1968 Guatemala 5 Centavos

Do you have a Guatemala coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment

Ignoring that Canada just gave up on the one cent coin and that Greece may abandon the Euro I will continue looking through my vaults. I am happy with the fact that I collected these regular coins now that they are going.

This Guatemalan type coin has had 18 different remakes the last being in 2010. It seems to still be in use and being smaller than a U.S. dime it is also probably is cheap to make. Let us hope it lasts.

REPUBLICA DE GUATEMALA 1968

5 CENTAVOS -Kapok tree- LIBRE CREZCA FECUNDO (GROW FREE FERTILE)

This tiny coin has a great tree design.  The front has a very detailed design too which amazes me since the coin is so small.
 
Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 5 Centavos / Guatemala
Year: 1968
Mintage: 4,030,000
Metal: Copper-Nickel
Value: $0.07 in VF

Do you have a coin from Guatemala and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Goodbye Canada Cent

Via Yahoo:

Canada to pull the penny from circulation

The Canadian government announced on Thursday that it plans to pull the penny from circulation at the end of 2012, saying the copper-coated currency is more expensive for the Royal Canadian Mint to produce than its actual currency value.

"Pennies take up too much space on our dressers at home. They take up far too much time for small businesses trying to grow and create jobs," said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. He also said it costs 1.5 cents to produce each penny.

"We will, therefore, stop making them," he said.

Nonetheless, the news has been causing quite a stir across Twitter today.

The U.S. faces a similar dilemma, where it costs nearly two cents to produce a single penny. U.S. pennies are in fact composed primarily of zinc, and have a thin copper coating. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Obama Administration has proposed using less expensive materials in the production of pennies and nickels, but public misinformation on the perceived value of coins would likely stir up controversy.

It could also be disastrous news for at least one Portland, Oregon, nightclub.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama discussed phasing out the penny, saying, "We have been trying to eliminate the penny for quite some time—it always comes back. I need to find out who is lobbying to keep the penny." However, Obama said that fellow presidential Illinois native Abraham Lincoln shouldn't be phased out from our currency. "Oh, you think it's Illinois? You're blaming us?" he joked. "I will seriously consider eliminating the penny as long as we find another place for Lincoln to land." Lincoln, of course, already graces the front of the $5 bill.

The Canadian penny will still be accepted indefinitely as a form of currency, but the government says it will eventually require cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five-cent increment. Customers are already forbidden from using more than 25 pennies in a single purchase.

"The penny has simply outlived its purpose," said Senator Irving Gerstein. "It is a piece of currency, quite frankly, that lacks currency."

The Associated Press notes that some countries have already eliminated pennies or their monetary equivalent from circulation, including Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland and Brazil.

 

Just one more year of this.

2002 Greece 20 Euro Cent

Do you have a Greek coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment

This was one of the first Euros I found before I started this blog. Since I am going through all my old coins it finally made an appearance. The first and most common of the Greek 20 Euro Cents it was minted at the Greek National Mint in Athens. This is known because it does not have a mint mark letter under the date in the star.

Greek Euros from 2002 sometimes had little mintmark letters hidden in a star.

 

The ones with mint marks were made outside of Greece. They tend to have more value since they were made in lesser amounts.

Type/Country: 20 Euro Cents / Greece
Year: 2002
Mintage: 208,940,055
Metal: Brass
Value: $1.25 in Uncirculated

Do you have any coin from Greece and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1985 British Pound

Do you have British penny and want to know its value? Leave a comment

I am always confused what to call them. Are they British coins, coins from the United Kingdom, or coins from Great Britain? It is the third most common coin I have behind the U.S. and Canada. I have either found or got in coin lots 227 British coins most in the past fifteen years.

 

 

 

 

 

Love that edge it says + PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD which means either True To My Land or True am I to my country. Either way it is Welsh with goes with the yummy Welsh leek on the reverse. The edge is both reeded and incused with words to stop counterfeiting. Unfortunately it has not worked with up to 3% of all pound coins circulating are estimated to be fake, that is 41 million coin.

So a few years ago when American dollar coins got edge lettering it was in response to the growing South American counterfeiters. Columbia in particular have faked American dollar coins for a few cent each and flooded that and surrounding countries since American money is more stable and legal to use.  

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Pound / Great Britain
Year: 1985
Mintage: 228,431,000
Metal: Nickel-Brass
Value: $1.59 in VF (very-fine)

These British coins take up a lot of space in the vault, by that I mean a fat envelope in a shoe box, and most have retained face value if not more.

Update: Just wanted to add some US Dollar vs British Pound coin comparisons.

 

The British Pound is much thicker but a smaller diameter which makes it better to use, but do not expect that to happen in the U.S. since coin machines would have to be redone costing millions.

Do you have a coin from Great Britain and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1991 Ghana 100 Cedis

Do you have a Ghana coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment

Like other coins from other African countries this is the one and only Ghana coin I own. African money, even in coin lots, are less likely to travel out of that continent. Many factors like distance, economics, and more make finding them difficult for cheap or free.

· GHANA · FREEDOM AND JUSTICE (center cocoa beans on plant)

19 -- 100 -- 91 -- CEDIS -- (center shield with lion)

Also like other African coins this one has been demonetized. New money dated 2007 or later is what is in use now. 10,000 old Cedis equals 1 new Cedi so that is about $0.0056436 in U.S. dollars. Again exchange rate value is meaningless compared to metal value which should be about $0.10. Collectors value is where it really wins. Since there was an unknown minted, an unknown recycled, and a short three year run this makes it have a higher value

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 100 Cedis / Ghana
Year: 1991
Mintage: Unknown
Metal: Bi-Metallic: Brass center, Copper-Nickel ring
Value: $1.75 in Extra-Fine

Do you have a coin from Ghana and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2006 $1 Star Note K-*

Do you have star note and want to know its value? Leave a comment

See what happens when you buy a pack of Entenmann's Frosted Raspberry Donuts at the supermarket. First you get some slightly moist less than par donuts. Second you get a star note in your change because you chose to use cash. Although next time I will go back to there Cinnamon Crunch Loaf.

Back to the note before this tuns into a foodie's blog.

Halfway through March and my finds are falling behind recent years. Usually I would have well over a dozen interesting finds but I am not even up to ten. Again this was predictable since my use of cash has reached Swedish levels. This note was a nice find since I have been making an extra effort to look for odd notes. I mean might as well triple check my money since I hardly use it.

Here's the stats for this bill...
Type/Federal Bank: $1 Star Note Fort Worth / Dallas
Year: 2006
Printings: 3,200,000
Printed: January 2010
Run: 1st and only from K00000001* - K03200000*
Value: $2.50 VF(this one is less)

Do you have currency and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1977-A Germany, Democratic Republic Mark

Do you have a coin from Germany and want to know its value? Leave a comment

Germany is listed under six different names Standard Catalog of World Coins - 1901-2000 by Krause. German States, Germany, Germany; Weimar Republic, Germany; Third Reich, Germany; Federal Republic, and Germany; Democratic Republic. So while it is generally the same land the governments were so different they are listed separately.

DEUTSCHE DEMOKRATISCHE ❁ REPUBLIK ❁

* * * * * * * * * * * * * (13 Stars on edge)

A over 1 over MARK over 1977

Guess again. What is the most common of all of this type of 1 Mark coins?
Yes, 1977 is the most common by an average of 100 million over the normal minting.

Under the K in DEMOKRATISCHE is what looks like a die crack but this is an aluminum coin so it could be damage. Seeing how so many were made die breaks must have been common so I will not research this one.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Mark / Germany, Democratic Republic
Year: 1977A
Mintage: 119,813,000
Metal: 100% Aluminum
Value: $0.50 in VF

I think I got this one from an uncle who worked for the airlines in the 1970s.

Do you have a German coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Selling Change Finds

Did you sell a coin after asking me the value? Leave the results in comments

I got this great response from a recent commenter:

Hi, Man, Regarding the 1955NSF I posted about a couple months ago, just thought you and your posters would like to know, it sold on ebay for $180.00  

My response: 

Congrats, this is why I always recommend eBay.

I think this was it...
Canada cents I had saved up, found a 1955 NSF in about VG/fine

About $85.00 it should be verified in hand.

I assumed VG and gave the lowest average value, yours sold for $180 meaning it either is a higher grade or you are great eBayer.

Follow up response:

Hi, Man, It's all in the photos, thanks

At the time I quoted $85.00 the average auction values were low now they average $140.00 in VG and $160.00 in Fine. Now with this sale I see the trend is going higher.
Things the seller did right:

1. Posted clear shots of both sides
2. Posted the I in DEI that shows the variety clearly
3. Has a 100% positive feedback rating
4. Coin looks higher than VG

This response makes me so happy since I am always worried that I say something is high value and someone tried selling it and it got little to no value. This is the reason I tend to take the low range of values. Please understand these value I say are the least you should accept (at that moment in time) and if you are a good seller there is no limit to what you can get.

Did you sell a coin after asking me the value? Leave the results in comments

2003-F German 20 Euro Cent

Do you have a Euro from Germany and want to know its value? Leave a comment

The most common German 20 Euro Cent from 2003-2011 is?

That is right this 2003-F and it is no surprise that I have one. When collecting from change or buying coin lots expect to get the most common of any type of coin. It is a numbers game and the larger the mintage the better chance to find any particular coin.

This edge notched coin is so shiny and golden that is was difficult to capture on this partially cloudy day. The Brandenburg Gate really stands out, as well as the map on the front.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 20 Euro Cent / Germany
Year: 2003-F
Mintage: 82,400,000
Metal: Brass / Nordic Gold: Copper 89%, Aluminum 5%, Zinc 5%, and Tin 1%
Value: $0.50 in XF

Do you have a Euro coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1925-A Germany Weimar Republic 10 Reichspfennig

Do you have a German coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment

The most common of all Weimar Republic 10 Reichspfennig is the 1925A one. Guess which is the only one I own, whoops I gave it away in the post title.

DEUTSCHES REICH  10  REICHSPFENNIG

A 1925

Check out that stylized 2 it looks like a 9. The wheat with stalks that form a triangle or pyramid with the mint mark above it all look like art deco from the 1920s. Of course this coin is from that time and European but I am not sure if the style influenced the coin or did the coin influence the style.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 10 Reichspfennig / Germany-Weimar Republic
Year: 1925 A
Mintage: 102,319,000
Metal: Aluminum-Bronze
Value: $0.50 in VF

Do you have a coin from Germany and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1946-D Dime

Do you have a dime and want to know its value? Leave a comment

Told you it is possible to find anything in your change. After fifteen months of no silver I got this silver dime in my change two days ago. Just normal change from a supermarket. I noticed the 1946 before anything else, I did not even check the edge to prove it was silver.

Things of note for this particular dime:

1. It is worn, weighs 2.47 grams (normal should be 2.50 grams)
2. The front is caked with something brown (the less I think about it the better)
3. The back is scratched from rim to rim (all value above good is gone)

In case you are looking for the D mint mark it is under the RIB.  This is my first 1946-D I found from my change. I think the dark and crusty nature of the coin let it pass from hand to hand without being plucked out. As I wash my hand for the hundredth time since finding this coin I do it with a smile because it is still silver. 

Here's the stats for this dime...
Type/Country: 10 Cents / United States
Year: 1946 D
Mintage: 61,043,500
Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Value: $2.46 in G-4 (a silver value of $2.458, a copper value of $0.002)

Do you have a silver coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment / question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1917 German 10 Pfennig (Zinc no beads)

Do you have a German coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment

There are three types of 1917 German 10 Pfennig and about ten if you add mint marks and mules. Also the weight and thickness varies on these zinc versions. Aside from the U.S. and the U.K. the next most collectable and scrutinized coins are from Germany.

· DEUTSCHES REICH · 10 PFENNIG 1917

Notice the border is not beads but more rope or braid like.

Since the coin is zinc it is oxidizing but not to bad. I mean it is 95 years old so it is really not bad at all.

Average weight was 3.23 grams with an expected range from 3.10 - 3.60 grams. That said this one is light at 3.02 grams. Not sure what significance that holds but since this is a low value coin I would doubt this is a fake. Since the average weight is low I think the range of weights should be adjusted.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 10 Pfennig / Germany
Year: 1917
Mintage: 75,073,000
Metal: Zinc
Weight: 3.02 grams
Value: $0.10 in F

Do you have a coin from Germany and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Die Polished Cent

Do you have a variety cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment

Also known as an abraded die variety but not an error. When a die used to mint coins becomes overused, deteriorated, or clashed the mint guys and gals file it smoothish. Since the dies are hardened steel and very tough polishing them takes extra strength and leaves tracks behind. 

 

 

Can you see the rippled field on the above pictures?

Many people think it is an error but it is not. Polishing can be called a variety with no extra value. If you are wondering why the field of the coin has lines and not the design think about for a second. The die is an inverse of the coin so the high point is not the Lincoln Memorial instead it is the blank field. The words and all other design elements are sunk in on the die and would not be affected when polished.

There is the reason for possible polishing. The die started to break.

The obverse is normal.

The front and back dies are often changed at different times so just because the back has polish marks does not mean the front should.


Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent / United States
Year: 1991
Mintage: 5,165,940,000
Metal: 97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper
Value: $0.01 in VF-20 even with the die polishing

Do you have a cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

2001 France Euro

Do you have a Euro from France and want to know its value? Leave a comment

French coins in my collection:

• 2nd most common foreign find at 160 coins
• 3rd highest in collectors value at 160 coins = $34.33, about $0.21 per coin
• 4th most common if including U.S. and Canada
• Oldest 1900 10 Centimes, Newest 2007 Euro Cent

I have featured other French Euros but this is a true Euro and not some fraction of one. Cannot remember where or when I got it but it was fairly close the release year.

LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ (LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY) 20 01

 

Another stylized tree on a coin but this one is very modern looking. The front has the first Euro countries map, since 2007 they added more countries.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Euro  / France
Year: 2001
Mintage: 150,251,624
Metal: Bi-Metallic: Copper-Nickel Center, Brass Ring
Value: $1.35 in XF

Do you have a French Euro coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.