In the world of numismatics, people have their own reasons for collecting currency. Some choose coins out of historical reverence, while others are drawn to certain pieces because of personal bias or sentimental value. Yet one thing remains true: many forms of currency are worth more than their face value.
One thing is certain: the melt value of coins can be surprisingly valuable. Unlike paper currency, which lacks significant intrinsic worth, coins have the advantage of being made from metal. Beyond their metallic value, however, collectors often seek coins for their year, luster, rarity, or historical significance.
With that being said, I took the dive and decided to turn the two dollars I had in my pocket into a numismatic investment.
The first two dollars were nothing special. They did not carry a star note, nor did they have interesting serial numbers or unusual features. Of course, they did not contain any printing errors either. They were two simple, generic dollar bills. Sure, I could have kept them and sealed them away in a proper case, but I figured, why not see where those two dollars could take me?
Later in the day, I went to the store and asked the clerk to exchange my two dollars for seven quarters and five nickels. I probably caught them off guard with the nickels, but I got what I wanted. Technically, I walked away with a slight loss in melt value, but what about face value? In the end, I had simply exchanged two dollar bills for two dollars in coins. I suppose the two minutes spent making the exchange counts for something. Time is money, or something like that.
Anyways, I took my coins and checked my loot. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw...
Here are some of the coins that I received that were fairly common and generic. There is not much special about them other than, perhaps, their luster and, in some cases, their quality. However, some of them are also too recent.
If I were to sell any of these to collectors, I could reasonably estimate their total value at around $4. To be honest, if I tried selling them online, they likely would not sell due to shipping costs. Realistically, even if I found a buyer willing to purchase them all for four dollars, it would probably take years before I could come out ahead. It truly isn't worth it.
Six out of the seven quarters were duds; Two out of the five nickels were uninspiring. So, that leaves us with four coins left... for the next article!
If you want to get involved in coin collecting, it's as simple as collecting the coins in your pocket change! Try it out and see what you find!
Slowly I am building my coin collection. If you want to help expand my collection, please upvote and support me by following!
