What is a smashed coin?
A smashed coin is a coin, usually a penny or quarter that is put into a machine and smashed between 2 big gears. One of these gears has some kind of image on it that is transferred to the coin that is being smashed. Some machines use a hand crank and others are automatic. When they are finsihed they look like this.
How long have I collected these
coins?
We have collected smashed coins (sometimes called elongated or pressed) for several years but didn't get real serious about it until our trip to Orlando in 1999. When we were at Walt Disney World we saw these machines everywhere. At every park, every resort. So I thought it would be cool to collect as many of these as I could.
When we went down in 2000 there were quite a few new machines made for the Millennium celebration and the year 2000. So we got as many of those as we could. Looking at the list again in preparation for our Disney Cruise in January 2002 I see there are a lot of new machines out there, especially at all the WDW Resorts. So I will be ready.
How do I start?
It depends on where you go and what you collect. I decided to collect EC's (elongated coins) from places we have been mostly. If you try to collect every coin that is out there you will lose your mind.
I usually do some research before our next trip. Whether it be to Orlando or the KC Zoo. I have come across quite a few websites that will tell you where certain machines are. That way I kinda know where the machine is "supposed" to be. That can save a lot of time.
After mapping out where the machines were I went on EBay to find some pre-1982 pennies. Pennies made before 1982 were made of copper. Pennies made after 1982 use a metal/copper/zinc mix. When you smash a penny made after 1982 there is a real good chance of the zinc actually smearing and causing a "blackening" of the coin over the years. I have noticed this on some coins I smashed before I knew about the pre-1982 thing. I thought if you use a nice shiny penny it will look the best. That is true for the moment. But over the years the zinc will eventually smear and make your coin look pretty bad. So where do you find shiny pennies that are 20 years old? EBay of course. I usually find a roll of nice, shiny, pre-1982 coins for about $2.00.
What kind or smashed coins do I
collect?
Besides Walt Disney World I like to collect smashed coins from Zoo's all over the world. I also collect coins from places we have been like children's museums and amusement parks. I have about 450 coins in all.
What do I do with them after I get
them home?
I usually put them in a 2x2 cardboard coin holder especially made for smashed coins. Then I put them in plastic pages with pockets in them. These pages then go into a 3 ring binder. All these supplies are pretty cheap and easy to get on the internet. Putting them in a 3-ring binder makes it easy to view the coins. There are 20 coins per page and you can flip through them like a book.
UPDATE: I have started putting my coins (that are in the 2x2 holders) in coin storage boxes. I don't get them out and show them as much as I use to and these boxes make them easier than a 3 ring binder to put in a safe or safety deposit box for safe keeping.
Are these coins valuable?
Money wise, usually not. Although there are some coins that are hard to find. Especially older coins from places like the Worlds' Fair. I have a 1962 EC from the Space Needle in Seattle. It is worth about $20. I traded it for one of my Epcot coins.
That is another thing. Don't get rid of your extras. There are a lot of people out there who do nothing but trade EC's. They don't buy them or sell them, just trade them. I have a whole bunch of EC's from Disneyland in California that I traded a guy my Walt Disney World extras for.
Personally, these coins are very valuable to me. Each one has a story and memories. When my kids have kids they will be able to show them their Grandpa's smashed coin collection.
Isn't it illegal to deface or
alter US currency?
That was one of the first questions I had. I couldn't ever get a straight answer so I went looking for one and this is what I found:
U.S. Code Title 18, Chapter 17, Section 331: Prohibits, among other things, the fraudulent alteration and mutilation of United States or foreign coins. The statute does not, however, prohibit the mutilation of coins if done without fraudulent intent or if the coins are not used fraudulently.
How do I interpret that? What that means to me is you can alter coins as long as you make it known what you did to the coin and you do not try to deceive anyone. In other words I know what I am getting when I put my coin in the machine. As opposed to a guy who changes the year on a 1965 coin to 1865 and tries to sell it as a Rare 1865 coin. Obviously a coin collector would know the difference but you get my drift.
If you have any questions or would like to start collecting EC's please e-mail me. Or if you have some EC's sitting in a drawer somewhere and would like to trade them with me please let me know.
Thanks
