Cents circulate
Reader Tom Koch of Laguna Woods, Calif., sent in this 2006-D cent that he got Jan. 23 in change at a local drug store. It was his first.
Reader Tom Koch of Laguna Woods, Calif., sent in this 2006-D cent that he got Jan. 23 in change at a local drug store. It was his first.
First reports of finds of 2008-dated coins are coming in from readers.
New collectors checking their change for unusual coins have many different design types to search for. The Westward Journey nickels of 2004-2006, the special 2009 Lincoln bicentennial cents and of course, the State and National Parks quarters give collectors a great number of coins to find. But it’s not like it was years ago, when silver coins still circulated, old-fashioned coins were still around, and some really old pieces could be found in every-day change.
Throughout history, coins have been hoarded for various reasons. At times, some of these hoards have survived long enough to be studied and present a glimpse of what coins were in circulation at a given time.
One or two readers apparently missed the point of a comment about the copper plated 1943 steel cents.
The 1793 Chain cent was the first regular issue cent to exceed a value of $100,000. It brought $120,000 at auction.
If the Mint had to buy zinc, copper and nickel at current prices, it would cost 1.4 cents to strike each cent and 6.4 cents to strike each nickel, according to a letter written by U.S. Mint Deputy Director David Lebryk and sent to chairmen of the Mint
The first “Wide AM Proof-Style Cent Reverse” on a 1996 Lincoln cent circulation strike was reported by Billy Crawford of South Carolina, according to the Web site of the Combined Organization of Numismatic Error Collectors of America.
It can safely be suggested that the 1876-CC 20-cent piece ranks as one of the most interesting of all U.S. coins. It is a very rare coin whose true story may be more elusive than the coin itself.
The War of 1812 seriously disrupted the American economy. A short-sighted Congress in 1811 had failed to recharter the Bank of the United States, leaving the Treasury hard-pressed to fund the war effort. The public hoarded all of the gold and silver that could be found, and even the lowly copper coins were rarely seen by 1814.