Post your fav"someone's collection was pilfered and used as pocket change" story

[pendragon1998]

Can't remember if I told this story to anyone here before:

 

When I was a 4th grader, we had a small chest freezer in the cafeteria that they sold ice cream from to the kids at lunch. Some of the 'good' kids got to sit there at lunch, eat, and do the money collecting.

 

I remember once, a little 2nd or 3rd grader came up and offered me an old commemorative - it's been years and years, but I think it must have been a Lafayette Dollar! - to buy his pudding pop. I just about went insane! I ran over to the teacher's table and started asking my teacher to spot me a buck so I could buy the coin out of the box for myself. I kept saying, "my mom will pay you back this afternoon!!" The teacher instead got up and went to see what the ruckus was about. Turns out, the little boy had rummaged through his dad's collection and taken out some ice cream money. Teacher bought the coin out herself, and returned it to the father that afternoon. I was ticked off! I wanted it for myself!!! If I was the dad, that kid was gonna die (it wasn't holdered, and he was holding it in his little grubby 3rd grader fingers).

 

Anyone else got a similar story of collector's coins that you've found being used to buy gum or other stuff at face value after being pilfered by kids or spouses?

[EZ_E]

A year ago, I got a couple of Mercury dimes in change at McDonald's. I asked if they had anymore. I ended up getting 32 at face value. A kid had spent 3 rolls worth in there earlier.

[MunkyMan95]

Here goes:

 

It was back in 2004, and I was on a band field trip. Played the Baritone at the time. We went all day to play at a local preschool to give the kids something fun to do and listen to. On the way back to school, we stopped by McDonalds for lunch. I had $5 in my pocket, so I bought a Big Mac and a drink. I had something like $1 left, and i noticed that the person before me had gotten a wierd new nickel in change. Immediately realizing what it was, I got back in line and asked for my $1 in nickels. I subsequently borrowed money from other students, trying to grab all the nickels I could! I think I got about 28 nickels then, and after a while I stopped getting the Peace Medals. Got normal Jeffies. I was ecstatic! I believe that was around August or September, shortly after the coins had been released. I had the greatest time that day, going home with a pocket full of brand new shiny nickels. Everyone thought I was crazy, however.

[zrlevin]

Here goes:

 

It was back in 2004, and I was on a band field trip. Played the Baritone at the time. We went all day to play at a local preschool to give the kids something fun to do and listen to. On the way back to school, we stopped by McDonalds for lunch. I had $5 in my pocket, so I bought a Big Mac and a drink. I had something like $1 left, and i noticed that the person before me had gotten a wierd new nickel in change. Immediately realizing what it was, I got back in line and asked for my $1 in nickels. I subsequently borrowed money from other students, trying to grab all the nickels I could! I think I got about 28 nickels then, and after a while I stopped getting the Peace Medals. Got normal Jeffies. I was ecstatic! I believe that was around August or September, shortly after the coins had been released. I had the greatest time that day, going home with a pocket full of brand new shiny nickels. Everyone thought I was crazy, however.

 

A-ha! A band geek.

 

What did you want all of those new nickels for? Buy a proof set.

[MunkyMan95]

Here goes:

 

It was back in 2004, and I was on a band field trip. Played the Baritone at the time. We went all day to play at a local preschool to give the kids something fun to do and listen to. On the way back to school, we stopped by McDonalds for lunch. I had $5 in my pocket, so I bought a Big Mac and a drink. I had something like $1 left, and i noticed that the person before me had gotten a wierd new nickel in change. Immediately realizing what it was, I got back in line and asked for my $1 in nickels. I subsequently borrowed money from other students, trying to grab all the nickels I could! I think I got about 28 nickels then, and after a while I stopped getting the Peace Medals. Got normal Jeffies. I was ecstatic! I believe that was around August or September, shortly after the coins had been released. I had the greatest time that day, going home with a pocket full of brand new shiny nickels. Everyone thought I was crazy, however.

 

A-ha! A band geek.

 

What did you want all of those new nickels for? Buy a proof set.

 

Stopped band in 2005. I play Piano now!

 

It was great to see the new nickels is all. I've pulled about 9 rolls from circulation since 2004. All commem designs.

[TomB]

I think the best I ever received in change was a proof NJ state quarter about two years ago at a local pizza place.

 

PS: I played alto sax in our school band.

[WinstonWare]

I don’t think I’ve found anything of value but I also know that I wasn’t even noticing until this past year or so.

[WhiteTornado]

More of an oddity than a rarity, but I did get a quarter crown Turks and Caicos coin back as change, instead of a US quarter. And this was from a cafeteria at one of my old employers in Florida! The cafeteria was part of the office complex, completely owned by the company, so it wasn't as if the public at large was using it. I still wonder how that coin managed to get there. Must have come from a bank roll is all I can surmise.

[EZ_E]

I got $3 in 1964 quarters in change in Maine in 2002. I've gotten circulated proofs, war nickels ans wheats. At a grocery store in Vegas a guy went up to the cashier and aked for a "real quarter" in exchange for his silver one. I obliged him.

[just-john]

didn't they make like 730 million of those peace nickels.They must be for your great-great -great -great -great -great great grandchildrens childern

[Hoot]

When I was 18 or so, I worked at a 7-11. I had a guy come in once, an obvious sleazebag, who wanted to sell me a roll of Morgan dollars for 5 bucks each. That was shortly after a friend of my dad's had been robbed of his coin collection. If I had had the money, I may have bought them from him just to return them to the rightful owner, but instead, I turned him down and he left rather abruptly. It was there that I received many silver coins in payment and also a 1972 proof Kennedy, which I have stuffed in an album to this day.

 

Hoot