Letters to the Editor (5/12/2015)

Coin counting machines yield collectible coins

To Bob Klippstein:

I read your letter to NN about your find in your local grocery store’s Coinstar coin counting machine. I would like to congratulate you on your first find, the ‘43 “steely.” I hope that it inspires you to go shopping with your wife more often.

The Coinstars are one of my most famous places to find coins “just for looking.” I’ve beenvisiting Coinstars in various stores around the Cleveland, Ohio area for at least 14 years. True, not every machine yields coins every time I pay a visit, but there are times when the mother load is recovered from the chute or something is left on the machine.

Also, if you’re not afraid of a little dumpster diving,” check around for a waste container. I’ve found coins thrown away in the small trash cans beside or near the machines.

Coinstars will reject wheat backs, old pre-Jefferson nickels, any silver coin, foreign money, play money and tokens. So, it could be very likely you might find that elusive 1909-S VDB one day in the “star.”

Your goal is probably more realistic than mine – to find a gold coin in the return chute of a “star.” (My letter about my recent “star” finds precedes yours in the April 21 issue of NN, by the way.)

Happy collecting in the “stars.”

Bill Tuttle,
Cleveland, Ohio

Four 2015 Lincoln cents found in Waupaca, Wis.

Just writing to say I found my first 2015 coinage, four 2015-D Lincoln cents that I received in change March 29 at a local grocery store.

Brandon Riedl
Waupaca, Wis.

1909-S VDB coin lost during move

Yes, I lost a coin once in fall 1983, a 1909-S VDB that I paid $220 for. I still have the receipt, but no coin.

I moved from that residence in 1992. I believe I hid the coin from my wife, being a lot of money for me to spend in 1983.

So now I tell her of most all purchases.

Ronald M. Malmgren
Oak Park Heights, Minn.

New Yorker finds new cent in Pennsylvania

Eureka, I found it, my first 2015-P Shield reverse Lincoln cent. Just like many prior years, the first coin of the year was discovered in Pennsylvania. My latest find was given back in change. As of this report no other 2015 coinage has found its way into my hands, nor my wife’s. She also checks everything, including bills.

Michael P. Schmeyer
Spencer, N.Y.

What animal is on the Kisatchie quarter?

What is this thing? It looks like a flying dinosaur.

Also, in the April 21 NN one writer on Page 20 stated that the town of Tahlequah, Okla., did not accept $20 bills. I found that hard to believe. I contacted the Mayor of Tahlequah and below is his response.

Mr. Pearson

There is no truth to this. We accept all currency minted/printed by the United States government.

Jason Nichols

Mayor – City of Tahlequah

Wayne Pearson
Union City, Ind.

Editor’s note: The bird on the Kisatchie quarter looks just like the wild turkeys that we have here in Iola. Now you know what our coins would have looked like had Benjamin Franklin succeeded in having the turkey declared the national bird.

No need for $500 bills, more dollar coins

Jack Nugent’s “Viewpoint” in the March 10 issue seems not to be thought through as does John C. Steele’s letter April 7. Each wants America to have a $500 bill, this at a time when most people do not use even $50 notes.

Yet we are told nothing as to the use of such a high value note. The last $500 notes were released in 1945 with no real information regarding their actual use. Pritings were low, indicating low expectation of need for them. There is still none.

It is the same with dollar coins. Mr. Steele suggests a 10-sided gold colored coin, with no idea of how it will not join the numerous other dollar coins not seen in circulation. Yet both gentlemen would like to see the cent retired, a coin used by millions of people every day because it is “useless.”

Mr. Renken in the April 7 issue makes sure we hear again from the “love it, or leave it” crowd. They are so far from reality they cannot see that criticism is the path to improvement. Of course, there is no guarantee that any criticism will lead to a useful result. To reject criticism is to reject reality. There are more than two sides to a controversy.

Robert McCurdy
Upper Darby, Pa.

Multiple ways to receive news from NN

Sorry but I received two e-newsletters this week from Numismatic News:

1. “Tuesday Edition” with Mr. Van Ryzin writing

2. Numismatic News Express April 28, 2015

I’m guessing the Express is part of my subscription to NN while the “Tuesday Edition” is a freebie from the publisher? I didn’t know whether I was getting a trial subscription to Bank Note Reporter or what. Which is these is part of my subscription?

Name withheld

Editor’s note: Numismatic News Express is the online-only version of Numismatic News that will be sent out 19 times in the calendar year. Combined with the 33 paper issues with a 2015 cover date, that makes up 52 issues.

The dates of upcoming issues of Numismatic News Express are May 26, June 23, July 28, Aug. 11, Aug. 25, Sept. 15, Sept. 29, Oct. 13, Oct. 27, Nov. 24, Dec. 15, Dec. 29, Jan. 12, 2016, and Jan. 19, 2016.

These are full issues of the paper.

There are also two numismatic e-newsletters that are sent out by email each week. These are fairly short, consisting of four stories each. The one on Tuesday is primarily about paper money, world coins and bullion. The one on Friday is primarily U.S coin news. These e-newsletters are freebies and they are not part of a subscription.

Go to: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis.jsp to sign up for the e-newsletters.

Visit http://www.numismaticnews.net/numismatic-news-express to sign up for the Numismatic News Express issues.

Replace dead presidents on coins with Liberty

I agree with your April 7 editorial on Page 6 that Gary Marks’ proposal doesn’t go far enough, but then neither does yours. We should redesign all the circulating coins so we could have a yearly Liberty proof set.

Also, why not paper money, too, perhaps with women on it like the recent proposal to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20.

Anyway, things appear to be moving in our direction after so many years.

Use the design for the Mark Twain $5 gold piece for our nickel. Let’s also get famous people on our coins and currency other than dead presidents.

Bob Olekson
Parma, Ohio