Debasement Opinion and MD Thoughts?

[Holedigger]

One reason I truely enjoy MD is finding old coins, with the history and VALUE they once represented, not to mention the value and excitement today! I like to research what happened in the year I found that 1888 Indian head cent at the old park. I think to myself who lost that 1888 cent and how. Did he or she sit down for a picnic lunch or were they involved in some sort of activity, did they have a hole in their pocket, was it candy money? What would that cent, dime, quarter, or half buy in that year? The adult/child that lost it, did he/she get into trouble? Interesting thoughts from my perspective. Color me stupid, but I recently read an article on the web that said our metal detecting sites are being constantly populated with new coinage to be found in the future? I don't know about you, but the modern silver coinage after 1964 I find is severely wanting in quality. The post 1982 zinc pennies I find are junk and will not last as long as the WWII steel pennies. What I want to say is, 100 years from now, our debased coins will not last in the ground. Your thoughs on my rampage would be appreciated.

 

[metalmiester]

That's why as of now all coins of silver should be catch and release to preserve the hobby for our children. Pay it forawrd so to speak and presearve the excitement for our children.

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

They cost more to mint than they are worth.

They give them away for free at most stores.

And worst of all they make metal detecting more difficult.

 

[James N.D.]

You are correct on this. The Zinc Penny will not even resemble a coin and I don't even think it will even exist since it takes so little of time for a Zinc to turn to junk. The Dimes and Quarters will last but they will certainly not be worth very much due to the way the copper bleeds thru the coin when trying to tumble them. For the Nickels, they will last but they will pit badly like all the other Nickels out there. So I think the Cents made out of Zinc are a wast of a cheap bi-metal and shouldn't even be used. But then again, I think the mint does this to regulate the economy since they know that for every Zinc Cent lost that the population of Cents will keep declining and this will keep the American Dollar worth a little more later on. This is why they keep producing them I believe. Can you imagine how much some of the Zinc Cents are going to be worth from 100 years from now. Makes me think of buying up some slabbed ones and pass them down to the next generation.

 

[diggingfix]

n/t

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Years ago when we camped and the kids were small every evening went upstream on the small creek and always gor 4 or 5 nice trout whch of course were let go and provided a summer of entertainment. I wonder how many times over I caught the same trout..Doubt if it would work in the hobby as the next guy around would put it in his pouch anyway.
Heck at 68 perhaps the next 10 years are of my concern not 100 years from now...Indeed clad coinage will not hold up and silver is not being reseeded so one wonders what the next few years will bring..

 

[WThesing]

Since the dollar is printed with no backing other than Uncle Sam's promise ( and has an attached debt of $.35 due to the Federal Reserve shell game) the lowly penny is not supporting the value of the dollar in any aspect. The reason for the low quality coinage is due to the value of the metals exceeding the face value of the coins, and the problems that are created. The long term future of MD'ing I believe will shift more toward relics and such. Maybe the "superdetectors" will be developed.