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Check your pocket change for treasure
You never know when that coin in your pocket could be one of the rare ones.
TAMPA, Fla. - Quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies may be weighing down your wallet or pocket, but don't forget to look closely at that pocket change. It could be worth way more than face value.
Marc Bonnett, a longtime coin collector and the owner of Tampa Bay Coin and Precious Metals said you may find something extra valuable.
"Rare coins start at anywhere from a few dollars all the way up to a few million. Maybe you get lucky and you find one of the 2019 W quarters that's worth maybe $15 or so," said Bonnett.
Those W quarters are from the West Point Mint in New York.
"This is what the government's putting in the change right now," said Bonnett.
It has a W mint mark on the front of the coin, which stands for West Point, which has never been on a circulating quarter.
"They're apparently doing a couple of million of them and just dumping them in the banks and stuff and they will get distributed through change and you might be able to find something like that. Eventually, you'll have to look at your coins. It's just kind of cool to have and you might just want to save it because it's kind of neat you found it," said Bonnett.
You find value in those older coins, too.
"Most of the time you're going to find pre-1964, 90% silver coins. They'll be a lighter silverish color instead of the darker dingy gray color," said Bonnett.
Bonnett said a silver coin will actually have a different sound if you tap on it.
"The silver will be more of a high-pitched ring and the non-silver one won't," said Bonnett.
And he said to take a look at the edge of the coin.
"The silver one will be a whiter color and you won't have a copper band running through it," said Bonnett.
So how much could you fetch? The 90% silver dollar face is worth about $12 dollars, at the time of this writing. For the 40%, each half dollar is worth about $2, according to Bonnett.
The chances of finding a coin with that extra value may be rare.
"Odds are probably maybe one in 25,000," said Bonnett.
But you should never stop hunting for potential treasure.
"Always look at your coins. Why not? You never know," said Bonnett.