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The Great American Coin Hunt Has Arrived

Great American Coin Hunt

By CoinWeek Staff Reports …..
Coinciding with National Coin Week (April 21-28), hundreds of the country’s leading coin dealers and collectors will be also celebrating the first Great American Coin Hunt by releasing a treasure trove of collectible vintage coins and paper money notes into circulation. This will mark the first time since the 1960s that it will be possible to find many of these coins in pocket change and for the astute, it will be a chance to really turn a profit!

The Evolution of Pocket Change Finds

The 1960s marked an ending of sorts for a whole generation of coin collectors.

In 1965, Congress voted to establish a new metallic standard for America’s circulating dime, quarter dollar, and half dollar coins. The dime and quarter, which had been struck in 90% silver since the earliest years of the United States Mint, were now to be struck in base metal. The half dollar would see it’s silver content reduced from 90% to 40%.

In the years immediately following this change of tenor, the Mint struck billions of dimes and quarters, and hundreds of millions of half dollars. The dime and quarter denominations saw their use in commerce explode, in large measure due to the increasing numbers of coin-operated vending machines.

The half dollar, on the other hand, quickly became obsolete. Few circulated and by the early 1980s, the half dollar saw about as much usage as the failed Susan B. Anthony dollar.

One of the most dramatic effects on the hobby to come from the Coinage Act of 1965 and the subsequent shift from silver to clad was the mass exodus of silver coins from circulation.


Bob Green from Park Avenue Numismatics talks with NBC News about the National Coin Hunt and placing rare coin and tokens into the marketplace, MusT See !
 

Overnight, silver coins became intrinsically more valuable that clad coins and even though, at the outset, the silver content found in each coin was worth less than face value, it was only a matter of years before the price of silver rose to the point that the basal value of silver coins exceeded face.

Speculation in the future value of these coins meant that the classic designs–which typically circulated for 30, 40, or 50 years or more–were no longer encountered in change.

This meant that a means by which generations of coin collectors first came into contact with the hobby would no longer be available as nearly all of the coins in circulation would be of recent vintage and lacking in rarity.

A Nationwide Movement of Coin Dealers and the Mint Look to Change This

Practical realities dictate that we will never again experience a period of widespread circulation of obsolete silver coins. Nevertheless, a group of coin dealers and collectors, led by Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers founder Rob Oberth, are looking to change the way Americans look at change.

Great American Coin Hunt

On April 21, hundreds of dealers and collectors will be seeding America’s pocket change with millions of vintage coins from the 1800s, including Indian and Lincoln “wheat” cents from 1859-1958, Indian Head and Liberty Head nickels from 1883-1938, silver dimes from the 19th and first half of the 20th century, silver quarters, half dollars, and Ike dollars. The group will also distribute vintage one, two, five, and ten dollar notes. Rob Oberth plans to make one lucky person’s day by spending a gold coin. Other dealers throughout the country will mark the event in their own unique ways.

The United States Mint learned about Oberth’s plan to infuse collectible coins in pocket change last year and worked to create its own chase coin for circulation. As a result, on April 1, the Mint mixed into circulation two million quarter dollars bearing the W mintmark of the West Point Mint.

Typically, quarters in circulation are struck at Philadelphia or Denver and carry the P or D mintmarks. The release of W-mint quarters marks the first time the West Point mint ever struck a coin for circulation.

The first circulating coin denomination to feature the West Point mint’s W mintmark was a collector-only issue of the Roosevelt dime that was included in the 1996 mint set. The only way a 1996-W dime would enter into circulation would be if a collector cut the dime out of its cellophane wrapper and spent it purposefully.

 

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24 COMMENTS

  1. I love that Dealers stepped up and honored the Numismatic true treasure, the customer. The Dealers were generous, creative and tried there best to address The Next Big Thing in the Numismatic Society. Good luck to everyone and thank you to all Dealers that stepped up.
    Now unless you find more Dealers for every year or half year, this is a short time fix to The Next Big Thing. It’s time to except the fact that NORFED Liberty Dollars are legal to buy sell collect and trade. They are Beautiful, High Quality, many are Rare or Scarce while there are many that are eady to obtain. You can find them on eBay and other sites. ANACS slabs them. It’s time to except a true Numismatic Treasure Hunt for years to come. It’s possible but takes a real challenge to assembly sets.
    Once again, I salute every Dealer that stepped up, THANK YOU!

  2. Is a 1923 peace dollar worth anything, how about a 1964,and 1974 Kennedy half dollar, and a Susan b Anthony dollar. Are any of these worth anything.

  3. I’ve got small Collection like to sell . Approximately. 20 Morgan Silver Dollars 1880 and up . Had hundreds of “V” Nickels , local Pawn/Coin Guy said wasn’t worth nothing ?? Sold all Mercury Dimes for slug weight. I believe he ripped me off. Have few dimes , nickels , quarters left , have approx. 1500 wheat pennies.
    Twenty (20) $2 red seal $5 blue/silver seal. 1928-1934-1947-1953 are the years all Great Quality , Clarity , pne misprinted $2 1928 f bill??? Like to sell ASAP

  4. more hyper bullshit from a dishonest group,aka coin dealers along with the plunge in coin prices aka ebay. good luck people!

  5. You look in a book the coins worth $100 you go to a coin dealer he wants to give you $25 and make $75 on it himself this is not right why do most all coin dealer do this

  6. I have a nice 2019 P Dime in nice mint condition with some error can on the back
    Would like send some pictures to someone check out for me

  7. I just heard about the Great American Coin Hunt of 2019. I have a Mission 2019 Quarter with the W for the mintmark. Is it worth anything since it’s now dec of 2020

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