Letters to the Editor (Apr. 3, 2018)

First Philadelphia cent shows up at a restaurant

I received my first 2018 cents in change at a restaurant in Concord, N.C. on Feb. 26.

Bill Watts
Concord, N.H.

Counterfeit Morgan dollar shows widespread problem

As a long-timer subscriber to Numismatic News, I am constantly amazed by the out-of-touch-with-reality situation at the U.S. Mint. Since they have received no complaints about counterfeit U.S. coins, maybe mine will be the first. I have a 1889-CC Morgan dollar that is counterfeit. I obtained it recently as a throw-in to a bunch of Morgans that I was purchasing. It is not in mint state condition, which would have aroused suspicion quickly, but is worn and darkened. I weighed it and found it to be a bit light, the “CC” mintmark looks phony, and it doesn’t have a sliver “Ring” sound. I took it to a local reputable dealer who verified my suspicions.

Can I mail this counterfeit to you and ask you to forward it to the Mint so they will finally realize that there is a true problem? Should I use the address listed in the title page of the magazine?

Paul Kubala
Rootstown, Ohio

Editor’s note: Keep it for now. Perhaps the industry Council for Tangible Assets will want it in the future. The issue with the Mint presently is not lack of evidence but lack of interest on their part. Let’s see what other readers have to say.

That looks like an 1888-O not an 1880-O silver dollar

I LOVE LOVE NN ... been getting it since day 1 ... I still wish you’d put out maybe once a year a Canada coin price guide ... but last time you said no way ... on page 54 I hope you know by now that your 1880-O silver dollar is actually an 1888 ... yes its no biggy at all – but just a comment to make your publication even better than an A grade publication – Have a super year ... Take care.

Gary Kruesel
Address withheld

Editor’s note: That is indeed the wrong photograph. Sorry. Thanks for writing.

Coinstar reject chutes yield interesting finds

In a recent “Best of buzz” column, Mr. Harper asks us readers “When was the last time you found a silver coin in your change?”

It wasn’t exactly in my change, but it was in circulation – left in the reject chute of a Coinstar counting machine. It is a 1960-D FDR dime. But wait! There’s more! Going farther back in time, I’ve also collected a 1956-D quarter and another silver dime dated 1964 recently.

The oldest silver coin I found (again in the Coinstar reject) was an 1857 Trime (three-cent piece). How was this in circulation for 160 years without being culled out by some collector before me? I don’t know. All those years passing for a dime? I doubt it.

Most likely it was somebody’s lucky coin until an heir gathered up all Grandpa’s (or Great Grandpa’s) loose change from a forgotten desk drawer and taken to the Coinstar. We’ll never really know. (If coins could talk!)

Bill Tuttle,
Cleveland, Ohio

First new coin finds not happening in Queens

I read your Feb. 16 column regarding reports of 2018 coins in commerce. I am a collector who lives in New York City and specifically in the Borough of Queens.

Regarding the premise that new coins typically appear in major cities on the Atlantic seaboard, based on 30 years of collecting from circulation, I believe the opposite is true. When I read these annual columns, I feel like I am missing out.

I rarely see the current year’s coins in pocket change before summer. Dimes are usually the first to appear in May or June. Quarters and cents typically appear in late summer and that year’s nickels appear in the fall. The current year’s cents continue to be rare until around November, when every drawer has a roll of new cents.

New coins first appear at big-box retailers, such as Home Depot, Stop and Shop (northeast grocery store), or McDonald’s. I see the current year’s coins at stores in the suburbs of Long Island before I do in Manhattan. (I used to work across the street from the Federal Reserve).

When I travel to the Midwest, or even Pennsylvania or western New York, I often see that year’s coins for the first time.

Certainly your information is probably based on real statistics on where the treasury delivers coins, but invariably, in New York City, those coins must be sitting in banks or coin distributors or somewhere until late in the year. I am not seeing them.

Also, in case you are wondering half dollars are no longer accessible at banks in this area and must be special-ordered. Regarding silver coins, they come in waves. One year, I will find several dimes and maybe a quarter. Then five years with nothing will go by, before I get another lucky year.

Wheat cents going back to the 1920s and Jeffersons going back to 1940 come around all the time. However, its been about 10 years since I picked up a war nickel in change.

Clark Whitsett
Richmond Hill, N.Y

New 2018 cents appear in another town

I responded recently about not having received a current year coin. Just this week have begun seeing 2018 cents. Still no 2017-D though. Cents are the only ones so far.

Steven B. Gray
Sylva, N.C

Reader questions grade of silver dollar rarity

Can you tell me how PCGS can assign a grade of Proof-65 for the Dexter specimen of the 1804 Draped Bust dollar?

If God himself punched a “G” in the cloud on the reverse, it would come back as “ Unc details – Graffiti.”

Name withheld

Now the new year nickels have begun to arrive

I just received three 2018-D Jefferson nickels in change at the CasaBlanca Casino & Resort in Mesquite, Nev.

Roger Putzler
Albany, Ore.

Back to nickels after nearly half a century

Got a kick out of the Ginger Rapsus article on Jefferson nickels. It was very much like my own experience with Jeffersons that I started as a boy back in the 1950s. After completing my various type sets I saw my unfinished nickels with 1959 the last coins in the album. Found two 1950-Ds back then. I decided to complete my set using only what I found in circulation. Took me five months and some 50,000+ nickels later with the 1954-P the last one.

My wife asked how much is this last treasure worth? I replied “less than 50 cents” so why don’t I just buy it? Really?! I guess she just didn’t get it!

Frank Henry
Address withheld

What’s the matter with your eyesight, Mr. editor?

I know that at the beginning of a new calendar year many publications make the error of using the date for the previous year by mistake, i.e., Numismatic News first issue of this year was dated 2017 rather than 2018.

But come Mr. Harper, your proof reader needs a break. Here it is March 8, 2018, and I just received my March 6 edition and lo and behold the Mint Statistics page is showing sales figures for the 2017 Commemorative Coins I do believe the box for these coins, World War I commemoratives should read 2018 Commemorative Coins.

Gerald d’Aquin
Harvey, La.

Editor’s note: Thanks for spotting the error.

More Collecting Resources

• Are you a U.S. coin collector? Check out the 2019 U.S. Coin Digest for the most recent coin prices.

• Check out the newly-updated Standard Catalog of World Coins, 2001-Date that provides accurate identification, listing and pricing information for the latest coin releases.