Dual Dates

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

My latest find is nothing too special. The 1992 Canadian ten cents is very common but it has something extra, a second date.

Dual date coins often commemorate some anniversary in this case the 125th birthday of Canada. In some foreign coins they have dual dates in different languages or for a leader's reign. The United States most famous dual dates were in 1976 for the country's bicentennial. Since then many U.S. coins have two or more dates thanks to the special quarter program.

Usually the dates are the year of issue and one in the past. Although coins dated with a future date are seen. The 2003 Missouri quarter has four dates 1821 (year it became a state), 1804 (year of discovery), 2004 (anniversary of discovery), and 2003 (year of issue).

When describing a coin with dual or multiple dates most of the time the oldest date is the official date. Better is to describe all the dates, rarely is the earliest date the issue date.

Sometimes I get frustrated when someone says..
Commenter: "I got a 10 cent Canada coin from 1867"
Man: "Not possible it doesn't exist."
Commenter: "Yeah I found in my change it is new and from 1867"
Man: "Can you describe it?"
Commenter: "Well it has a boat, Queen Elizabeth II, and looks like other Canadian 10 cents."
Man: "Does it have a 1992?"
Commenter: "Yes, but it's from 1867."
Man: Hmmmmmmmmmmm......

I understand you don't have to be an expert on coins but a little bit of scientific analysis. Some common cents sense when looking at the coin.

Here's the stats...
Type / Country: 10 Cents / Canada
Year: 1992 (1867-)
Mintage: 174,476,000
Metal: 100% Nickel
Value: $0.10 in Fine

Do you have a foreign 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.

2003 $2 Bill, I-B

Do you have a $2.00 bill and want to find out its value? Leave a comment

Rarity, scarcity, or just plain old hard to find. Most likely the latter because $2.00 notes are not rare or particularly valuable. Yet to receive one in your change is very unlikely. The only scarcer form of U.S. money to get as change is the half dollar coin.

The only reason I got these two $2.00 bills is that the I knew the cashier. Which is a major point since people have been arrested when other cashiers have not recognized these bills and the local uninformed authorities gets involved.

The worst forms of money to use in the U.S. are as follows:

1. $2.00 bill - Seldom seen, believed to be fake or no longer legal.
2. Susan B. Anthony dollar coin - Seldom seen, believed to be fake or a quarter.
3. Half dollar coin - Seldom seen, believed to be fake or no longer legal.
4. Older bills without the strip or watermark - Believed to be fake or no longer legal.
5. Golden dollars - Believed to be fake or too bulky fit in register.

The look you get these days when using cash in some places is almost the same as you get if you stepped in mud and tracked it into their store. Go ahead try to explain it's just mud nothing worse but still you soiled their business. If cash gets this reaction then these rarely used notes or coins gets a "you fully stepped in it now" look.

Now a look at the offenders.

It has been years since I got any $2.00 bills and never from 2003.

These circulating notes were only issued for the Minneapolis, MN Federal Reserve Bank but collectible star notes were issued from the other 11 Federal Reserve Banks.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 2 Dollars / United States
Year: 2003
Date Printed: October 2003
Printings: 121,600,000
Run: 2nd in the I00000001B - I25600000B group
Value: $2.00 in Fine(one is fine the other not so much)

I would like to state clearly these notes are real and legal. While I'm not sure about the local state laws they should be accepted without incident.

Do you have a two dollar bill 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.

Broken 1957D Cent

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

Back in early 2008 I found a 1957-D cent that was red and brilliant it was amazing that it came from my change. Post here, pictures here and here.

Now a little over a year and I found one in a lesser grade. The problem with this is it may be Doubled Die either a 1957D-1DO-001 or 1957D-1DO-004 or one of the 12 other minor doubling. The doubling on most 1957-D cents are so minor that they can only be seen in high grades.

Late Die Stage or LDS is the stage in the die (used to press the coin) right before it is taken out of service or has been polished again for further use. LDS markers include multiple scratch lines, die breaks, and weak details.

Enough of the technical stuff see the coin and point out the issues.

You can clearly see the B in LIBERTY is half filled. The 95 in 1957 are also partially filled and on the reverse the second U in UNUM is filled.
Were this picture and better you could the entire 1957 has extra metal and so does the D below the date.

All in all if I could dub this a doubled die variety it would be worth at most $1.00. Not much of incentive to research further.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent / United States
Year: 1957D
Mintage: 1,051,342,000
Metal: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
Value: $0.05 in F-12 plus the die breaks that may mean something more

Do you have an older 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.

Second day of the Fourth of July

Do you have a nickel and want to find out its value? Leave a comment

Happy Independence Day

Lets commemorate with a modern classic that is easily overlooked. Before 2004 we had 65 years if the same nickel design. Add to that the thickness of a nickel makes it very stable. A 1938 nickel looks the same as a 1988 nickel and a quick glance would have most people paying it forward.

Granted most nickel are common still a 69 year old coin in your change is something special.

Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence. I know the most about him from his architectural works. Studying his architectural planning for what he did for the University of Virginia is amazing. He can be credited with giving America it's Greek and Roman style and set the stage for campus life.

This explains why Monticello is on the back of past and current nickels.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 5 Cents / United States of America
Year: 1940
Mintage: 176,485,000
Metal: 75% copper 25% nickel
Value: $0.05 because pillars are gone and slashed

Do you have an older nickel and want to find out its value? Leave a comment and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

First day of the Fourth of July

Do you have a wheat cent and want to find out its value?

Since this Independence Day falls on a Saturday the official holiday is Friday July 3rd. To celebrate I will show an American coin each day. The fact is the only two recent finds have been classic United States coins, but still nice to see.

A quick reminder to all amateur collectors be safe this weekend and coins are money. I'm emptying out my coin jars for simple groceries no need to start hoarding now. (Had to roll them since no Coinstars around my area work, plus rolling gets me an even exchange at local stores.)

Back to the classic American Wheatie.

Not much as changed since this lone cent was minted 56 years ago. IN GOD WE TRUST is still on top, the bust of Lincoln is still facing right, and LIBERTY hangs out way too close to the rim.

The back has changed a lot. Victor D. Brenner's design included two stylized wheat stalks representing the vast wheat fields associated with America. ONE CENT was the most prominent feature on the back. Taking a semester of typography I can expertly say that the font used is really nice, the M in AMERICA in particular.

Have I stretched out this post enough, okay let's end it.

Here's the stats for the coin pictured...
Type/Country: 1 Cent/United States
Year: 1953
Mintage: 256,755,000
Metal: 95% Copper 5% Tin & Zinc
Value: $0.10 in VF-20

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

Happy Canada Day

Do you have a Canadian 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

Canada Day is the day on July 1 1867 when four little Canadas became one big country. Pardon me if I got glossed over a few details.

Apparently besides parades, a day off, and flag waving they graciously dump millions of their coins into our change. The two I just found are repeats for me. Both are very common and smell nothing like Canadian bacon (ham in the U.S.).

This is my fourth 1978 Canadian nickel and third 2006 Canadian cent.

The one interesting thing about the cent is that it is a copper plated zinc no mintmark/logo. There are five varieties two zinc cores( no logo or RCM logo) and three steel cores( P logo or no logo or RCM logo). This one I found is the most common.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Cent / Canada
Year: 2006
Mintage: 886,275,000
Metal: 98.4% Zinc, 1.6% Copper
Value: $0.02 in F

Type/Country: 5 Cents / Canada
Year: 1978
Mintage: 137,079,273
Metal: 100% Nickel
Value: $0.07 in F

Continuing the Canada Day celebrations let me show you most of my found Canadian coins.

The 500+ coins are in a Polo Grounds Stadium tin that plays Take Me Out to the Ball Game when the lid is lifted.

A closer look into the box you'll see a tombac five cent, a few proofs, very old cents, and many common circulating coins. Not pictured are many older purchases and cents with verdigris damage that I seperate since they will infect other coins.

So congrats on confederation Canada and yes I will continue to enjoy your spare change.

Do you have a Canadian 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