Coin roll hunting (CRH) is a popular activity for coin collectors. It involves searching through rolls of circulated coins to find valuable or interesting pieces. This guide explains how to get started with coin roll hunting, including where to find coins, what tools you need, and what specific items to look for.
1. Acquiring Coin Rolls
The first step in coin roll hunting is obtaining the coins themselves. Knowing where to source rolls efficiently can significantly impact your hunting experience.
Banks and Credit Unions
These financial institutions are the primary source for acquiring rolled coins.
- Availability: Most banks and credit unions sell rolls of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters at face value to account holders. This means you pay $25 for a roll of quarters, for example, and receive 100 quarters.
- Special Orders: Half-dollar or dollar coin rolls are less common in daily circulation and often require special ordering. You might also need to special order full boxes of any denomination, which can contain 50 rolls of pennies or 25 rolls of quarters.
- Building Relationships: Building a positive relationship with your bank’s staff can be beneficial for securing coins. This can lead to them setting aside rolls for you or informing you when larger quantities become available. Hero Bullion suggests this approach for consistent access. Politeness and respect towards bank employees are always important.
Other Sources
While banks are the most reliable source, other avenues exist for obtaining coin rolls.
- Retailers: Some retail stores, particularly those with high cash transactions, might have rolled coins. However, these are less predictable.
- Estate Sales: Occasionally, estate sales may include coin collections or unsearched rolls.
- Coin Shops: Local coin shops might sell rolls, but they are often priced above face value or may have already been searched for valuable items.
- Online Marketplaces: Online platforms can offer coin rolls, but exercise caution. Prices are often higher, and there’s a risk of receiving rolls that have already been searched by other collectors. Always verify seller reputation.
2. Setting Up for the Hunt
Once you have your coin rolls, proper preparation can make the coin roll hunting process more efficient and enjoyable.
Space
- Well-Lit Area: Choose a well-lit space to examine coins. Good lighting helps in identifying small details, errors, and varieties.
- Flat Surface: A flat, stable surface, like a table or desk, provides a comfortable area to sort through coins.
Tools
Having the right tools can enhance your ability to identify valuable finds.
- Magnifying Glass: A magnifying glass, preferably one with 5x to 10x magnification, is helpful for examining small details, mint marks, and identifying errors like doubled dies.
- Coin Sorting Mat: These mats often have designated spaces to organize coins as you search. Some even include visual checklists of common things to look for, such as specific error types or silver content indicators.
- Coin Holders: Use coin holders (2×2 cardboard flips, Mylar holders, or plastic capsules) to protect and store any valuable finds. This prevents damage and preserves their condition.
- Coin Reference Materials:
- Coin Guides: A reputable coin guide, such as “A Guide Book of United States Coins” (often called the “Red Book”), is invaluable. It provides information on key dates, mint marks, errors, and varieties, along with current market values.
- Online Resources: Numerous online databases and forums offer detailed information on coin varieties, errors, and current values.
- Coin Wrappers: You will need these to re-roll the coins you do not keep. Many banks offer free coin wrappers to their customers. Ensure you have the correct wrappers for each denomination.
3. What to Look For
The core of coin roll hunting is knowing what makes a coin valuable or interesting. Here are primary categories of items to seek.
Silver Coins
Silver content significantly increases a coin’s value beyond its face value.
- 90% Silver:
- U.S. dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins minted in 1964 or earlier contain 90% pure silver.
- Look for the date first. If it’s 1964 or earlier, it’s silver.
- 40% Silver:
- U.S. half dollars minted between 1965-1970 contain 40% silver. These are often called “junk silver” but still hold significant value compared to clad coins.
- 35% Silver (“War Nickels”):
- Nickels minted between 1942-1945 contain 35% silver.
- These are identifiable by a large mintmark (P, D, or S) located above Monticello on the reverse side of the coin. Regular nickels have the mintmark on the obverse, near the date.
Key Dates
Certain years and mint mark combinations are rarer and more valuable due to lower mintage numbers or historical significance.
- Pennies: Examples include 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1931-S, 1955 Doubled Die Obverse.
- Nickels: Examples include 1885 Shield Nickel, 1937-D “3-Legged” Buffalo Nickel, 1950-D Jefferson Nickel.
- Dimes: Examples include 1894-S Barber Dime, 1916-D Mercury Dime.
- Quarters: Examples include 1932-D and 1932-S Washington Quarters.
- Half Dollars: Examples include 1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar, 1938-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
Reference materials are crucial for identifying key dates specific to each denomination.
Error Coins
Error coins are the result of mistakes during the minting process, making them unique and often highly sought after.
- Doubled Die Errors: Occur when a coin’s design elements appear doubled due to a misalignment during the die striking process. The 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent is a famous example.
- Off-Center Strikes: Happen when the coin blank (planchet) is not perfectly centered in the coining press, resulting in a portion of the design being missing and a blank area on one side.
- Incorrect Planchets: A coin struck on a blank intended for a different denomination or metal composition. For example, a penny struck on a dime planchet.
- Clipped Planchets: Occur when a piece of the coin blank is missing due to an error during the blanking process.
- Die Caps: Result when a coin sticks to the die after being struck and then itself acts as a die, striking subsequent coins with an unusual, often cap-like appearance.
- Home.blog provides further details and visual examples of various error types.
Proof Coins
Proof coins are special strikes made for collectors, characterized by their sharp details, mirrored fields, and often frosted devices. While typically sold directly to collectors, a small number occasionally enter circulation, making them a rare and exciting find.
Foreign Coins or Older Designs
You might come across coins that are no longer in active circulation or are from other countries.
- Older U.S. Designs:
- Indian Head Pennies (1859-1909): Predecessor to the Lincoln Cent.
- Buffalo Nickels (1913-1938): Predecessor to the Jefferson Nickel.
- Mercury Dimes (1916-1945): Predecessor to the Roosevelt Dime.
- Standing Liberty Quarters (1916-1930): Predecessor to the Washington Quarter.
- Walking Liberty Half Dollars (1916-1947): Predecessor to the Franklin and Kennedy Half Dollars.
- Foreign Coins: Sometimes, foreign currency mistakenly enters U.S. coin rolls. While usually not valuable, they can be interesting to find.
4. Searching and Sorting
Effective searching requires patience and a systematic approach.
Patience is Key
Coin roll hunting takes time. Valuable finds are not guaranteed in every roll or even every box. The hobby is about the search itself as much as the finds. Consistency increases your chances.
Methodical Approach
- One Roll at a Time: Open one roll and examine each coin individually. This prevents mixing coins and helps maintain focus.
- Examine Each Coin: Look at both sides of every coin. Check the date, mint mark, and overall condition.
- Sort as You Go: Create two distinct piles: “keepers” (coins you wish to retain) and “to be returned” (coins you do not want).
- Focus on Edges for Silver: For dimes, quarters, and half dollars, the edge of the coin is often a quick indicator of silver content.
- Silver Coins: Will have a solid silver (white) edge, with no visible copper stripe.
- Clad Coins: (modern pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars) will have a visible copper stripe in the middle of the edge.
5. Returning the Coins
After searching, you will have a large quantity of coins you do not wish to keep. Returning these coins efficiently is part of the process.
Dump Bank
It is a common practice to return your searched coins to a different bank than the one you bought them from. This helps maintain a good relationship with your primary coin source and prevents them from consistently receiving large quantities of already-searched coins.
Rolling Coins
Most banks require coins to be rolled before they are deposited or exchanged. Use the coin wrappers you obtained earlier. Ensure your rolls are accurately filled to the correct face value (e.g., 50 pennies per roll, 40 nickels, 50 dimes, 40 quarters, 20 half dollars). Inaccurately filled rolls can cause issues for the bank.
Free Coin Counting
Some credit unions and smaller banks may offer free coin-counting machines for their customers. This can save you time from manually rolling coins, but confirm their policy first.
Coinstar
Coinstar machines, often found in grocery stores, can exchange your bulk coins for cash or gift cards. However, they typically charge a fee for cash exchange (often around 11-12%). Some Coinstar machines offer full value if you choose a gift card from a participating retailer.
Important Considerations
- Politeness: Always be polite and respectful to bank staff. They provide a valuable service to coin roll hunters.
- Accuracy: Ensure your rolls are accurately filled when returning them to the bank. This builds trust and makes the process smooth.
- Hobby, Not Profit: Coin roll hunting is primarily a hobby. While you can find valuable items, it might not be highly profitable in terms of time spent versus monetary gain. Treat it as a treasure hunt rather than a direct investment strategy.
- Legality: It is illegal to melt down United States cents (pennies) and nickels for their metal content. The value of the metal in these coins sometimes exceeds their face value, but federal law prohibits their destruction for material gain.
Is coin roll hunting profitable?
Great question! It is true that you can make money coin roll hunting, but don’t plan to quit your day job any time soon. Valuable key date, error, or silver coins are uncommon, and some coin roll hunters may search through thousands of coins before finding a single one worth keeping or selling.
How to do the coin roll trick?
Then take the coin. And place it onto your first finger. And because it’s a big coin your middle finger will easily be able to move up and clip it. So it goes into a horizontal position.
What is the best coin to roll hunt?
Great question! If your goal is to consistently find something at least a little above face value, then pennies will almost always deliver (ie Wheats), if your goal is to acquire Silver then War Nickels are probably the most consistent finds. If errors are your primary goal then Quarters are probably best.