Just finished searching 4 boxes of mixed quarters. Only found 2 W quarters(Salt River and War inPacific). In many of the roles there were as many as 8 to 11 2019 and 20 quarters. Most were Salt River but also a number of Marsh Billings Tall Grass,War in Pacific and American Memorial(also a number of both of the 2021s). A large number of them looked like they had just been put into circulation. My question is Does the mint hold back quarters from earlier years and when there is a shortage in circulation release them? If so would there be less of a chance to find a W mint Mark? As they probably might release the W mint mark quarters when they are minted. Any thoughts on this?
Welcome @Wood duck 72. I think you need to remember that the mint does NOT roll coins, a third party does it for them. It is more likely that the third party has a mix of coins from past supplies and simply throws them together to make up rolls, so the answer to your question: would be no.
No The W mint quarters were taken to Denver and Philadelphia and mixed into the one-ton ballistic nylon bags that are sent to the contracted coin terminals. From there they were rolled and wrapped and injected into commerce just like the CCTs handle coins returned from and sent out to the banks.
I am more of a lurker than a poster. So does the third party that rolls the coins hold out coins from years ago and then mix them in when they need them ?
No It's all in circulation. Banks (and other users) send in what they take in and order what they need.
It's just the luck of the draw that gets sent out when they get orders for them. Think of it as their supply on hand to meet their demand.
Hi Wood Duck, hope you are well. I have noticed a number of War In The Pacific quarters lately in my rolls. Previously none at all. I think your hunch is on the mark, because every once in a while I will get a bunch of coins looking AU, which were rare to find earlier. Some entity is holding back (or losing coins and finding them again). My guess is the Armored Car companies.
Hi Wood duck! My research into this in 2019 pre-pandemic came to the conclusion that the mint shipped everything out to the armored carriers in the ballistic bag pallets, with a couple ice machine scoopers full of W quarters tossed into each one. that said, it really depends on how the armored carriers that are contracted by the Fed Reserve to handle the inventory, rolling and distribution to the banks of the area (fed reserve just conducts audits and oversite now, the armored carriers handle the operations). Some Carriers, might do FIFO, some might do LIFO, some might always prioritize circulated coinage being returned and keep the ballistic pallets on the shelves. it depends on how they handle their operation. One may leave the pallet intact as received from the mint, one may roll and box it and stack the boxes and let them sit until they are needed, another may immediately roll and distribute them and take it out of inventory. it depends on how they view the Fed inventory and accounting/audits. Now that all said, since the pandemic and the "great coin shortage of 2020" theoretically, the armored carriers should NOT be sitting on any inventory from the Mint/fed reserve, because of the shortage it SHOULD have all gone out of their doors to the banks. Somehow I doubt that though. I think the shortage was more of a interruption from shutdowns and call outs from work, and lowered demand, and not so much a shortage of physical coinage, more of a shortage in ability to deliver to the banks to meet the demand. if that's the case, new stock in theory could be placed before older stock and buried 2019-2020 coins sitting in local inventories. as far as "mixed rolls", they are just filling the machine, they might open a ballistic bag and run it though solo, or they might toss in circulated coins with it, or it might have the end of a run with the new coin mixed in, or the end of the new coin run and topped with circulated returns, as long as the accounting and inventory is right, it doesn't matter how they do it. So, we don't know really what exactly might be sitting in the carriers inventory or how they control their inventory, or what form it's in, still intact in the mint shipping package, or bricks or stacked quarter boxes but I'll say this, even in March-Apr 2020 I was getting solid uncirculated boxes of 2018 Voyaguers, Cumberland or Pictured rocks. I also have gotten a box of Lowell 2019P that had about 100 or so mixed date circulated in the mix and gotten Ws from that I think the reason 2019W American Memorial park is scarce is because there's armored carries sitting on a lot of that release and it's buried in their inventory. I know from searching cents many years ago when the Fed was doing the distribution, I'd come across BU cent boxes like 5 years old or so occasionally and wondered if someone just sat on a box and took ti back to the bank, or maybe the fed buried old inventory sometimes. ..
Hello Wood Duck and Wizank. I would be surprised if there was deliberate intent to hold back certain rolls, but not beyond possibility. I think its much more likely that the contracted suppliers simply don't use a FIFO inventory system. After all, there really isn't an expiration date on coins. Remember there is a cost of carrying inventory, and in this case it is literally money sitting on the shelf. Of course, there would be exceptions but those are typically treasury vaults.
I live in the Pacific NWest and still have not see a "W" quarter in circulation. I do not search rolls, but I do always check my change. I don't search rolls as to my knowledge Byzantine bronzes, silver or gold don't circulate anymore. I did at onetime search rolls when I was young and only collected US. Spent a lot of time doing that and filled my blue books that way. Have fun y'all out there. It certainly kept me off the streets.
