Counting Your Change...

[Avalon]

Last trip to the Coinstar machine earned me an Israeli coin and a NYC Transit token from the 70s. lol Did get a Mercury dime back once from a vending machine, which was very cool.

 

[Feraud]

You rarely see any of those NYC tokens around anymore..

 

[Avalon]

You rarely see any of those NYC tokens around anymore..

That's why this one is so cool. I'm holding onto it, for nostalgia's sake.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

A partial list of my haul over the years:

1929 Penny (Canada)
1939 Penny
1945 Penny (Canada)
1958-D Dime
1964-D Quarter
1968 Nickel (Canada)
1975 1 Franc (France)
1976 Quarter (Canada)
2001 Penny (Bermuda)
2002 2 Euro Cent (France)
2003 5 Cent Piece (Australia)
2006 Penny (Bahamas)
Date Unknown; Penny-sized Asian coin (I'm guessing Taiwan because the obverse looks like Chiang Kai-shek)

He, he! Oh my gosh. Yikes I would have been absolutely floored to get back change in pre-decimilized Britain! The only thing I ever learned (and remembered) about the old style British money is "Twelve pence to the shilling, and twenty shillings to the pound." Anything else (such as in a quote from the Bard) and I've got to look it up.

12 pence = 1 shilling (approximatley 20 cents -- pre-inflationary)
2 shillings = 1 florin
2 shillings, 6p (2'/6") = 1 half crown
5 shillings = 1 crown



An acquaintance of mine in the UK sent me some British coins a couple of years ago. My two favorites from that lot are an 1862 penny (half-dollar size) and a 1732 silver sixpence. At some point in its existence it must have been somebody's good luck charm because there's a small hole drilled in the top where it was worn on a string or chain.

 

[Shangas]

Studying pre-decimal British currency is something of a hobby of mine; my grandmother drilled it into me, I think.

1 pound sterling is...

20s.

is...

240d.

1 shilling is...

12d.

1 crown is...

5s.

1/2 crown is...

2/6d.

1 groat is...

4d.

Sovereign & Guinea both equal a pound sterling, last time I checked.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Sovereign & Guinea both equal a pound sterling, last time I checked.

A guinea is £1 1s -- the idea being that when racehorses and such things were priced in guineas, the extra shilling would be commission for whoever it was brokering the deal. I don't have any idea why I know this, but I do.

Eventually it was fashionable to price upscale consumer goods like furniture, fine clothing, and real estate in guineas. If you had 120 gns. in 1937, you could buy a house or a television set.

My favorite British coin is a counterfeit 1737 halfpenny -- New England was awash in these during colonial times. Since the mother country was very stingy when it came to supplying small change, local entrepreneurs would make up their own -- at short weight -- to make up the deficiency.

 

[Feraud]

That's why this one is so cool. I'm holding onto it, for nostalgia's sake.

The good ol' bad days of NYC.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

Just a small sampling of the change I've found in my pockets (or just found) over the years.

The coin that's mostly hidden beneath the dollar bill (silver certificate) and the "Sampung Sentamos" is a Chucky Cheese token.
I know not how it came to land in my pocket, as I have never been to Chucky Cheese's (Hell on Earth), so don't ask! lol​

Lee

 

[Caity Lynn]

I find them in the drawer at work (I work at subway) and if the drawer is getting low, rather than take the time to walk to the safe and disrupt the order if things...I give them to customers as whatever American currency they are mixed in with. The way I figure it, they were passed off as American to get in there, They can go out the same way.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

:eusa_clap

Just a small sampling of the change I've found in my pockets (or just found) over the years.

The coin that's mostly hidden beneath the dollar bill (silver certificate) and the "Sampung Sentamos" is a Chucky Cheese token.
I know not how it came to land in my pocket, as I have never been to Chucky Cheese's (Hell on Earth), so don't ask! lol​

Lee

I do love that 1883 Morgan! Is it an O, S, or (hopefully) a CC??? :eusa_clap

My favorite British coin is a counterfeit 1737 halfpenny -- New England was awash in these during colonial times. Since the mother country was very stingy when it came to supplying small change, local entrepreneurs would make up their own -- at short weight -- to make up the deficiency.

Another widely-used coin in Colonial times was the Spanish 8 Reales, the iconic "Pieces O' Eight" of pirate lore. Merchants would often cut them up in small pieces to give change which is where the expressions "two bits" and "four bits" came from. The shortage of coinage was always an acute problem throughout the early history of America. Up until 1857 Spanish and Mexican coins were still considered legal tender in the US.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Wonder of wonders, a 1964 silver quarter turned up in my change this afternoon, courtesy of an oblivious restaurant cashier. There's a whole generation out there which has no awareness of anything but our current mickey-mouse money, which means they don't look twice at the coins in their tills.

It's the first silver I've gotten this year, and the first silver quarter I've gotten in about four years. They're still out there, but you'll only find them if you're paying attention.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I find a few older dimes that are the silver mercury heads and some older buffalo nickles everyone once in awhile in change I do get from stores.

As I have purchased some gold coins for investing, I always look at what anyone gives me change wise. You can be amazed if you keep your eyes open at what treasures you may be given by someone for change.

In Las Vegas when they still had the real silver dollars in slot machines, I was once given a $5.00 Liberty gold (1901 issue),coin by someone that took it as a lesser denomination late at night. I often wondered after looking at it, how much it was worth, and purchased a coin collection book, to find out it was a valuable coin even back then, about $48.00 Today it is worth right at $1,000.00

Gold and silver both have gone way up. If you find real solid silver or gold coins, check to find the values and you may decide to hang onto them, the value is more than not, going to continue to raise in time.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Wonder of wonders, a 1964 silver quarter turned up in my change this afternoon, courtesy of an oblivious restaurant cashier. There's a whole generation out there which has no awareness of anything but our current mickey-mouse money, which means they don't look twice at the coins in their tills.

It's the first silver I've gotten this year, and the first silver quarter I've gotten in about four years. They're still out there, but you'll only find them if you're paying attention.

Silver quarters are worth about more than you think. Check the current pricing on line.

 

[Carl Miller]

A few weeks ago, I was given $.80 in change but instead of quarters they were Susan B. Anthonys.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

A few weeks ago, I was given $.80 in change but instead of quarters they were Susan B. Anthonys.

Oh my, I have always dreaded those lil rascals, it seems that happens with the size being so small.

 

[Pompidou]

Aside from maybe a Canadian coin or two, I really have nothing to report for this thread.

 

[Tomasso]

I found one of these a while back. I haven't a clue as to how it came into my possession.

 

[lolly_loisides]

I found one of these a while back. I haven't a clue as to how it came into my possession.

My Father in law used to collect, "certain" kinds of tokens. I never asked where he came by them........ We have them now.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Tokens have a collectable value. Some tokens are from different time eras, even the civil war.

 

[Tomasso]

My Father in law used to collect, "certain" kinds of tokens.

That one trumps a hug token.