BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Coin Collecting Wheat Pennies

I have some steel pennies but not much in buffalo nickels. I have an old 2 cent penny from the 1800's. I like looking at my change, you never know what you will find!

That is so cool that you have a coin from the 1800s. I am still seeking a steel penny.

I found another wheat penny last week in my change. It's good to keep looking.

I got a silver dime the other day in my change...yeah, hard to find and a fellow worker got a quarter in hers!

How did you and she know they were silver?

Pre-1965 quarters & dimes is one clue to silver versus the sandwiched alloys. After 1964, the 90% silver coins were minted in a sandwich style.

Another 'test' is to drop the coin on a hard surface & listen to the resulting 'ring.' The silver is much more distinct tone.

Nickels between 1942 & 1945 were 35% silver.

There is so much to know. I will have to make categories for things to look out for in my change!

the fastest way of telling if you have silver or not is by looking at the side of the coin. You will not have any copper color in the coin. This works on dimes and quarters, the nickles are differnt, a large mint mark was placed above the dome of Monticello (P, S, D). Just to note: condition is big part of a coin so dropping the coin could put scratches on the coin and will reduce the value. A coin is valued by the silver content plus the condition. The conditions of rating the coin, there are about 12 main grading levels and 2 of those are broken down into several more. For example from my book, you have a 1942P nickle, the condition for one that is rated Very Fine the value is about $1.25 and for the highest rate is PF (Gem Proof) is $250, so now you can see that condition is the biggest part of the value. So protect your coins and don't wash them or polish/rub the coins!

I am looking at all the coins i come into contact with now. I have been having fun finding wheat pennies. Still no steel pennies. Still looking for silver dimes and quarters!

silver dimes and quarters are getting harder to find and I saw my first ever 3 legged buffalo nickel and it was in good condition too!

I know the wheat pennies are not worth much, but can they be kept together in a container? or is it best to keep them all separate. Seems like it would not be worth the effort.

A three legged buffalo! WOW, cool. How much is that worth?