Pocket Change Treasures
Hello and welcome to the first installment of “Treasures In Your Pocket” (TIYP)! My name is Sam Gelberd. As the ANA’s numismatic educator, I manage many of the programs the Association provides for young numismatists. I’m a former middle school teacher from South Florida, and I’ve been a collector since age 9. I’ve taught many ANA classes, everything from coin grading and counterfeit detection to my favorite numismatic pastimes of cherrypicking die varieties and searching through dealer junk bins for hidden gems. I am pleased to have this opportunity to share fun and interesting facts about numismatic oddities, some of which may be in your possession already.
“Treasures In Your Pocket,” which was inspired by the ANA webpage of the same name (money.org/pocket-treasures), aims to bring you a wealth of information on the simple yet exciting topic of finding rare or valuable pieces of money among the common ones we see every day. I will be featuring many coins (such as the Roosevelt dime and Lincoln cent shown here) that you might find in circulation, but this is not an easy endeavor.
Some of these may be obvious error pieces that, while easy to spot, would be very difficult to encounter even with a great deal of searching. (Specimens of this nature are not often or purposely released.) Many of the coins I will discuss are known as die varieties, or those with subtle design differences. Although they may not be as easy to identify as blatant errors, the daunting search for them can be exceptionally rewarding. Sometimes, I will highlight paper money and other interesting numismatic items to search for.
TIYP will keep the soul of the treasure hunter in mind. Countless hours of diligent searching—sometimes spent over the course of months or years—could be rewarded with just one incredible find. And if not, then at least the journey itself was still worthwhile in the long run. My forthcoming articles are dedicated to anyone who truly enjoys the thrill of the hunt, regardless of what may or may not be found to be or popularly accepted as worthy of pursuit.
The ANA is an educational nonprofit organization that focuses on the hobby rather than the investment aspect of numismatics. As such, the emphasis of TIYP will be on teaching and entertaining, not establishing or providing values for featured items. I will mention recent auction sales or estimated values from time to time, but these numbers should not be used to determine accurate valuations for the items shown. In fact, most U.S. coin dealers do not handle many die varieties unless they are considered significant and regularly traded. Trying to “get rich quick” from coins is an almost certain guarantee of failure and disappointment.
Please note that the Association is unable to broker or arrange for the sale of numismatic specimens and suggests you bring any items in question to an ANA member dealer (coin-dealer-directory.money.org). The fair market value of a coin or bank note can best be determined by a reliable professional who can examine it in person. Should you have any questions, please email your inquiries to gelberd@money.org or call 719-482-9846.
I sincerely hope you will enjoy going on this adventure with me, and I wish you a great deal of success. Happy money hunting!
A version of this article appeared in the June 2020 issue of The Numismatist (money.org).