Question about what coins were in circulation pre - 1965

[PullTabPete]

A question for some that are a little bit older than me.

I was born in the mid 60's and started getting interested in coins around 1975 , at that time the bicentennial coins were coming out and I received a 'Coins of Yesteryear' set one Christmas that contained a Walking Liberty Half, Standing Liberty Quarter, Mercury Dime, Buffalo Nickel and Indian Head Penny.

I had my first paper route and started checking my change around that time (still do) for anything interesting. Of course because silver had been removed you really didn't find anything older than 1965 in the larger denominations. I of course had the Penny and Nickel Whitman folders that I could find wheats and older Jefferson nickels to fill from change, but never really found any silver in change.

So for anyone that could recall what was it like in early 60's before the silver was removed, I'd love to hear. I would think Mercury dimes and dateless SLQ's probably still circulated frequently and you would probably occasionally see a worn barber coin.

Also Half Dollars seemed to be used a lot as many of the old silver ones show a lot of wear, I think after Kennedy was put on the half everyone started hoarding them and they ceased to be used much.

Thanks,

Pete

 

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[Diver_Down]

PTP - feel free to search through my past posts (click on my profile and go through my past posts). There was a particularly long and detailed history of the last of the circulating halves and the reduction of silver content. It was posted in the CRH'ing group. You will find it very informative. I found it for you - http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/c...n-all-history-experts-ag-crh.html#post5511615

To learn of what was in circulation at the time, read up on the New York Subway Coin Hoard. It was assembled from coins in circulation at the time and is quite revealing.

 

[PullTabPete]

Thanks Diver Down on the link for the explanation of how halves have mainly disappeared from circulation.

I read this book Wooden Nickels that was written at the end of 1965 right after US abandoned silver coinage, it is pretty interesting as to describing the history leading up to decision and implementation of the clad coinage. Also I have read that the US didn't really consult Canada regarding switching to clad coinage and they were caught flatfooted and after 1965 Americans were going across the Canadian border and purchasing their coins for the silver content. Canada then rushed to remove the silver by end of 1968.


As far as types of coins circulated pre 1965 I would like to hear what people would have seen in their change at the time. As I mentioned earlier in the late 70's trying to fill my coin albums, wheat cents were not that rare, but usually from 1940's or 1950's. Living close to Canada would also see King George pennies and nickels from 1930's to 1950's. Occasionally you might find a silver Canadian dime or quarter since they visually looked the same as clad versions.

For Jefferson nickels I remember getting 1939, 1940,1941,1946,1947 etc... P mintmark coins fairly frequently, the older mintmarks were rarer but you may find them on occasion.


Thanks,

Pete

 

[Mackaydon]

PTP, I started collecting coins in the early '50s. I still have my (Whitman Bluebooks) collection (in the bank) though I did sell my silver dollars when silver hit $40. 98% of my collection is from pulling change out of circulation. Back then, it was relatively easy to find coins from the late 1870s. 'Real' silver dollars were abundant as were the silver halves and quarters.
As an example, I have ten SLQs from either 1916 or 1917 (no stars under the reverse eagle). Most are dateless so the possibility of one or more being a 1916 is possible (but highly unlikely).
Good hunting,
Don......

 

[cudamark]

I started collecting coins in the early 1960's. It was still fairly easy to find just about all the 20th century coins at that time, and a few 19th century ones. Silver dollars were still around and in standard use in Las Vegas, both in slot machines and table games. By the end of the 1960's old coins (mainly silver) were getting pretty scarce in circulation. That's when I remember seeing an ad for metal detectors and the ability to find your own old coins without having to buy them! The light bulb went off in my head and the rest is history. Those early days finding silver coins was just amazing.

 

[Dozer D]

Diddo to what Mackaydon & Cudamark have said. Being born in '46, my dad had a tavern package goods store from '57-'63. Silver coins were everywhere, there was no such thing as clad coins until '65. It was NOT UNUSUAL to count out change from his cash register that consisted of a few IH, V-nics, buffalo nics, Merc dimes galore, Barbers(dime,qtrs,halfs)., and of course the BIG Silver Morgan & Peace dollars. Had I had only known back then that silver would be king next to GOLD, I would had asked my dad for everything he could spare. Have to remember gas was only $.24/gal., a coke was $.05, and tickets to a double feature show was $.15-$.50 depending if it was a CLASSIC BIGGIE (like Gone With The Wind). Times were good back then. If I could turn the time machine clock back, I'd like to go back to the late '50's-early '60's. A DOLLAR could go a long way. I use to walk the residential alleys picking up glass pop bottles on a Saturday morning, taking them in to the local grocery mom&pop store to get $.02/each, and yet find enough to go to the matinee afternoon show with $.40 in my pocket (enough for door admission, box of candy, and a drink). THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

 

[Megalodon]

Diddo to what Mackaydon & Cudamark have said. Being born in '46, my dad had a tavern package goods store from '57-'63. Silver coins were everywhere, there was no such thing as clad coins until '65. It was NOT UNUSUAL to count out change from his cash register that consisted of a few IH, V-nics, buffalo nics, Merc dimes galore, Barbers(dime,qtrs,halfs)., and of course the BIG Silver Morgan & Peace dollars. Had I had only known back then that silver would be king next to GOLD, I would had asked my dad for everything he could spare. Have to remember gas was only $.24/gal., a coke was $.05, and tickets to a double feature show was $.15-$.50 depending if it was a CLASSIC BIGGIE (like Gone With The Wind). Times were good back then. If I could turn the time machine clock back, I'd like to go back to the late '50's-early '60's. A DOLLAR could go a long way. I use to walk the residential alleys picking up glass pop bottles on a Saturday morning, taking them in to the local grocery mom&pop store to get $.02/each, and yet find enough to go to the matinee afternoon show with $.40 in my pocket (enough for door admission, box of candy, and a drink). THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

I was born in the middle of the next decade, but started collecting coins about 1960-61. Some of my friends got the occasional Indian cent in change but I never did. Buffalo nickels, mostly dateless, were common. Mercs were abundant. SLQs were less abundant but occasional. Walkers were also common and Franklins were the halves of the day. In the mid-60's I remember taking a silver certificate to the bank and getting a Peace dollar in exchange. I remember when clad came out in '65 and people were actually saving the new clad junk while I told everybody the real value was in the old silver coins.

Like Dozer, I also picked up returnable bottles. Most were 2 cents, but the prize was a 5 center. I'm not sure I'd be so quick to go back just due to the medical advances. I remember knowing people who had Polio, the big disease of the time, and the vaccine was relatively new then. But the cars, the cheap gas, the music, less complicated life, oh yeah. In some ways, we are slaves to the new conveniences like computers, GPS and cell phones. I like fuel injection vs carburetors, but detest all the electronic distractions on the dash displays today. I like to paddle out in a kayak with just a pair of shorts and no phone, no GPS, with a compass as my only concession to technology (besides the computer designed composite boat and paddle...).

 

[PullTabPete]

Thanks all for the answers, that must have been nice back then being able to work on a mercury dime album or buffalo nickel folder from circulation. I'm sure I would hoarded some of the older coins, only to spend some of the common ones later on when I wanted to buy baseball cards.

I did look up NY subway hoard, sounded like a lot of interesting coins were found in it. I have also read about the SS Central America sinking in 1857, that the pursers safe was recovered and they were able to see what was circulating back then. Very interesting to me.

As far as returnable bottles go, Michigan has had a 10 cent deposit since 1979 , but prior to that I remember only the glass Coke and Pepsi bottles had a deposit on them
and you didn't find those to often, but there were lots of No Deposit/No Return bottles littered all over.

Thanks again for the input, coin roll hunting back then must have been real fun.

Looks like the ground is starting to thaw around here and it will be time to detect for treasure again.

Pete

 

[Megalodon]

Thanks all for the answers, that must have been nice back then being able to work on a mercury dime album or buffalo nickel folder from circulation. I'm sure I would hoarded some of the older coins, only to spend some of the common ones later on when I wanted to buy baseball cards.

I did look up NY subway hoard, sounded like a lot of interesting coins were found in it. I have also read about the SS Central America sinking in 1857, that the pursers safe was recovered and they were able to see what was circulating back then. Very interesting to me.

As far as returnable bottles go, Michigan has had a 10 cent deposit since 1979 , but prior to that I remember only the glass Coke and Pepsi bottles had a deposit on them
and you didn't find those to often, but there were lots of No Deposit/No Return bottles littered all over.

Thanks again for the input, coin roll hunting back then must have been real fun.

Looks like the ground is starting to thaw around here and it will be time to detect for treasure again.

Pete

There were many more returnable soda and beer bottles back then. Even in the early 1970's, there were returnable beer bottles as small as 7 oz narragansett lagers. I was working in a liquor store at the time to pay for college and we would get them returned.

The biggest problem with CRHing in the mid-60's was that nobody had enough money to do any volume. I had to throw back common silver and only keep the rare dates. I did manage to put together a nice set of Franklin halves from circulation in AU-BU, and all the Washington quarters except for the 32D and S. But I returned from school one day to discover that my father harshly cleaned them all with baking soda paste. I wound up just spending the ruined quarters on fishing tackle.

 

[PetesPockets55]

Born in the late 50's and didn't start collecting cents in So. Fl. 'till 65 or so when clad started. Just collected cents and Jeff's because that was the most economical and that left me $ to buy 10c comics.
Moved to central Maine in the early 70's and had a paper route that used to turn up $1-$2 Canadian silver weekly. I knew silver had value but I only could afford to save US silver. I asked my supervisor one time if the other carriers turned in Canadian silver and he said he was glad they did because he collected it. He supervised 20-25 carriers, so he supplemented his salary this way.

ps. Great screen name by the way.

 

[NHBandit]

I was born in 56 and my parents were coin collectors so I remember pretty well what they were looking for. They would go to the bank and get rolls to search just like we do now. They saved any Mercs they found and rolled them, Standing Liberty quarters if they had readable dates, same with Buffalos. I don't remember them saving halves or dollars but you have to remember, a half dollar would buy quite a bit in those days. I still have my mom's collection in the old Blue Whitman books but have taken the harder to find coins out because those old folders have damaged some of them over the years. They might look fine on the surface but when you pop them out the backs are in rough shape. Must be the type of glue used to assemble the books ?

 

[1235CE]

PTP, I started collecting coins in the early '50s. I still have my (Whitman Bluebooks) collection (in the bank) though I did sell my silver dollars when silver hit $40. 98% of my collection is from pulling change out of circulation. Back then, it was relatively easy to find coins from the late 1870s. 'Real' silver dollars were abundant as were the silver halves and quarters.
As an example, I have ten SLQs from either 1916 or 1917 (no stars under the reverse eagle). Most are dateless so the possibility of one or more being a 1916 is possible (but highly unlikely).
Good hunting,
Don......

Don, you may already know this but you can tell whether a dateless 1916 or 1917 is a 1916 or not based on a slightly different hairstyle and a dateless 1916 still brings hundreds of dollars if identified correctly by the hair.

HH all!

Greg

 

[unclemac]

Diddo to what Mackaydon & Cudamark have said. Being born in '46, my dad had a tavern package goods store from '57-'63. Silver coins were everywhere, there was no such thing as clad coins until '65. It was NOT UNUSUAL to count out change from his cash register that consisted of a few IH, V-nics, buffalo nics, Merc dimes galore, Barbers(dime,qtrs,halfs)., and of course the BIG Silver Morgan & Peace dollars. Had I had only known back then that silver would be king next to GOLD, I would had asked my dad for everything he could spare. Have to remember gas was only $.24/gal., a coke was $.05, and tickets to a double feature show was $.15-$.50 depending if it was a CLASSIC BIGGIE (like Gone With The Wind). Times were good back then. If I could turn the time machine clock back, I'd like to go back to the late '50's-early '60's. A DOLLAR could go a long way. I use to walk the residential alleys picking up glass pop bottles on a Saturday morning, taking them in to the local grocery mom&pop store to get $.02/each, and yet find enough to go to the matinee afternoon show with $.40 in my pocket (enough for door admission, box of candy, and a drink). THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

i still remember a song with the line "don't let nobody play me cheap, I got 50 cents more than I'm gonna keep...let the good times roll"