batcap
Hero Member
A 1950's coin stash
I was rooting through the local auction house leftovers - they sell the stuff off the table for a couple days until the next auction goods start coming in. There really wasn't all that much left, well scattered about with plenty of empty table space.
I came to a little stack of cigar boxes. Most were empty, but then there was the one pictured below. I don't think the coins were originally in the cigar box, because the card\note is from 1993, and the film canister and coins were all from 1955 and earlier. The note mentions the cigar box and accessories, but, I just don't know.
Anyway, the film canister is ink stamped Jan 1955, and says "Coins" as you can see. When I opened the box the coins had already been dumped out and the canister reclosed (this is strange/important). The first pic is just what you'd see when I first opened the box.
The first thing I noticed is that the coins were not U.S., but (mostly) Canadian. I picked up a quarter and looked closer, then I started checking the dates on all of them. The quarters (5 of them) are all 1940's to early 50's. The two oldest coins are a 1929 Canadian nickel and a 1931 Panama coin the same size as a dime that is actually marked as .900 silver.
There are 2 French Franc coins, and 1 Moroccan Franc coin:1941, 1953, 1951
2 of the Panama "dimes", both silver. 1953, 1931
1 Turkish lira from 1947, 60% silver
1 Lebanon 25 piastres, 1952
5 Canadian quarters - 1954, 53, 49, 47, 43
7 Canadian nickels - 53, 53, 53, 52, 51, 51, 1929
4 Canadian cents - 55, 55, 53, 52.
The funny thing is that I don't think the coins are closely related to the cigar box, because of the '93 note. Also, equally strange, someone poured out the coins and apparently thought they were modern and not worth a closer look. Actually the 50's coins look brand new. Well ACTUALLY I believe this is how these coins would look in the mid-late 50's, but I'm not an expert.
One more thing:
When I took them to the register to haggle a price, the cashier immediately went to the aluminum film canister and started looking for a hallmark. I told him that I thought it was aluminum and probably held the coins, since it was labeled so. He never bothered to pick up a single coin. We agreed $7 was a fair price.
Ok, here are the pics, what do you think?
I was rooting through the local auction house leftovers - they sell the stuff off the table for a couple days until the next auction goods start coming in. There really wasn't all that much left, well scattered about with plenty of empty table space.
I came to a little stack of cigar boxes. Most were empty, but then there was the one pictured below. I don't think the coins were originally in the cigar box, because the card\note is from 1993, and the film canister and coins were all from 1955 and earlier. The note mentions the cigar box and accessories, but, I just don't know.
Anyway, the film canister is ink stamped Jan 1955, and says "Coins" as you can see. When I opened the box the coins had already been dumped out and the canister reclosed (this is strange/important). The first pic is just what you'd see when I first opened the box.
The first thing I noticed is that the coins were not U.S., but (mostly) Canadian. I picked up a quarter and looked closer, then I started checking the dates on all of them. The quarters (5 of them) are all 1940's to early 50's. The two oldest coins are a 1929 Canadian nickel and a 1931 Panama coin the same size as a dime that is actually marked as .900 silver.
There are 2 French Franc coins, and 1 Moroccan Franc coin:1941, 1953, 1951
2 of the Panama "dimes", both silver. 1953, 1931
1 Turkish lira from 1947, 60% silver
1 Lebanon 25 piastres, 1952
5 Canadian quarters - 1954, 53, 49, 47, 43
7 Canadian nickels - 53, 53, 53, 52, 51, 51, 1929
4 Canadian cents - 55, 55, 53, 52.
The funny thing is that I don't think the coins are closely related to the cigar box, because of the '93 note. Also, equally strange, someone poured out the coins and apparently thought they were modern and not worth a closer look. Actually the 50's coins look brand new. Well ACTUALLY I believe this is how these coins would look in the mid-late 50's, but I'm not an expert.
One more thing:
When I took them to the register to haggle a price, the cashier immediately went to the aluminum film canister and started looking for a hallmark. I told him that I thought it was aluminum and probably held the coins, since it was labeled so. He never bothered to pick up a single coin. We agreed $7 was a fair price.
Ok, here are the pics, what do you think?
A silver Canadian Quarter is worth around $5 alone in scrap. So 5 of them is well worth the $7.00. 
I'm very interested in the 1931 Panama coin marked .900 
I collect world silver coins and that one seems cool to add to the collection... 
What would you like for it, if your willing to sell it to me?? 
