What would coins be like if everyone in the 30s and 40s was a coin collector

Well, for one, the Walking liberty Half that I have would probably be in better condition

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

There would be a world wide shortage as they would all be in collections LOL

De Orc

 

I imagine that if everyone in the 30s and 40s were coin collectors, not only would that walker be in the same condition it is now - it would have been cleaned 8 or 9 times to boot.

 

I've never know anyone that went through the depression to even spend money.

For instance, I was 7 years old or so and was playing pirate in the back yard. I remember making a map, counting out the paces. Having small pig bank in hand, aim small shovel.. dig for 5 minutes.. then tink. tink. tink.. argh me hearties.. I discovered my dad's own cache of change. I believe that kept me good with the ice cream man for a couple weeks

 

And Mint State Walkers would be worth $2.50 - $3.50 each, just like 1964 Kennedys.

 

coin prices down

As an example look at the 31S Lincoln Cent. Not worth a darn and regardless of the conditon although very low mintage. If everyone was collecting gack then all coins would be in great condition and their value would be way down. Back in the 30's when people realized the low mint issue of the 31S, everyone saved the things so now the value just isn't there.

 

Hummm...if its not worth darn why do I see the prices for a BU one in the $100's??

Speedy

 

LoL, I guess that if they were like that, coins would not bring such a high price

 

There were a large number of collectors in the '30 and later. Imagine how rare something like a '26-S buffalo in XF would be if there weren't large numbers of people who collected them. Indeed, it was during the depression that the popularity of coin collecting exploded! It's true that most people couldn't set aside vast numbers of band new WL halfs but this is when the practice first became commonplace and rolls of BU coins dated from 1933 to 1964 are still readily available even if some are expensive due to demand. The penny board was first issued at this time and most people could afford to try to fill these. They provided a sort of forced savings on people and hours of diversion from their troubles engendered by the economic conditions.

These collectors screened the circulating coinage and removed all the better dates and higher grade coins. Some would find their way back into circulation to be found as late as the early 1950's but there was nothing of real note left by the mid-'50's.

Today's collectors collect the coins that were saved from this era. Had they not been saved then we'd only have the low grade coins that were remaining when silver prices soared in 1967. All the '16-D dimes would be in Fr-G condition and there would be no 1916 quarters since the dates would have all worn off. Most buffalo nickels would have been too thin to circulate by the mid-'70's and the FED would have had to separate them out for destruction. By now even a 1937 buffalo would be very scarce.