Coin Finds: Full wheat roll
We recently asked you, our readers, to share your best numismatic finds with us. Based on the long-running “Coin Finds” column in Coins magazine, which will continue to appear in…
We recently asked you, our readers, to share your best numismatic finds with us. Based on the long-running "Coin Finds" column in Coins magazine, which will continue to appear in print, this online version will give additional exposure to the thrill of the hunt.
Send your "Coin Finds" to numismatics@fwmedia.com and we'll get them in.
Please include your name, city and state. Names and addresses will be withheld from publication upon request. The editor reserves the right to to edit for content, style and length.
I ’m a coin collector going back some 45 years, and I still dabble in the buying old U.S. coins, mostly 90 percent silver. About 10 years ago, I met with a couple to purchase their small coin collection.
In the collection were several rolls of wheat pennies, which I never pass on, because that’s where I got my start. Well a long story short, and about 50 rolls later at $1 a roll, I purchased, packed up and went home. I stored the coins just as I purchased them, in a tool box.
About five years ago, I decided to look at the rolls, never thinking that there would be anything of much value, because I’d never come across anything, except for the 1909-S V.D.B. that I’d stumbled upon in a complete set. Back to the tool box, well I discovered a full roll of 1922-D wheats. I went nuts, and started going through the rest of the rolls in hope of more rarities. As it happened that was the only stunning find.
Ron S.
Houston, Texas
Driving on the Sam Houston Tollway in Houston, I handed the lady at the toll booth a $5 bill for the $1.75 toll. I was surprised when she handed me several coins, and initially thought she had made an error.
Upon closer inspection, however, I noticed that she had handed me two Presidential dollars, an Anthony dollar, and a Canadian quarter. I considered returning them and asking for bills instead, but then thought what a great conversation story this would make, so I thanked her and drove on.
I still carry the coins around in the tray in my car and am quick to recount the story and my love of coin collecting to anyone who is riding with me.
Steven Griffith
Austin, Texas
I made a spectacular find recently and I owe it all to this page in your magazine. I was returning clad halves at my local bank using their free coin-counting machine, and the machine’s bag was full.
The guy who came to replace it was a bit surly and slammed it shut when he was done and a small “brassy” yellow coin fell on the floor. It was the size of a one-cent copper coin from the Caribbean or somewhere in Africa and likely not worth much, so I just walked by and cashed in my halves.
Then I remembered one of your readers writing in to warn people never to fail to pick up a penny, “you never know what you might find.” He found a really good one once.
So after I got my money and I saw the little coin was still on the floor, I went over and bent down and there was the profile of Paul Kruger, the guy on the gold coin from South Africa, and I picked up a beautiful 1/10 ounce gold gem.
Thank you, “Coin Finds.”
Name and address withheld
My biggest find was searching through a roll of cents, hoping to find a wheat cent or two and someone had cashed in a 1982 1/10 ounce gold Krugerrand.
Mike White
Address withheld
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