10+ years between discoveries

[Immy]

When I was in full swing searching casino nickels I managed to complete full rolls of all non-silver PDS dates with mintages over 10 million, including a couple below that (49-S, 51-S). However, lack of coin-op slots pretty much ended any regular hunting, which left seven rolls unfinished. Of those, the 1950-P was the most near completion with 30, the last one found on 9/4/08.

This past week I made my monthly visit to the last real coin-op casino in Vegas, and wouldn't you know it after searching roughly $150 in nickels, out pops my 31st 50-P, more than ten years after the last one. A '39 also came along for the ride.

 

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[Sleepy Holow]

Happy for you, Immy! Ah, makes you wanna spend a few weeks hunting back in the good ol' days. so...when's the road trip to Mesquite?

 

[Immy]

Happy for you, Immy! Ah, makes you wanna spend a few weeks hunting back in the good ol' days. so...when's the road trip to Mesquite?

Heck I'm mulling the possibility of a mini staycation at the El Cortez just so I can bring buckets of coins up to my room all day long. Gotta be a W quarter in them thar slots.

 

[baddbluff]

That’s cool
I wonder how many new coins get cycled through those slots. I bet the same coins are used over & over mostly. Still, I imagine a good bit of new pocket change makes its way into those machines.
A road trip to Mesquite may well pay off for you. Several years back, I had one of my biggest scores there... 100 silvers that day. One of the banks there rolls it’s own coins and I got a few solid silver MWRs from them. Pretty sweet. $500 in silver at the time was well worth the drive from Vegas!

 

[jrf30]

Good to read from you Immy.

31 of the 1950P is pretty darn good. I have 11 of them, not near what you have. Even worse, I only have TWO of the 1950D nickels.

I went to Vegas earlier this year. For business trying to see if I could open a Snakes & Lattes board game cafe about a block from the downtown area. Decided against it, but while there I tried to get some coins. Like you say, they almost all went to no coins. Didn't do well on the one I found, but it was an interesting day. WOW, there are some DISTURBED people wandering those streets down there. Be safe while there. It's a weird place, for sure.

 

[Immy]

Good to read from you Immy.

31 of the 1950P is pretty darn good. I have 11 of them, not near what you have. Even worse, I only have TWO of the 1950D nickels.

I went to Vegas earlier this year. For business trying to see if I could open a Snakes & Lattes board game cafe about a block from the downtown area. Decided against it, but while there I tried to get some coins. Like you say, they almost all went to no coins. Didn't do well on the one I found, but it was an interesting day. WOW, there are some DISTURBED people wandering those streets down there. Be safe while there. It's a weird place, for sure.

Planning another visit tomorrow (Wed).

The key, odd as it sounds, is to avoid downtown on the weekends. Fremont St is now populated with oddball characters (buskers, scantily clad superheroes, etc) who pose with tourists for $$$. Nothing like that existed a mere 10 years ago. But yeah, some "locals" are best avoided. There's a homeless shelter not far from there, and what do they say about bright lights? Thx for the safe wishes. I'm a big guy but I still keep an eye out.

 

[Immy]

As promised, went thru another $100 (or so) today. Nothing earthshattering, but did snag a 48-S. Already have a complete roll of them but I like to keep any extras. (If you need one, Private Message me. I'll send it no charge.)

Been meaning to mention that someone has been marking nickels in Vegas for about a year now, or at least the nickels they're dumping at the El Cortez. Mostly I've seen 64-D's (makes sense) but this 90-D also ended up on the wrong end of a sharpie.

 

[CJ9]

Heck I'm mulling the possibility of a mini staycation at the El Cortez just so I can bring buckets of coins up to my room all day long. Gotta be a W quarter in them thar slots.

A 1950P is always nice. I was on vacation in Vegas for part of last week. I checked out the El Cortez because they had coin-op slots - I only saw quarters and dollars, but I didn't look too hard - went to play blackjack.

I also did a bit of roll searching at like 3 banks on/off strip and found a pile of jack. Not even one wheat cent. Got like $40 or so in halves from the banks and nothing. Went into one Chase off the strip and when I asked for halves, they had $1 - and the teller said if I came back in a few days they have a customer that will drop off a box full.

Vegas was an easy place to dump halves as I never got a quizzical look from a cashier when I spent halves - everyone out there knows what they are (because of the casinos I guess) - at the same time, I would figure CRHing halves there is tough. Around here, most cashiers have no clue what they are - usually they think it is $1.

 

[Immy]

Double dose of silver today at the casino.

First was the war nick pictured above, one of the cruddier I've found, from around $150 or so searched. Couldn't tell what the mintmark was until I uploaded a pic and zoomed in. First war nickel this year (last was a 42-P on 12/18/18) and first 43-S since 1/26/14.

As I was sifting thru nickels I heard the unmistakeable clink of silver coming from a quarter machine behind me. It sounded like a single coin but I couldn't be sure. I cringed as the person playing it calmy fed coins back into the machine, but I was determined to get it if I could. After cashing in the nickels I made a beeline for the machine. Yes! It was unoccupied. Put it $100 and crossed my fingers it was still in there and not gone with the previous player. About halfway into the cashout, I got my answer. Rescued!!

 

[Sleepy Holow]

Good ear, man! Quarters are tough to come by. Good thing they didn't walk off with it to buy some ice cream.

 

[Dozer D]

Immy Now that's what you call a dedicated CRH. NICE SAVE