I usually notice the kind of coins I get in my change. A "wheat penny" stands out from a "trolley car" penny (I know it's not a trolley car, but that's what I called them when I was little and the name has stuck). And I notice the new nickels and quarters, too. My grandmother taught me to look for pre-1964 quarters and dimes, because they have high silver content and are "worth more."
Over the years I've collected a big jar of these old coins and wanted to see if they had any value beyond face value. I looked up the grading process and the values online, and it turns out many may indeed be worth more than face value. I found a site that said wheat pennies are worth at least 3 cents each. So I'm spending a little free time organzing them and scanning them and listing them on ebay to see if I can sell a penny for a dime or a dime for a quarter. Some of those silvery quarters may be worth as much as $5.00 each. That's a pretty good return on investment!
I was telling a friend about this latest project and she said, "ugh, all that work for a couple of bucks? Not worth it." But I think it is! It's been fun learning about the coins and I'm curious to see if collectors out there will buy my old coins -- I've already got bids on a few of them. What do you think, DS readers? Is it worth your while to go through your change and see if you have a little treasure-ette in your change purse? Do you think it would be worthwhile to turn a penny into a dime? Does this seem like a fun diversion or a tedious slog? Any great valuable coin stories from your own coin jar?
