes care of itself. My auctions usually give me a shot at bulk lots of cents.
You beat me to it. The most common worthwhile things that can be found from pocket change or roll hunting are errors.
Am I missing out ? Cause I search through rolls. I keep all old coins from 1959 down. I love old coinage. I got into errors because there is a lot to learn about it keeps me going and learning about everything and its fun to put my mind to it. How else am I going find errors if I don't search through rolls? I don't go to auctions and buy. I find errors and keep them I don't sell them. I don't need the money. It's a fun hobby. There is still much to learn thats why I love this hobby. Never gets boring. When I first got into collecting I got my quarter, state quarter, parks quarters,nickels and cents put in books. After that I was seeing errors and wanted to see if I could find some it would be fun and I did and it's fun!
Okay, what evs. All I can tell you is I'm 63, been heavy into numismatics since I was 8, and never once in all that time did searching rolls for errors feel like something I wanted to do. My goal is searching for perfection, not the lack thereof.
I don’t believe we’re talking about you. At least I’m not. You’re a collector who has branched out into hunting.
For low income newbies just starting out, yes most definitely. Because all they really have for the option of supply is the coins that pass through their hands and possibly roll searching. Older or key dates don't show up, the modern series are all easily completed, so what's left? Errors and varieties. When they are more experienced or their financial situation changes they may move on to something else but for the beginner with a small bankroll (Thinks $10 would be a BIG purchase! Been there myself.) what else are they going to look for? Kurt, when you were 8, wheat cents were still common in circulation, finding those key dates was still possible, Buffalo's were still available and were mercury dimes, all the Washington quarters, Franklin and walking liberty halves, may even the occasional Barber coins or indian head cents. If you had the money you could get Morgan dollars at the bank all the way back to the 1800's at face value. Todays beginning collector doesn't have ANY of those options. If you were and 8 year old TODAY, with basically no free cash so all you have to look at is pocket change or the occasional roll, what would you look for?
Before you answer Kurt, consider making this a contest to see who can guess the answer!!! My guess...Jefferson Nickels.
Corg is right. I’d be putting together the most kick rump set of Jeffs I could find pulled from circulation, which means I still would not have a 2009-D, but I would have the 50-D and the 39-D.
