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I don't sort through a lot of nickel boxes. Unlike the enormous quantities of dime and half dollar boxes I've cycled through since 2009, the number of nickel boxes is small, although still significant. I'll guess ~100 boxes. In all those boxes, never found the 1950-D.

On 6/25/2011 I found my first and it came in pocket change no less. Got it at the neighborhood Speedway gas station/convenience store. It was nice and looked like it has just dropped into circulation -- high AU or maybe even yet a low MS coin.

Fast forward.

Today -- 6/6/2015. Got my 2nd!!! Can't say for sure where it came from, could have been either the CVS or I made stops at the bank and credit union. This one has been out there a little longer, but still nice. Perhaps a low AU coin.

I'm 43 and looked for that coin throughout my childhood and most if not all of my adult life (always checked my pocket change). Now two in the space of four years, both from pocket change, not heavy roll hunting.

Just amazes me.

Jeff

Gratz:

Still looking for my first.

Congratulations. Nice finds.

Nice find! I have never found one in the wild, been looking since around 1959.

Thanks for the kind words, fellas.

Crazy that one could get so excited over a ~$10 coin.

cooyon - I think you are in good company...tough, tough circulation find. My dad, 72 never found one in the late 50's-early 60's when he cared about coins. Not surprising though to me as these were largely hoarded from the go. But, I'm sure he hasn't been as diligent checking all his pocket change throughout his adult life. I would be willing to bet they are rarer in circulated than in MS. I'm sure many OBW rolls still exist and of the rolls that have been cracked the best coins are now in TPG slabs and others in 2X2's.

I am going to name this coin American Pharoah in honor of finding it on the same day Triple Crown history was made!

Jeff

Awesome

Awesome! I'm not expecting to ever see one. I sorted a lot of nickel boxes a couple years ago, nary a one in 135 boxes before I lost steam.

Since finding the first one I have wondered if my geography has given my a little advantage. (As if a whole TWO found can really prove anything!!!)

But I recall reading somewhere that these were all released in the Dallas, TX area. The story went that the bank employees were aware of the mintage and trunk fulls of these were brought to and sold to Chicago and Milwaukee area dealers. I am in SE Wisconsin. If that story is true a larger percentage of these could have been sold to collectors in the region. As time moved forward, and we know these things work, perhaps a small number are slipping back to circulation. Very strange to get the two in true pocket change though and not one ever from boxes. Wish I could find that article that I had read long ago about who these were distributed.

Jeff

Never have found one in decades of looking. I'd guess that fewer than 1 in a thousand collectors has found two in their lifetime.

I bet these came out of a Whitman folder that was either inherited or "borrowed" from a relative.