Four years ago, I posted
an entry about modern coins I've been carrying around to deliberately wear down via circulation as these coins either rarely did so or, because of inflation, were unlikely to ever do so. I mentioned that I would follow up on that post in a few years if I were still blogging.
Two years ago I did just that as two years feels like enough time has passed to be able to show a definite difference in the wear on these coins. Since I still use this site (
albeit rarely now) and yet another two years has passed, I thought I would continue with the update.
I tried taking these pictures with my new camera but I could not get them to come out right. I can't bring that camera as close to the coins as I could with the older, pocket-sized one I had. Thankfully I still have that camera and despite dust on its lens that I do not have the skill to remove, the thing still works and it helped me get new photos of these coins I've been carrying around all this time.
The more I look at these photos the more it seems the coins are not circulating in some proper sense. When I look at old coins I've found and bought over the years, their wear appears smooth. The coins I've been carrying, their wear seems more like a mushing rather than rubbing. Maybe it smooths out over time? But the copper coins especially. Their designs seem flattened rather than rubbed away.
Also on old coins I've found and bought, the reeding on the coin remains even when the design has fallen to Very Good. The reeding on the coins I've been carrying has long since smoothed away with only traces of it remaining.
I can only assume pocket circulation is a bit different than how coins typically circulated way back when.
I was hoping to recapture the magic of 2015's photos but they're just not as good. Despite multiple attempts (the photos you're getting are my third attempt), that grayness and lighting that made that year's photos so great just wasn't there. This may have something to do with me putting the nickel prop on the wrong side of the coin. Oh well. With luck, I'll've figured it out for 2019's set.
This year will also be when the 2017 New Jersey America the Beautiful quarter will be released. It won't be out for several more months, but it will be added to this patience project.
Without further ado...
(click on photos to enlarge)
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| 2007 Silver American Eagle: 6-7 years wear |
This coin is prone to collecting gunk from the leather coin purse I carry these all in. Since the other coins don't exhibit this problem, I'm gonna have to assume it is some property of silver. For presentation purposes, I rubbed the gunk off with a pencil eraser (worked better than a rag) before photographing the coin. While the design shows definite wear, the rim remains strong, protecting the lettering to this day.
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| 1978 Eisenhower Dollar: about 5 years wear |
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| 1978 Kennedy Half Dollar: 3-4 years wear |
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| 1999 Susan B. Anthony Dollar: 7-8 years wear |
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| 1999 New Jersey State Quarter: about 7 years wear |
Washington Crossing the Delaware is rather blobby now. Some of his spaghetti hair on the obverse is showing smoothing. Some definite progress in the flattening of this coin's design.
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| 2005 Jefferson Nickel [first issue]: 7-8 years wear |
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| 2005 Jefferson Nickel [second issue]: 7-8 years wear |
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| 2001-P Jefferson Nickel: 7-8 years wear |
The lettering is getting weak on the reverse of this coin. The area around UNITED seems especially prone to taking rub...
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| 2009-P Jefferson Nickel: about 5 years wear |
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| 1974-S Lincoln Cent: 7-8 years wear |
I like the ring of bluish tint in the coin's protected areas. The S mintmark is so mushed that it's almost impossible to tell which mint it came from now. And yet, with very old Lincoln cents (like ones from the 1910s), I have no trouble distinguishing the mintmarks even on heavily worn coins. Like I said above, I don't know why this should be...
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| 2010 Lincoln Cent: 7 years wear |
The 2010 cent has gotten suddenly dark and it was difficult to photograph in a way that showed its details. There are plenty of noticeable gray spots on the high points of its design now.
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| 2009 Lincoln Cent [first issue]: about 5 years wear |
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| 2009 Lincoln Cent [second issue]: about 5 years wear |
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| 2009 Lincoln Cent [third issue]: about 5 years wear |
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| 2009 Lincoln Cent [final issue]: about 5 years wear |
The final 2009 cent, I can't tell if it's really mushy or if it was a little out of focus. All the "Zincolns" show noticeable gray spots from where the zinc is peeking through.
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| Angel Token: 4 years wear |
Again, and as before, if I am still here in two more years, I will update the progress of these coins' artificial circulation.
ADDENDUM: I've received a 2017 New Jersey ATB quarter and have begun circulating it on October 1st, 2017. It is the newest (
and presumably last) addition to my deliberately circulated collection.
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| 2017 New Jersey ATB Quarter: no wear |
