Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with coins

Give me your old coins!

MayNicholas — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:07:31 -0800

Looking for junk silver coins in or near Richmond Va or Front Royal Va. Willing to travel 35-45 miles from either location. Website recommendations welcome as well. Thanks!

Put in your two cents...

TigerMoth — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:57:25 -0800

KinderNumismaticsFilter: Bright kids, load of pennies--interested in sorting by date (and talking about history of that year), but how do you store 40+ piles of coins...?! Thought about simply rolling them and just labeling the rolls, but, well, meh. Hoping for something more "visible". 40+ little jars won't cut it either, sure to get toppled, pilfered, etc. Coin books only hold one per date. Need space lots of coins per year.

Might not be a good answer out there, but if there is, it's on the Blue...

Old Coins & Notes

youchirren — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:13:39 -0800

what can I do/make with foreign coins and banknotes? over the years of travel, I've acquired quite a bit of foreign banknotes and coins (the kind that you stuff in the odd place when leaving). I doubt any of them are valuable as money, but I would like to make something out of them - any ideas?

Can't make heads or tails of it

natalinha — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:19:29 -0800

I got this coin (tails, heads) in a restaurant in Paris and only later realized it was not a 2-euro coin. Does anyone know where it is from? Just curious. I searched for images of coins but only found out about other coins (usually with a 1 whatever-currency denomination) that were being used as a 2 euro coin. Also no luck trying to find it by the description (lion, 2, arabic?, 1426).

Coins kill condors.

halogen — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:04:09 -0800

This morning we saw a sign at Grand Canyon about a female condor that died from zinc poisoning following the ingestion of too many coins (presumably, it had been looking for sources of calcium in order to produce harder eggshells). Dad immediately declared that the given cause of death is untrue, since zinc in coins is inert. Prove him wrong, hive mind! Dad's no avian biologist, and while I know what happens with zinc once it's in your system, I don't know much on the subject of what happens to coins after they're swallowed. It's hard to look for relevant articles on an iPhone, that's why I'm appealing to you for help. Money and dignity are at stake.

A coin for each year

oxford blue — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:49:09 -0800

A coin a year, but the mint isn't sweet. I would like to gift my special friend with a coin from each year she was born until now. That is, from 1986 to 2009.

The problem? I cannot find an Australian coin that has been minted contiguously, going via this list. I am Australian, and live in Sydney, if that helps in anyway.

What's the best way to go about this? I guess I'll obviously have to pick and match. For most years there's at least one or two different combinations minted, but for 1986 the only coin minted was the 'peace' $1, which might be hard to find.

Would this work? Or am I just being crazy and should I find another thing to do? I have already mentioned this to her, so it might be nice to follow through.

Is there anything I've missed or am just not thinking of? I know you can buy coins, but because I am somewhat poor, I would prefer not to go this route, but maybe can spend a little if there is no other way.

Thanks for any help!

How much is my coin worth?

saoyama — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:53:06 -0800

How much is my silver coin worth? Should I wait to sell it? I was given this silver coin a long time ago but now I want/need to sell it for college expenses. It reads "United States of America One Pound Fine Silver" on one side, and "Liberty/In God We Trust" on the other. It was made in 2000. From googling I learned that it is a Silver Eagle Coin aka, I think, a bigger version of silver dollars. Knowing nothing about coins or the precious metals market, I'd like to know a) how much is my coin worth and b) is there going to be any type of increase in demand for this coin in the near future.

Can X penetrate Y?

dbarefoot — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:05:06 -0800

DensityFilter: What happens when you throw a nickel really fast at the fuselage of an F-16? I remember an old issue of The Uncanny X-Men, in which the flight-enabled, super-strong Rogue is battling some fighter jets. If I recall correctly, she throws one or more coins at the jets. The coins penetrate the planes, and they explode, or are otherwise disabled.

In reality, would this work? Is it strictly a question of the relative density of the coin and the jet's fuselage? How much does the coin's inertia matter? I got a C+ in Physics 11, or I'd answer this myself.

Do you like my pants? They're made of money!

aubilenon — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:47:16 -0800

What are some good looking world coins, the size of a US Nickel or smaller? It's for my pants. I would like to replace the buttons on all my pants with cool coins from all over. What world coins look great and are not huge.

So far I've started with the ¥100 coin, which it turns out is about as big as I can use (~22mm). A US quarter is too big to fit through the button hole.

Cashing in wheat pennies

Newstuffoldstuff — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:36:25 -0800

My 16-year-old son has about 40 rolls of wheat pennies given to him by his grandfather. What is the most efficient and cost effective way for him to cash these coins in?

Penny, nickel, dime, quarter; Who's there?

emhutchinson — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:45:46 -0800

How old were you when you learned who was on our most basic currency-- coins? When could you place them on the continuum of Presidents? And when did you learn that here in the U.S. no one living may be commemorated on currency or stamps?

I have been working as a substitute teacher and have taken this on as something of a private mission, because all my students (up to grade 6) are convinced that all those profiles are either GW Bush (still alive, as you know), "Obama! Obama!" (also alive and not yet President) or, distant third, George Washington. So what did you know, and when did you know it?

What to do with my accumulation of coins in France?

la grande chaleur — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:44:24 -0800

Dear French Mefites: what do you do with all your pocket change? I'm about to move from Paris to London and I really don't want to leave the roughly 25 Euros in 1, 2 and 5 centime denominations to the next tenants. 25 Euros could mean a pre-move pizza or two! What do you French folks do when your piggy banks overflow? I've been told that rolling change doesn't really happen here but I also haven't seen any of those nifty coin sorting machines. Any ideas? Thanks for any help.

Coin dealers in NYC?

maniabug — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:08:36 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good coin dealer in New York City? I have a bunch of old coins, I'm not sure whether any of them are worth anything, but they're cool anyway and I'd like advice on preservation. Also of course I'd want an appraisal on anything of value. I'm totally new to this, though, and don't know where good advice is to be found.

A penny for your thoughts?

1f2frfbf — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:01:43 -0800

What's a really good looking copper coin? I'm looking for a copper coin that I can polish up and give to a friend as a present. I don't want anything rare or valuable since I'm going to be polishing it using methods coin collectors would frown upon. Bonus points if it was minted in 1979.

I Wish To Squish

Squee — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:31:11 -0800

SquishFilter: What else, besides coins, could I safely place on some railroad tracks for a bit of silly fun? When I was a kid, my mom used to bring home coins for me that she would squash by placing them on the railroad tracks near her work, then collecting them later after a train passed by. I loved them, though I was never present when the squishing took place.

I live by some active railroad tracks now, and fondly think of this every time I pass by. I've still never actually done it, but someone is coming to visit me soon and I thought this was something fun and silly that we could do together during a walk past the tracks.

Then I got to thinking about what else we could squash, besides coins. I have some old flat metal keys that I don't need anymore. I thought those might be fun to try and were coin-like enough to be....y'know....safe.

I also did a bit of googling and read in passing somewhere, that someone suggested squishing rings on the railroad tracks. There wasn't much detail about it though....I've got some old metal rings that I wouldn't mind experimenting with....

Is this a bad idea, for any reason - safety, legal, or otherwise? Should I just stick with coins?

Has anyone squashed anything with success on railroad tracks besides coins, before? Suggestions welcome. Please feel free to thwack me mercilessly if this is a bad idea, or chatfilter.

Gift for my hard-to-buy-for groomsman.

Bezuhin — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:39:13 -0800

Gift for a coin collector? I'm getting married. I'm put off by the typical crap they try to push on you for groomsmen gifts (cufflinks, monogrammed shot glasses, etc.), so I'm trying to make the gifts I give my groomsmen something I know they'll appreciate. For example, I'm getting one of my groomsmen the whole DVD run of the new Battlestar Galactica because I know he'll like it and I know he's not the kind of person to buy it for himself. One of my other groomsmen, however, makes enough money such that if he really wanted something, he could just buy it for himself. So, I'm trying to buy him something that he doesn't know he wants but that he'll like. He's a bit of a numismatist, but I know nothing about the hobby. What coin(s) can I get for around $150 that my hard-to-buy-for groomsman will like? Any suggestions on where to buy them in the DC area without getting ripped off?

1963 was a good year for pennies

qvtqht — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:27:18 -0800

Why do 1960s pennies look different? I have noticed that that a lot of 1960s U.S. pennies (one-cent coins) look significantly different from other years.

For example, this 1963 penny on my desk has a shinier surface and a slightly more orange tint than all of the others. It also seems rounded away from the edge on the "heads" side, and a more rounded profile of Lincoln that also protrudes further.

All I could find online was that pennies were bronze until 1962, and then brass from 1962-1982. However, the 1970s and early 1980s pennies I have look nothing like this. I also remember seeing a 1968 penny that did look this way.

Was there something special about the minting process in the 1960s?

Creative ways to give coins as a gift

acoutu — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:25:06 -0800

What are some creative ways to give rolled coins as a gift? I'm planning to give my grandma rolled coins as a gift. She now lives in an apartment with coin-op laundry. She finds it troublesome and expensive to scrape together coins. I'd like to give her rolled coins as a gift. What are some inventive ways to present the money? It's okay if the solution involves some unrolled coins, too, but I don't want this to be messy for her. Bonus points for a solution that helps her store or sort the coins. It's also okay to involve other items, although I don't want to spend too much on anything else.

Her interests include TV, reading and crocheting. She's in her 80s and has a good sense of humour. She is overwhelmed with gifts of soap and bath stuff and she'd probably crack up if the rolled coin gift somehow looked like it was going to be more (dreaded) bath items. She's got six kids and 13 grandkids (and about a dozen great-grandkids), most of whom are of modest means, so you can imagine how many gifts of bubble bath and what-not she gets. Thanks.

How do I clean a filthy pile of everyday American coins?

sidereal — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:30:40 -0800

How do I clean a filthy pile of everyday American coins? Nota Bene: These are NOT collector coins.

I have a pile of American coins - pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters - that have accumulated in my car in a place under the dashboard where you toss things (I'm sorry, I don't know how else to describe it.)

They have accumulated over many months, and the copper pennies are a bit oxidized, and the rest of the lot are gummy from spilled drinks (colas, coffee) and the vagaries of heat, cold and humidity.

It's not a lot of cash, but I can't tender them at any reputable place without offending anyone due to their filthiness, and I can't put them in machines, they'll gum up the whole works. It would be silly to throw them away, but they just aren't usable at this point.

My web searches turn up a lot of useful information about cleaning precious or collectible coins, which is not helpful. (Actually, the advice on those is DON'T, you'll ruin their value.)

Is there a simple way to launder (ha ha) this money without resorting to Aqua Regia, or scrubbing each and every one individually? Some magic combination of vinegar, ammonia and shoe polish in a Crock Pot or something?

Extra points for telling me what that place under the dashboard where you toss things is called. Also tell me if there's a better category for this other than "grab bag", kthxbai

Anyone have experience or advice on selling Gold Krugerrand coins online?

pleuroma — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 05:54:01 -0800

My wife has some gold coins (South African Gold Krugerrand Coins - One Ounce) left to her by her grandparents and is looking to sell them. We live in East TN (Knoxville area). Any luck selling Krugerands in TN or online? There are a couple of places online that will buy them (goldmastersusa.com is one) and we are a little weary of sending in $3500 in gold coins to NY by mail. Please give us some advice or other options. Thanks hivemind.

Trash or cash?

Mister_A — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:10:35 -0800

How can I go about getting an assortment of old books, jewelry, silverware, furniture, coins, currency, and papers assessed? I came into possession of a sizable lot of old things, some possessing obvious value, a few obviously junk, and most in the middle somewhere. How to go about assessing this motley assortment? Note that I don't have an unlimited budget, and I'm in Philadelphia. Bonus points for hot info on old stock certificates.

Fitty Cent

spicynuts — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:57:24 -0800

Coin collections - what is the best way to find a fair and honest appraisal for about a hundred coins? My mom and I finally got around to looking at the coins stored in a safe deposit box by my grandfather. Mostly it consists of a crap load of Kennedy half dollars, silver dollars, wheat pennies, early 1900s pennies, nickels and dimes and a bunch of random oddities like a 1780s George III (I think) English coin. From my experience as a kid with coin dealers I recall that it can be quite a shady and dishonest business. I'm not sure if that has changed at all since the late 70s. Does anyone have suggestions as to how to get a straigthforward appraisal in the New York City of Hudson Valley area? Are there good websites for this kind of thing?

Coins, Coins and More Coins

SoftSummerBreeze — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 08:59:49 -0800

How do I determine the value of a safe full of old coins? Dear old Dad died a few years back leaving close to a century of history for us to sift through. Most of it's been divided up amongst us kids, but what remains is the most difficult. Dad collected coins for as far back as I can remember. What we've got is a small safe full of coin books - some complete, some not - old film canisters with misc. coins, little bags of coins, etc. etc. etc.

The few coins that I've taken to a local coin dealer have resulted in less than spectacular results. A 99% book of coins was valued at just a few dollars over face value! Surely coins dating back to the early 1900s and beyond should be worth more than that, no?

How do I go about finding a reputable coin dealer in the SF Bay area? How do I know who will give me an honest assessment of their worth and who is trying to snow me for their own profit?

Currently all the coins are in the original state, packaged as mentioned above. Do I start by inventorying (?) all the coins, or ... ?

What to do with an old coin collection?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:14:20 -0800

Should I sell my COIN COLLECTION, and how would I go about it? I have a large collection of old American coins. I'd purchased many as a kid, but the majority of them that hold any significant value are a large number of silver Morgan Dollars and Peace Dollars that I'd found in a cigar box after my grandmother died in 1989. My question is in two parts....

(1) Should I sell the coin collection? With interest rates at, say, ING Direct, now at 4.25%, and with other invesements types out there too (like mutual funds), it seems to me that I could make better money those ways instead. The value of old coins don't go up more than 4% annually, do they?

(2) How would I go about selling them? Not only do I not have the expertise, but I have so many of those silver dollars too that it'd be much too time-consuming for me to look up and estimate each one's value myself. But, if I take them to a dealer, how I do I know if he or she will be suggesting the proper price for each piece? I don't want to get conned, of course. What would you recommend?

Thank you!

Coin Redemption

erd0c — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 07:32:00 -0800

I have this ridiculously large collection of change. I want to redeem it for cash. I don't want to use CoinStar and pay a percentage. I don't want to sit there and make little rolls either. Anyone have any creative ideas? or tools/devices to assist in this matter? Call me Lazy... Thanks