Question why are old Coins often worn completely smooth?

[unclemac]

talking about counterfeits...

Mould for minting Roman coins found in Talkad

 

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[Red James Cash]

Way back when there wasnt much hard money(coins) around.Those that were around were used quite often and used until they couldnt be recognized as coins.

 

[Hot zone]

talking about counterfeits...

Mould for minting Roman coins found in Talkad

an ancient counterfeit coin could be worth more than the original!

 

[xrunndonex]

Ohh, we are talking about counterfeits now eh? Just so happens the op is a master in the crafting of "counterfeit replicas". He about killed kellyco with his keyboard... 'merica!

 

[xrunndonex]

This is sort of a good question. However, if you take a look at a large amount of cents. You will quickly notice the older ones hold up a lot better then the newer ones. This really doesn't concern discussion you started so...

So let's use or imagination for a bit. It is 1910, you have a hand full of halves and quarters ready to spend on whatever catches your eye. Back in the day these coins were perceived just like modern day coins. They are just worth face value. The quarters and halves in you hand could have exchanged thousands of hands before they came to you. Each pocket, till, jar whatever they had rubbed on other metals. Slowly removing more and more and more detail.

This is easily seen with today's coins. Take a look at a quarter they wear down fast because they are used so much.

Don't know if that helped.

 

[el padron]

This is sort of a good question. However, if you take a look at a large amount of cents. You will quickly notice the older ones hold up a lot better then the newer ones. This really doesn't concern discussion you started so...

So let's use or imagination for a bit. It is 1910, you have a hand full of halves and quarters ready to spend on whatever catches your eye. Back in the day these coins were perceived just like modern day coins. They are just worth face value. The quarters and halves in you hand could have exchanged thousands of hands before they came to you. Each pocket, till, jar whatever they had rubbed on other metals. Slowly removing more and more and more detail.

This is easily seen with today's coins. Take a look at a quarter they wear down fast because they are used so much.

Don't know if that helped.

it does, thanks, I now think the older coins were softer and were used much more often then contemporary ones considering the popularity of checks, credit cards, debit cards, welfare services distribution cards etc....

 

[Hot zone]

A Zincoln is not worth the metal, and it takes more than a penny to make one... How much longer will they be made? They deteriorate so fast, would zincs in good condition being rare in a few hundred years? I should seal some jars and bury them for some future treasure hunter with the latest LRL tuned to find zinc!

 

[Arizona Bob]

...If they were hoarded for 70 years, then why are they still smooth?

When I was a kid (in the late '50s & early '60's) I don't think any men I knew had a "jingle" in their pocket. I certainly know that my friends and family members all carried various types of coin purses. (Not like a ladies purse, but much smaller and made for only holding coins and stored in a pocket.) The coin purses were small enough that a ~dollar in change would keep the coins rubbing tightly against each other. Believe me, quite a few of those coin purses were filled to capacity. My mom was pretty thrifty and a lot of her coins never saw the light of day! I'm sure that this partly explains the reason for some excessive coin wear!