Oldest coin you have found in circulation

[TheCoinGeezer]

Of course, when I was a kid back in the 50s, I was able to find all sorts of old coins - Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes and so forth.

The oldest coin I can recall finding in circulation was an early 1900s Indian cent - and I got that within the last few years - from someone's collection no doubt.

[DWLange]

1917 cent and dateless Type 1 SLQ

[Bugmann1974]

An 1887 cent. Oddly enough I got it in change from the ANA gift shop.

[Old Pueblo]

I came home from the store one day and threw my change on the counter and noticed something odd. I thought one of the coins was a Canadian. But closer inspection gave me this 1868 Shield nickel. This was about 30 years ago in my best recollection. But I still have the coin

[BillJones]

I never got struck by lighting. Even as a kid collector in the early 1960s the earliest coin I ever found was a 1909 Lincoln cent. Other people claimed to have found Indian cents in circulation.

 

One day one of the girls in my 5th grade class came to school with a 1908 Barber half dollar for lunch money. I ended up with that one, but I didn't get it from circulation. I gave her face value for it, which was not cheating her since it was in Good and only woth 50 cents in 1960. Oddly enough I still have it.

[TheCoinGeezer]

An 1887 cent. Oddly enough I got it in change from the ANA gift shop.

Maybe the ANA was seeding the penny drawer with some old coins to generate interest?

A coin dealer I knew back in the 80s used to give out Buffalo nickels in change to the kids who came into his shop.

[kryptonitecomics]

1911 barber dime I got back in change from a soda machine...probably 7+ years ago and I still have it

[cpm9ball]

The oldest one I can remember, and for good reason, was an 1893-CC Morgan. I got it from the bank where I had my savings account in 1957. I remember it because that was the year my maternal grandmother was born.

 

Chris

[relicsncoins]

I've recieved two Indian Heads in the last 10 years.

[coinman_23885]

1 1901-O Barber Head Dime followed by a 1904 Liberty Head Nickel. My father once found a Seated Liberty Half Dime (that was bent, unfortunately) in change and gave it to me.

[RockMyAmadeus]

I think I've received a couple of Indian cents in change....

[shirohniichan]

The oldest one I found was a 1910 cent in G to VG.

 

My dad found an 1865 2 cent piece in change when he lived in Denver, but that was back in 1946 or so. I guess that means I "win" (99-year old coin when I found it vs. his 81-year old coin when he found it).

[noow]

1942 D Wheatie

[jtryka]

I think my oldest was a 1909 VDB cent.

[Buffalo Head]

1912-S Liberty Nickel, the clerk at the store gave it to me in change not to long ago. Worn flat of course.

[ldhair]

About 20 years ago I received a Seated dime in change.

Well worn but really cool to find.

[michael]

1851 3cs

 

fair condition

[Wehwalt]

I've gotten some dateless buffalo nickels as recently as a few years ago ... I remember spending a bunch of coins I had gotten from a junk box when I was in Switzerland, including a 20 centime from the 1890s. I think us and them are the remaining countries were it is even possible to find a 19th century coin in change.

[Lazarus Long]

The only time I've ever found a silver coin in circulation was back in the 1990s. I got a 1964 quarter out of a change machine at an arcade. I have also found two 1939 nickels and one dateless buffalo since I've been paying attention to coins in the last 20 years. Plenty of wheaties from the 40s and 50s but I don't think any pre 1940 pennies.

 

I'm still hoping to one day find a silver Roosie in circulation if only for the statistical anomaly.

[BustHalfNut]

Aside from early Wheat Cents, I used to find silver Washington's all the time back in the 80's.

[nwcs]

Oldest cent: something in the 1910 decade but I can't remember (but still have somewhere)

Oldest dime: 1963 (found 1 silver dime returned in a vending machine that one time)

Oldest quarter: 1965

Oldest half: 1964

Oldest dollar: 1972

 

Forgot oldest nickel: 1938 Jeff

[123cents]

1911 Barber Quarter about 20 years ago.

[Kurtdog]

An pretty corroded 1864 Cu-Ni IHC roll-searching boxes about five or six years ago.

[zboyle04]

just got a 1964 dime today i have a collection of stuff i have found which includes: 2 other silver roosevelt dimes, a mercury dime, a war nickel, and 2 40% kennedy halves

[nwcs]

The 40% halves were my favorite to find in circulation but everyone has them gobbled up now. In the 80s I would get half dollar rolls and get several per roll for a while. Miss those days...

[Blind Owl]

An old 1909 Lincoln head cent I found in some change about 20 yrs. ago. Quite worn, and I still have it.

[AnkurJ]

1905 IHC