Scarce circulation finds..

Let's see what people have picked up that's seldom seen in circulation. Here's one for me..



I already have one from when I was a kid so it's for trade - but you never see them in your change anymore.

I have three or four scarce coins found recently in change -
some quick (poor daylight) pictures of all recently found commemoratives I have kept ...



All were from last few months. The scarcest are in last picture.
I keep all commemoratives found in pocket change, so I never spend them.
Also in there are ...
Football https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces18213.html
Rugby https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces10596.html
and the last picture ...
Suffragette https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces19435.html
1988 https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces7405.html
Isle of Man 2012 https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces9617.html
2015 https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces71494.html

I think people have wised up here. This holiday only got three silver dimes in change. Two US 1964,1963. And a canadain 1959. That is the lowest amount of silver I have gotten in change since I moved here.

I tend to keep all commemoratives but I haven't had any other than this one in a while, although this isn't scarce really I believe they've all but been taken from circulation, which makes it a little treasure when you find one. I can't remember the last time I seen a sufferage 50p either. The library's used to be extremely common I seem to remember but again they're fading away fast.

I blame it on the media attention that the Royal mint schemed up, to get people collecting anything out of the ordinary, which stops true collectors getting their coins !

In eurozone, I think scarce coins would mainly be from microstates, right?

As living near Luxembourg (not a microstate but enough small to have quite reduced mintage in global eurozone), their coins are not so much scarce... Particularly when a guy is opening in front of you a roll of UNC Luxembourg coins to give your change...

Anyway I think these are not the most scarce ones.

Quote: "chomp-master"​In eurozone, I think scarce coins would mainly be from microstates, right?
​
​As living near Luxembourg (not a microstate but enough small to have quite reduced mintage in global eurozone), their coins are not so much scarce... Particularly when a guy is opening in front of you a roll of UNC Luxembourg coins to give your change...
​
​Anyway I think these are not the most scarce ones.

​I suppose anything out of the normal would suffice :)

I've never had a coin issued that year whilst I've been on holiday :(

For sure, this one is the best since euro exists: 1 euro San Marino 2010.

Before the euro arrived: my best "error coin" found during a school trip in Spain compared to a normal 5 pesetas 1991 (such errors are scarce, right?)

Sorry, the website don't want to keep it in the right orientation...
And my scarcest ones in terms of minting amounts were found in my own country, quite the opposite place from its normal border... 10 francs Monaco 1992 & 1998.

I keep an eye on my pocket change for filling holes in my Whitman folders of modern US coins. I have never received any silver US coins, and very rarely a wheat penny will turn up. But I have found the following unexpected coins in change:

1999-S clad proof New Jersey quarter

A 1999-P Georgia quarter that had been colorized/painted, but at a 90 degree offset!

Several Presidential and Native American dollar coins that were minted for collectors only and not intended for circulation. IIRC, a 2005 Sacagawea dollar, two 2008 Sacagawea dollars, Chester Arthur, FDR, and Grover Cleveland dollars. Also a heavily circulated 1999-S proof George Washington dollar. It's surprising how often collector only issues turn up in the dollar coins returned as change from the subway vending machines here.

My best find may be a 1965 silver Canadian quarter. It's not unusual to get Canadian coins in change, but to find an old silver one was very lucky! As I said, I've never received a silver US coin. (Actually, I stand corrected. I got a Mercury dime in change years ago, before I was interested in coins. After decided it was more trouble than it was worth to find a coin shop to sell it for a couple of bucks, I threw it back into circulation. Kicking myself now!)

Here in Japan, there are a few key dates from the 50 yens that from time to time show in my change but very rarely.

I got like 2 or 3 back in December, and looking forward to get some more...

I've been in Nelspruit, South Africa, last weekend and received an UNC Mandela 5 Rands coin in toll gate. Ask the lady for more and she was surprised how she didn't see the coin. Lucky for me.

And to follow up my previous post, just the other day I got a 1951-D US nickel in my change. Nothing particular valuable, but at a mintage of only 20.4 million it is the lowest mintage nickel I have ever found in circulation.

But I have received two 2008 US Sacagawea dollars and a 2013 in change from subway ticket vending machines. These were minted for collectors only (not intended to circulate) and had a mintage of only 1.8 million each. Those are by far the scarcest coins I have found in circulation!

I got a 2015 JFK dollar coin in change yesterday. Don't know the number minted but last year's dollar coins were in the 3 million range. And, of course, they were not released for circulation.

I do a little dance every time I find an Olympics 50p in change, even though I've nearly completed my 5th set.

I got a wheelchair rugby yesterday, did a little dance and sent a photo of it to the girlfriend!

Quote: "jimpop"​I do a little dance every time I find an Olympics 50p in change, even though I've nearly completed my 5th set.
​
​I got a wheelchair rugby yesterday, did a little dance and sent a photo of it to the girlfriend!

​Same here. Although when I do it my girlfriend tends to tut and roll her eyes.

At New Year, I got 4 or 5 of the commemorative 2015 50 pence's, a couple of the 5th portrait £1's, and I think another few commemorative 50's, so I was obviously quite excited. She rolled her eyes so much, she detached a retina!

Here in Japan, there are a few key dates from the 50 yens that from time to time show in my change but very rarely.

I got like 2 or 3 back in December, and looking forward to get some more...

Quote: "BizzoDoes"​

Quote: "jimpop"​I do a little dance every time I find an Olympics 50p in change, even though I've nearly completed my 5th set.
​​
​​I got a wheelchair rugby yesterday, did a little dance and sent a photo of it to the girlfriend!

​​Same here. Although when I do it my girlfriend tends to tut and roll her eyes.
​
​At New Year, I got 4 or 5 of the commemorative 2015 50 pence's, a couple of the 5th portrait £1's, and I think another few commemorative 50's, so I was obviously quite excited. She rolled her eyes so much, she detached a retina!
​

​she keeps an eye out for me now haha!

I actually came across one of these in my change last week:

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces17097.html

Always coming across the London and Belfast one's but this is the first Edinburgh one I've found in a long time.

The kind of incoming withdrawal we should try to keep as much as possible one of the few type of coins I know which would really be funny to search but without living in or visiting UK it would be very hard to start

I keep every commemorative coin I find in circulation so it's no shock they're few and far between now !

Thats a a nice find for the £1. I haven't seen any in a while but the Edinburgh & London issues certainly are the most common !

I was recently in Israel and found this 1989 commemorative 1/2 shekel coin that had a mintage of 504,000. I got really surprised when I saw it.

As Mark and others have already said, uk commemorative 50p's are fast disappearing from circulation.
Imagine my surprise when during a quick visit to my parents my mother pulled this out of her purse

I honestly thought they were all gone, good start to the new year

Wow - how lucky is that

Wow. Great find!

It was given in change not far from you Bizzo, Asda in Arnold.
As soon as my mum said she had a strange 50p that she hadn't seen before my mind instantly pictured the Kew Gardens and hey presto there it was, I have to confess that there was a bit of a Jimpop Jig moment.

I really should start using cash more often.
My only pocket finds are from the pub!

Quote: "Ninebobnote"​As Mark and others have already said, uk commemorative 50p's are fast disappearing from circulation.
​Imagine my surprise when during a quick visit to my parents my mother pulled this out of her purse
​
​I honestly thought they were all gone, good start to the new year

​Nice one!

It's the first time I talk on the English forum.

So, I found a 2 euros commemorative 30th anniversary of the majority at 18 .

My coin is no doubt the first exemplary in the Europe and in the world because the coins of Andorra to 2015 aren't yet coming out but I had the coin {edit} in change (OK chomp master ).

(My English is not formidable, isn't it ?)
You can see the topic on the french forum: https://fr.numista.com/forum/topic46420.html

I can tell you that my photos are being became famous in the European Union !!
I'm very happy and it's incredible. It's a rare coin in the eurozone at 85 000 ex.

Kévin

​Petit cours d'anglais pour K1914 (small English lesson)

Quote: "ZacUK"​ [...] found recently in change [...]

Repeat after me...

I think I'd often need help in English ...

Next lesson.

Quote: "K1914"I'm very happy and it's incroyable.

Incredible. Repeat after me...

I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E....

reviving this thread to show off some nice recent treats received in change -

I got a 2011 Olympic Games 50p Football(soccer) "Offside rule" on Monday.
That's one for the swap box

Nice little finds are still out there in circulation.

For reference, I got this in the U.S. The cashier didn't even care that it was foreign, and I pretended not to notice (you don't draw attention).

That's a very nice 5cent.
I have once gotten an old British sixpence in change, passing as a US dime.

Quote: "Mr. Midnight"​That's a very nice 5cent.
​I have once gotten an old British sixpence in change, passing as a US dime.

​-finds like these always make me wonder if a kid took it from his/her parent's old ashtray (filled with neat finds) and then spent into circulation.

I don’t distinctly remember finding it but I do have a 2015 royal arms £1 that I found with some other old £1 coins I was looking through after they were demonetised. I also got a 2012 Olympic handover £2 coin (I lost it somewhere in my house and can’t find it!) somewhere along the line.

Ill revive another old topic. received in change this week -

The Ike dollar I got at the antique store where I bought some old bank notes. He has a basket of them, and asks do you want your change in paper or an Ike? 

the Canadian cent has some crud that would wash off. 

but the 1968 is a no mint mark ultra rare error coin! 😇

Circulation finds? The only time I use cash is to pay my barber. They don't do credit cards, lol! Very nice men working there, but I don't think anyone would be surprised if barbering was a side thing, lol! Other than that, I never pay cash. Only around 10% of the population here is using cash daily as the main payment method. About 37% of the population is carying cash. The rest, no. There are still many that has no idea we have got new coins and banknotes. That was 9 years ago now.

There is a rubust adherence to cash in the US.

Especially I have observed at coin shows, everyone is paying with cash, myself included. 

There are people there with bill counting machines.

Mr. Midnight

but the 1968 is a no mint mark ultra rare error coin! 😇

where did you get that?  My Red Book shows this as a regular common coin, the US coins don't all have mintmarks in the modern years.  Granted, my Book is 11 years old, but I don't think this coin was re-classified as rare since then..

And on NGC's grading site, even 1968 no mark in an MS-62 grade values at less than $5…… uuuuuunless that was tongue-in-cheek and I just missed it… 😉

 

Well,   yes… 🙄 

 

But just check how rare it is on e-bay. Or never mind, don't. I wish it was just a joke, but there are a lot of fools out there.

 

I spent that dollar today. Actually I chucked it in the tip jar at Dunkin Donuts.