Readers Respond: Cherrypickers' Bragging Rights Page

Cherrypicking is usually defined as the art of finding a rare coin among normal dealer stock and buying the coin for less than it is worth. Another popular form of cherrypicking is to buy bulk lots of coins and then find rare or overlooked coins in the batch of "junk." A third form of cherrypicking is buying rolls of coins at face value and searching them for error coins and die varieties.

Whatever form your cherrypicking takes, this is the place to brag about your finds. Occasionally, the best submissions will be featured in my weekly About Coins newsletter.

Bank halves

A few days ago I went to a small-time community bank near work and asked if they had any half dollars. The teller had a few and since I was the only customer at the time, she rounded up halves from the other tellers. I purchased $22.50 in loose halves and found 2 90% silvers and 3 40% silvers.

—Guest Steve

1935 DDO Wheat Penny

My most recent find cherry picking was a VF 1935 DDO FS# 1C-013.9 Wheat Penny with strong Double Die through motto. (as copy pasted from www.coppercoins.com) -[ A nice CW spread from K-8 shows in the motto and the date. In addition, there is a north spread doubled eyelid visible on nicer examples] Its a shame that this strong double die is not as valuable as the 1936 DDO Wheat cent. The doubling is so strong and well defined. Its worth about $50 and bought for 6 cents in a roll of wheats for $3.00 a roll.

—Guest Dave Lembke

Thank You!

Thanks Susan for taking a poll of opinions and other members for your feedback to my article that ran in Numismatic News on the find of the 1893-S. I truely was not expecting the erruption to happen after sharing this cherry pick. The negative posts I felt were other dealers who were stating their opinions vs us collectors. I like so many others love the thrill of the hunt cherry picking. We are in it to find overlooked coins that others failed to take the time to properly attribute. I really wasnt expecting to find a date rarety. Especially one as rare as the 1893-S buying them blindly. Also for the record I also want to state that when I have found wrong coins for sale I have always stated the problem. One such problem was a 1926-S Buffalo Nickel EF that was in a 2x2 labelled 1928-S. I brought this to the attention of the dealer at R & R Coins in Closter, NJ who checked it out and it was in fact a 1926-S EF Buffalo. He thanked me for being truthful and sold it to me for $3.50 in 1988

—Guest Dave Lembke

Cherrrypickin'

After many years of collecting, and with following up with some of your (Cherrypickin') advise.... I have found it quit lucritive to go directly to a local bank and purchase full boxes of coins. I have found many intersting coins mixed in with rolls from the federal reserve, primarily in the penny rolls. Recently though, in a fresh box of nickels, i litterly found what may have been somesones collection. I found 9 different buffalo nickles (all diff dates and mints); and lots of early jefferson nickles that were mostly AU condition. Examples of these are 1939p, 1939s, 1940d, 1940s, 1042d, 1949s, 1951s... and a good share of many others. Shareing this with your readers, as it should be none that (may, just maybe) folks are dumping there old loose change due to the issues that have hard pressed many during these economic times....Penny rolls..... i continue to find nice old wheats, but not as many as a few years ago. As well as foreign coins that fit the size and weight..

—Guest Richard Stapley

pawn shops

I love to go to pawn shops, though it does takes time to get them to trust you. Once you have made several purchases over time they will start letting you look at there coins without standing over you. I recently went to my home pawn shop and they did not have any new coins for me to look at so i looked at there bargin box and found a 1943 s doubled die quarter, i do not collect quarters but i do collect doubled die coins and this was my first doubled die quarter, and i was excited to find it. I bought it and several other coins i found interesting. Once i got home i sent off my quarter to be slabbed. It came back MS 60 which realy surprised me and about a thousand dollar coin. I have found over the last three years many nice coins from my local pawn shops, local coin shows, coin clubs and coin auctions, some in the local paper. You do not have to go out county in most cases to look for interesting coins, and its a lot of fun and you get to meet interesting people.

—charlesechatham3ed

1988 D reverse 89

Found in a bank roll authenticated by CONECA. Fewer than 12 specimens known to exist of this transition coin.

—Guest westnlas

1946 double struck

While going through a roll of cents that I purchased from our local bank I found a 1946 double struck 1946 cent. I sent it to NGC for certification. NGC sent it back to me graded as a 1946 1c Double struck rotated in collar. MINT ERROR XF $% BN.

—Guest Al Collier

More Convenient Store Silver

Last week I got another good silver haul at face value from my cash register. A customer bought gas and cigarrettes with several Ike dollars, including an uncirculated 1971S silver issue. There were also several silver halves from 1964-1969, as well as a 1962 Franklin half and a gorgeous 1902 Barber half. Best of all there was a 1922 Peace Dollar, and two Morgan Dollars, an 1889O, and an 1890S, all in VF or better. The next day a customer bought a money order with change. In the change were several clad proof coins. There were 4 proof dimes: 1999S, 2000S, 2002S, 2005S. I got 3 state quarters: 2000S Massassachusetts, 2000S New Hampshire, 2003S Missouri. Finally, there were 7 proof nickels: 2000S, 2002S, 2003S, 2004S Keelboat, 2004S Peace Medal, 2005S Pacific Ocean, 2006S Return to Monticello. That same week a rescued from circulation a 1935 $10 Note. Everyone says it because it is true: There is lots of stuff just waiting to be found.

—oldsouthtown

lucky find

bought $480 of rolled half-dollars from my bank. all but $100 dollars were pre- 1970. 60 Ben Franks, 18 Walking Liberty and the rest Kennedys. Unreal just lucky.

—Guest Steve C

Polk Dollar

Searching a mint wrapped roll of Polk Dollars that I bought at my bank I found a dropped letter on the edge next to the mint mark. It's a upside down "T" next to the "P". Not believing my luck I sent the coin to Ken Potter who certified it and did an article on it in Numismatic News. It has been only the second dropped letter on edge found in the dollar series. I also sent it to Mike Diamond who agreed that it was a dropped letter. That has been my best find to date. I also found a Polk slipped edge lettering verified by ANACS and 10 Washington "Godless dollars " all in one roll. Sent 5 to NGC gave 5 to relatives. I've been very lucky as I've been collecting errors for just over a year. My 11 year old granddaughter got me into collecting them after taking her to a coin show. She spotted and bought a 50% off center cent and was hooked. Most of my finds will go to her one day. Some will probably be sold.

—Tuffjump

Cha-Ching

I got some quarters for a pop one day at work from the boss. As he dropped them to the counter I noticed that unmistakeable silver cha-ching sound. I picked it up, looked at it showed it to my boss and told him thanks for the silver proof.

—Guest Don Myers

1864-L VF/EF w/90 deg rotated Die - $45

I recently spotted an 1864 that was not classified as the 1864-L. However, the "L" was clearly evident (glistened), and the pointed bust made it too easy not to pick this gem up for $45 (book value would be around $200). It wasn't until I took it home that I discovered the 90 degree die rotation. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to price this coin with the die error. Anyone have any recommendations?

—TimVeto

Needle in a Haystack

Yesterday I was going through my grandfather's coin collection. He had a bag specifically marked Mercury Dimes. However, he had a bag of regular dimes. I didn't think to go through that one, but did anyway. In that bag I was able to find a Mercury dime from 1942, mint mark Philadelphia, with the die error (1 also printed as 1942/1). Score.

—Guest Score

Victory!

I am ten years old and I found an 1853 silver trime in a 15 dollars each box and also I got a 1865 nickel 3 cent piece in about au-50 condition for $5. And I got 1854-O liberty seated dime for $3!

—Guest Daniel

1917 Buffalo Nickle Double Die Reverse.

Found a 1917 Buffalo. Nickle with Heavy Doubling on E Pluribus Unum. and Five Cents. You can see the Doubling with the naked eye. It was part of a 5 coin set.

—amassey08873