is it still possible to find walking libertys and franklins in rolls?

Hello all, as the title states, is it still possible to find walking libertys and franklins in rolls? I am new to coin collecting and think these coins look amazing (not interested in the silver content but know they are valuable.) I am mainly into coin collecting because I thinks its amazing to hold an old coin in your hand and think about the things its been through.

I REALLY want a walking liberty and Franklin, and bought my first half dollar roll today. I got a few interesting Kennedys and a Bicontinental, but thats it. I will cash in my remaining halfs and buy another roll in search of those coins!

 

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Not likely but anything is possible. Walkers and Franklins that have sat in drawers or cans for decades are spent or taken to a bank every day. Kids get into their fathers' coin collections all the time and spend the coins on candy. Thieves - not knowing the value or not caring - often spend coins stolen from coin collections on beer and cigarettes.

 

I think Ill start asking the tellers at my bank if they have loose halfes, and if not ask if I can get a roll from the back of the vault/drawer

 

I know for a fact that they are still found in rolls for a couple reasons:

1) Merc, Agent X, and a few others have reported finding Walkers AND Barbers even in rolls. That is pretty crazy, but leads me to point 2:

2) Theives , Like my former step brother who got into my Father's / Grandfather's coin collection and spent all kinds of stuff like gold dollars, silver certificates etc etc. steal without pitty or remorse. They want their cigarettes, beer, drugs...whatever. Also, when I was just a baby my dad used to work at a food and liquor in a town primarily inhabbited by elderly people. He would see all kinds of crazy stuff come in the store...most everyone who was spending the silver and sometimes gold, were buying beer. Sometimes it would be the elderly person themselves spending it, and other times it would be a kid. Then, a day or so later the cops would come by and ask "Have you seen this guy? You did? Did he pay for his items with old coinage? He did? Ok, we have our man."

Sorry, kind of long winded and poorly executed, but that is my answer to your question.

 

I just go in and say, "I'll take all your half dollars rolled and loose" and i usually leave with a few rolls. Banks don't like them and want to get rid of them because merchants don't ask for them.

 

I think thats a good idea. considering I have $50 to start my coin collection off with I could get quite a few rolls, and maybe a few loose ends.

 

Once you get $500, you can buy boxes of halves. But personally, I've never found a silver half in a box. I've been through 10 boxes. But when banks give me a few rolls someone brings in, it's amazing what I find.

 

Yes it's entirely possible to find Barbers, Walkers and Franklins. I know, because I've found them myself. It's more difficult now, with the value of silver and more searchers of rolled coin. Keep in mind, the key to roll hunting is to search volumes. These old coins are still out there, not so much because of theft, but because 50 cent pieces generally are not circulated as much. Shoot, I know of one person that recently found about 50 rolls of BU Franklin halves, that had basically been sitting in a bank vault since day one. Good luck to you!

 

It probably depends on how old the rolls have been sitting around. I have relatives who run a restaurant and they let me go through all the half and dollars coins they separated from their everyday business. they did it so that customers don't get confused when they get coins instead of bills in their change. I picked out the Kennedy 64s and others before rolling the rest. My point is that someone not interested in coins might have a change jar sitting for 40 to 50 years before rolling

 

Out of three boxes of halves got 1 in the first, 0 in the second, and 2 in the third. All three were 40%'ers. That was months ago. I have to go and start searching for CWR's and loose ones.

 

I am pretty new at this and I found 2 Franklins this past week, they're still out there! I have only ever found Franklins and '64s in loose change and random rolls, and until my luck runs out I think I'll stay away from those boxes, from what people are saying it seems like a big hassle for little rewards...

 

Augie, this is the second time you have used this term, and I think you mean Bicentennial . The US has never produced a Bicontinental coin. I though you'd like to know.

Chris

 

I work with a cash register and I've personally only ever found 1 walker, maybe a dozen silver kennedys and no franklins, in 5 years. I haven't searched through boxes at my home, just rolls that come through our business.

 

I bought a $100.00 in Kennedy half rolls that a customer at a local bank brought in. They were all Kennedy's from the 1970s', 1971 being oldest. After I searched the rolls I wrote "1970's" on each of the rolls. I figure I'd save the next person time searching lol.

 

1970's are silver...

 

I just found a nice '70S in a roll this week....I found my '70D at a small bank inside a Walmart. They had one half - that was it!

 

Yes.

I've found over 350 Frankies over the past 2 years, and at least 30 Walkers, 2 Barbers.

I believe they come from coin counters and people who don't know what they are counting, such as children of collectors (which was (I believe) my big frankie find http://www.cointalk.com/showthread.php?t=10176&p=828271#post828271 ).

They are out there, just continue looking.

 

Ok I got my terms mixed up, thank you for the correction.