Four Months Without Finding a Single Silver Half

Everytime I go to a bank I ask for half dollars. I have not gotten a silver half in almost four months. Are they all gone?

 

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No. They just aren't in your bank. They will be out there for a long time I am sure.

 

I used to search rolls and would find maybe 1 40% or 90% half dollar per every 3-4 rolls searched. About 5 years ago, they just seemed to disappear and I stopped searching. It wasn't worth the time and effort anymore.

 

One of the silver guys I like to watch on YouTube (DavinciJ or something) noted last year that the banks in his area stopped carrying silver. I think it just has to do with the most obvious and and easily accessible avenues being the first places to get depleted. I asked the teller at my bank if they had any silver a few weeks ago, and she was literally dumbfounded.. didn't even realize that silver clad isn't the same thing. After I queried her more specifically, they didn't have anything of interest to me.

 

Sorry.....I am more of the cherrypicking type of guy...

 

When the well runs dry, you have to dig a new well.

Chris

 

I think they are scarcer than they used to be, but others here are right. Since these aren't used in commerce really, there are just some that float around in your area, only depleting if people put them in junk drawers or being added if people clear those drawers out. I would try to get a bag from a further geography and try that.

No one used to know 65-69 were 40%, but with the silver rise I think there was articles on that fact and more people have been looking.

Chris

 

Yeah...

 

I wouldn't even be surprised if we were to learn that the Treasury Department had been quietly removing all silver coins coming through the Federal Reserve System and melting them for the silver.

Chris

 

My first time ever roll searching about 2 days ago.. I bought a box of dimes because i figured all the halfs and quarters were dried up. after a quick look through the clear rolls i found 2 silver rosevelts and 1 Merc. I was very excited because I read that most people average 1 per box, and I found 3 very quickly. the Merc was actually on the end of the roll!

Location: Philly.

 

When I was working at a bank about 3 years ago...I would buy $500 bags of half dollars and search through them. I can tell you at that time I was averaging only 5-10 silver halves (typically 1 90% and the rest 40%) per bag. I would imagine with the increase in silver prices since then and the constant searching through them by people like us...the numbers in circulation are simply dwindling.

 

My Fiance was in Baltimore and just got home. I asked her to grab me some loose kennedy halves and I got 12 of them.. One was 1967. not bad for 6.00 in loose halves

 

Good job Dam amd coinman...

 

Thanks appreciate it. I've been thinking about trying quarters again, but I tried that once before and struck out. This was my 2nd time searching and I went for dimes.. I got 3 dimes but thats only $.30 face. oh well, better than nothing. Most banks around me can't even order halfs anymore

 

Just searched another box of dimes and found 1 silver dime... better than nothing. I'll keep you updated on the next search.

 

I usually get a box of halves a week. Lately I've been averaging 1 maybe 2 40%ers. Two years ago average was 8 or 9.

 

If you search and return at the same bank, chances are, you're going through rolls you've already dug through. I'd mark each roll you've searched with a sharpie. Also, ask the teller if they have any older looking rolls, maybe collecting dust.

 

And hey even if you don't find anything good, I still think it's fun to spend halves instead of rebanking them. But maybe that's just me liking to mess with the tellers a little bit, screw up the normal circulation tendencies. I also love paying in 2 dollar bills :devil:

 

Or you can post in the appropriate thread where there are a few other people local to Philly that search...

http://www.cointalk.com/t10176/

 

Rule number X of roll searching: never dump where you pick up.