• Cyburbia is a friendly big tent, where we share our experiences and thoughts about urban planning practice, the built environment, planning adjacent topics, and anything else that comes to mind. No ads, no spam, and it's free. It's easy to join!

Hobbies 🪙 Ask the numismatist

SlaveToTheGrind said:
@mendelman I see on social media or television shows people digging up coins and hoping to find the holy grail. They then proceed to run their fingers across the coin to remove dirt and find out whether they have a 1983 Lincoln or a 1856 Flying Eagle (had to look that up). My first thought is that will scratch the coin, but it has been sitting in dirt and likely through several freeze/thaw periods which may have the same result...I don't know...just a thought I always have. Similar thought with people holding old documents without gloves.
Click to expand...
Just my $0.02 (see what I did there?)
Circulated coins are going to have wear and tear. It is, after all, money and meant to be used. Just don't remove the dirt with an angle grinder and you probably won't make it worse.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
@mendelman I see on social media or television shows people digging up coins and hoping to find the holy grail. They then proceed to run their fingers across the coin to remove dirt and find out whether they have a 1983 Lincoln or a 1856 Flying Eagle (had to look that up). My first thought is that will scratch the coin, but it has been sitting in dirt and likely through several freeze/thaw periods which may have the same result...I don't know...just a thought I always have. Similar thought with people holding old documents without gloves.
Click to expand...
If the coin is coming out the ground anyway, it will be 'damaged’ already, but one should be cautious with cleaning regardless. No need to scrub dirt away. A simple gentle rinse with clean water (for loose debris) and/or a good clean water soak for the tougher gunk should suffice.
 
Last edited:
Can you identify these four coins? 😉

IMG_0893.jpeg


IMG_0892.jpeg
 
Last edited:
3rd row, 2nd column:
The iconic General Hannibal & 2 of his war elephants on
1 Tunisian Dinar (shorthand: 1 TND)

On the other side, matches up with
1st row, 2nd column:
1969, President of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba
 
Of course the Venezuelan one is a Bolivar, named for SA's great liberator from Spanish rule, Simon Bolivar.
 
fringe said:
Of course the Venezuelan one is a Bolivar, named for SA's great liberator from Spanish rule, Simon Bolivar.
Click to expand...
mendelman said:
But what denomination of Bolivar?

:nerd:
Click to expand...
Fringe, this is a really hard one because the denomination is not on the coin. If you're not familiar with the currency then you'd have almost no way of knowing how many Bolivares the coin is worth, or if it's actually a fraction of a Bolivar.
 
78rpm said:
Fringe, this is a really hard one because the denomination is not on the coin. If you're not familiar with the currency then you'd have almost no way of knowing how many Bolivares the coin is worth, or if it's actually a fraction of a Bolivar.
Click to expand...
There's actually an indicator on the reverse of the coin that equates to the denomination - 25 grams=5 Bolivares.
 
78rpm said:
Fringe, this is a really hard one because the denomination is not on the coin. If you're not familiar with the currency then you'd have almost no way of knowing how many Bolivares the coin is worth, or if it's actually a fraction of a Bolivar.
Click to expand...
Viva la revolucion! Here is his modern counterpart, not yet on a coin face.
 

Attachments

  • FB_IMG_1707181920327.jpg
    FB_IMG_1707181920327.jpg
    39.7 KB · Views: 22
Last edited:
WSU MUP Student said:
Hey @mendelman -

I was looking for some old paperwork in a cabinet in my den and found this in a little box of coins I had forgotten about (the rest of the coins were uninteresting quarters and half dollars). What can you tell me about it?

View attachment 61873
View attachment 61874
Click to expand...
It's probably worth a cpl of bucks as a collector item. I have an 1880 one a little less worn. My great aunt owned and operated a neighborhood grocery with her hubby. It employed their three sons and they had a bicycle with front and rear dual deep baskets for delivery.
Every silver dollar she got in change went to a wood box. Those coins made good gifts to kids like me. Best use for this one too.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
Hey @mendelman -

I was looking for some old paperwork in a cabinet in my den and found this in a little box of coins I had forgotten about (the rest of the coins were uninteresting quarters and half dollars). What can you tell me about it?

View attachment 61873
View attachment 61874
Click to expand...
That’s the second year of the Morgan silver US dollar. It’s fairly common but a dealer would buy it for ~$20. It’s 90% silver and pretty cool. 😎
 
mendelman said:
There's actually an indicator on the reverse of the coin that equates to the denomination - 25 grams=5 Bolivares.
Click to expand...
Where on the coin does it indicate this denomination/conversion?

Wouldn't you have to look up the 25 gram, 90% silver coin online- in order to get to the denomination of 5 Bolivares?
 
Some add’l coins for your enjoyment.

1881 Romania 5 Lei and 1847 GB Crown

IMG_0904.jpeg

IMG_0903.jpeg
 
Last edited:
My kids and I ventured over to Madison, Ind on Friday to hit a few antique vendors in that lovely Ohio River 'burg. I was tempted to purchase a bottle of wheatback cents - the label advertised 200 of them - for roughly $23.00. I declined.

Was it wise or was it foolish to pass?

(My thinking was whoever put the wheatbacks in the jar had most likely weeded out anything that might be of enhanced value so that a large mark-up was unwise.)
 
Gedunker said:
My kids and I ventured over to Madison, Ind on Friday to hit a few antique vendors in that lovely Ohio River 'burg. I was tempted to purchase a bottle of wheatback cents - the label advertised 200 of them - for roughly $23.00. I declined.

Was it wise or was it foolish to pass?

(My thinking was whoever put the wheatbacks in the jar had most likely weeded out anything that might be of enhanced value so that a large mark-up was unwise.)
Click to expand...
Passing was a good idea. They were probably all common 30s/40s/50s, which are usually only worth about 2-3 cents each wholesale to a dealer.
 
Here’s a fun old coin for your enjoyment:

1775 Netherlands Zeeland silver Ducat
IMG_1028.jpeg

IMG_1029.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I always thought that if the history of a coin could be told, it would be very interesting due the life cycle of such an item. Where has this coin been? What pockets/purses has it been in and what situations? In what stores has it been used? I know there is a "Where's George" campaign to track the usage of a dollar bill with the the Where's George stamp. I assume you can log any bill but I was made aware due to the post-printing of the stamp on a bill I had. The coin thought came to me long before the knew of Where's George.

 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
I always thought that if the history of a coin could be told, it would be very interesting due the life cycle of such an item. Where has this coin been? What pockets/purses has it been in and what situations? In what stores has it been used? I know there is a "Where's George" campaign to track the usage of a dollar bill with the the Where's George stamp. I assume you can log any bill but I was made aware due to the post-printing of the stamp on a bill I had. The coin thought came to me long before the knew of Where's George.

Click to expand...
For sure. Since coins had been a major part of daily commerce until just recently (~2000 and later), many coins have been through many different hands and pockets over the years. It's an interesting thought exercise.

And especially when you expand to world coins too.

Here's a 24 lbs batch of bulk world coins I bought recently and just the various silver content coins from it (not to mention all the other great non silver finds):

coins_bulk world_1.jpeg

coins_bulk world_2.jpeg
 
mendelman said:
For sure. Since coins had been a major part of daily commerce until just recently (~2000 and later), many coins have been through many different hands and pockets over the years. It's an interesting thought exercise.

And especially when you expand to world coins too.

Here's a 24 lbs batch of bulk world coins I bought recently and just the various silver content coins from it (not to mention all the other great non silver finds):

View attachment 63378
View attachment 63379
Click to expand...
From where do you make a purchase like this? Not that I want too, just very curious
 
btrage said:
From where do you make a purchase like this? Not that I want too, just very curious
Click to expand...
One of the local coin shops near-ish me here in Chicagoland.

Many coin shops will often purchase much of what sellers bring them and stuff like this is not in high demand, so it can pile up in a shop's inventory.

Many shops are happy to sell this stuff in bulk to interested buyers (like me) to move this 'dead' inventory.

Even though I'm only keeping a small portion of the total, I can usually resell the leftovers to another dealer to recoup some/most of the money spent.

Plus, for me, this is a nice way to spend my free time and pretty inexpensive fun.
 
Last edited:
They are a thing and I don't have any so far.

They generally originate as a carving craft often executed by individuals as a pastime and/or to make additional money during tight financial times.

The lore is that the name 'hobo' came from carvings performed by indigent men during the Great Depression. It's similar to the scrimshaw carving tradition.

Here's a wiki about it.

220px-Ball_Cap_Hobo_Nickel2011crop.jpg
 
Last edited:
mendelman said:
They are a thing and I don't have any so far.

They generally originate as a carving craft often executed by individual as a pastime and/or to make additional money during tight financial times.

The lore is that the name 'hobo' came from carvings performed by indigent men during the Great Depression. It's similar to the scrimshaw carving tradition.

Here's a wiki about it.

220px-Ball_Cap_Hobo_Nickel2011crop.jpg
Click to expand...

Never seen or heard of these. I have a few buffs including a 1913 raised ground.
 
Here’s a neat buy I made recently.

1732 A France Ecu gently made into a necklace.

IMG_1172.jpeg


IMG_1171.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Hey Mr coin man. As a former coin hoarder I have been thinking, in light of current craziness, about depictions of Lady Liberty on our coinage, and I dug.
The image in mind is that of the liberty cap, sometimes shown on a pole on the shoulder of a woman. Latest I have are silver dollars showing such cap on a woman's head.
The cap on a pole goes much earlier.
I learned that such pole and cap dates way earlier, even to Greece and Rome, even to Orpheus.
Even so, the symbol as displayed on our Western coinage, represents the French revolution, which, of course, our revolution based itself as a model.
 
What do you think of the grading companies?

I know the following article is about Pokemon cards, but the writers mention throughout the parent company of Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) in the context of their experts grading original trading cards, but the provenance of the cards were in fact counterfeit. Thus, the grading company was a duped pawn of the counterfeiters.

www.popularmechanics.com

The Counterfeit Scandal That Rocked the Multimillion Dollar Pokémon Collectibles World

The brazen scam duped Pokémon’s most obsessive card collectors—until one amateur codebreaker exposed the truth.
www.popularmechanics.com www.popularmechanics.com

The Scam That Duped Pokémon’s Most Obsessive Card Collectors
The brazen fraud duped some of Pokémon’s most ardent fans—until one amateur codebreaker exposed the truth.

I guess I am asking a general collecting question of where the hobby is at today in terms of seeking out the available grading services that seem to be in vogue. I find it fascinating that many people place their faith in these grading companies, yet the self-interest of these companies to produce higher grades, and thus, higher fees, is self-evident.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
My grandfather drove a city bus from the 1930s to the 1970s. When we cleaned out the house, there were a few #10 coffee cans with coins he would trade (hopefully) out and bring home. Have not gone through the lot which sits with my parents. I need to ask my parents if I can go through the cans.
Click to expand...
@mendelman

I will be visiting my parents in a few weeks and will ask my mother if I can go through the coins. I know of a coffee can of pennies and possibly nickels. Don't know what treasures may lurk.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
@mendelman

I will be visiting my parents in a few weeks and will ask my mother if I can go through the coins. I know of a coffee can of pennies and possibly nickels. Don't know what treasures may lurk.
Click to expand...
Take alot of pictures and let me know.

Wannaplan? said:
What do you think of the grading companies?

I know the following article is about Pokemon cards, but the writers mention throughout the parent company of Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) in the context of their experts grading original trading cards, but the provenance of the cards were in fact counterfeit. Thus, the grading company was a duped pawn of the counterfeiters.

www.popularmechanics.com

The Counterfeit Scandal That Rocked the Multimillion Dollar Pokémon Collectibles World

The brazen scam duped Pokémon’s most obsessive card collectors—until one amateur codebreaker exposed the truth.
www.popularmechanics.com www.popularmechanics.com

The Scam That Duped Pokémon’s Most Obsessive Card Collectors
The brazen fraud duped some of Pokémon’s most ardent fans—until one amateur codebreaker exposed the truth.

I guess I am asking a general collecting question of where the hobby is at today in terms of seeking out the available grading services that seem to be in vogue. I find it fascinating that many people place their faith in these grading companies, yet the self-interest of these companies to produce higher grades, and thus, higher fees, is self-evident.
Click to expand...
Grading companies have their 'value' in the market, but are certainly not infallible as evidenced by your example.

I personally like them for purposes of their minor mint grade differentiation - Like MS65 versus MS67 grades as two point difference can mean value differences of $100s/$1000s. Additionally, they can be good for 'genuine' determinations.

But, generally, my collecting MO is that I prefer 'raw' coins in my collection for the tactile nature of coin collecting.
 
Last edited:
some interesting recent buys you may like:

1882 India 1 Rupee
coin_india rupee_1.jpeg

coin_india rupee_2.jpeg


1772 Spain 8 reale
coin_Spain 8 reale_2.jpeg

coin_Spain 8 reale_1.jpeg


And the low mintage (~93,000 mintage) 1946 Canada dollar
coin_CA dollar_2.jpeg

coin_CA dollar_1.jpeg
 
^I especially like the Canada dollar. Are the First Nation canoeists on the front or back?
 
Gedunker said:
^I especially like the Canada dollar. Are the First Nation canoeists on the front or back?
Click to expand...
They (technically 'A voyageur and an aboriginal travelling by canoe, carrying bundles of which one bears the initials "H.B." for Hudson's Bay Company') are, technically, on the coin's reverse, since a royal's effigy is always a coin's obverse.

Season 6 Knowledge GIF by Friends





























 
@mendelman
At my parents and came across the coins my grandfather had. Some silver nickels and dimes, several wheats, and a few quarters. Some Canadian, too. Two 1921 Morgans but one has a hole so likely used as a necklace. I did find this, however. Looks like a D. How would I go about and clean it up. Rough but one of the higher value dimes.
1757986838352.png

1757986870869.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@SlaveToTheGrind

Can you get a better, brighter, clearer photo of the mintmark? Just to be safe.

Don't worry about cleaning it. It's too far gone and 'cleaning' would only make it worse in many collectors opinions.

It's pretty damaged anyways with the major gouge on the obverse bust. You could soak in some water for a day or two to see if any gunk dislodges, but don't attempt any scrubbing or silver cleaners.

As you mentioned, it is the 'key date' for the mercury dime series and even in this damaged condition it could be worth several hundred dollars as is.

Take it to a local coin shop and ask them for a quote on their purchase price (aka wholesale).

Cool find regardless of condition.
 
Back
Top