Looking for Some Extra Cash? Check Your Pockets

A lot of people are strapped for cash right now and are selling off collectibles, clothes, purses and whatever else on Ebay and in garage sales.

But what if you had some hidden cash in your own pockets and you didn’t even know it?

That is exactly the situation a work colleague of mine found himself in just the other day.

Pulling out some loose change to buy a soda for a trip to the vending machine, he noticed that one of the quarters was a bit more odd looking than usual and took a closer look. Upon further inspection he discovered it was a 1927 quarter.

And, as any good American knows, quarters and nickels that were minted before 1964 have “real” metals, including silver and copper, in them.

This coin, even if it was in bad condition, was certainly worth more than just a mere quarter.

The Standing Liberty

The Standing Liberty Quarter, as this coin is known, were minted from 1917 to 1930. Over 11 million were minted in 1927.

Here’s more history from CoinFacts.com (with pictures):

The Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar was designed by Hermon A. MacNeil. The initial design included a bare-breasted Liberty, which proved to be much too daring for some influential individuals.

The complaints against the design were sufficient to force a change in 1917, but the re-design was extreme to the opposite degree. Instead of covering Liberty’s breast with the same flowing material of the rest of her dress, the designer clothed her in a coat of mail!

The reverse design was also re-worked in 1917; the eagle was moved more to the center of the coin and three of the thirteen stars that used to be on the sides of the reverse were now placed beneath the majestic bird.

Beginning in 1925, the dates on the coins were recessed, giving them more protection from wear. Well struck examples are the most desirable and much attention is focused on Liberty’s head. So-called “Full Head” examples (those with complete details) often bring considerable premiums over poorly struck examples, but attention should also be paid to the rivets on the shield.

Any coin with a Full Head and full rivets is a true prize.

Alas, the coin my colleague found was not in “mint” condition. There was some wear and tear, as is understandable given that the coin is 81 years old. But it was in pretty decent shape, nonetheless. The date and the other writing was clearly visible.

So, if the coin has no numismatic value (from collectors) then what about the metal content?

The Standing Liberty is 90% silver and 10% copper. With silver now trading over $13.00 an ounce and copper around $1.50, the coin has value just for the metals.

It weighs 6.3 grams.

I’m not a math genius, but at the current metal prices, you could probably get somewhere around $2.80 for the coin.

Sure- my colleague isn’t “rich” but a regular quarter, it’s not.

Just goes to show you: who knows what you’ll find in your pockets?