Interested in getting more into coins. Roll searching help?

Hey coin collectors,
I collect a variety of things: US as well as Foreign currency, coin, & stamp. I mainly have been into US currency the most. I absolutely love the feeling of finding a star note when I am strap searching. It totally makes my day . But now, things are changing as I have an entire bank of tellers that search all their cash for me and set anything collectible aside for me. With this being the case, I no longer have to spend my time running from bank to bank switching out $1,000 dollar bills for $1,000 dollar bills (and yes, I have gotten just about every kind of facial expression possible when doing so haha). But I want to get into something else to replace that joy of finding a star note in a strap. I think this can be coin, because that is my next favorite thing to collect. For a while now, I only collect what coins are offered to me and what ones I come across in my change. The last thing I found sort of ignighted my lust for role searching. I found a 1951 silver quarter dollar in some change I got back. I gotta really good feeling from noticing right away that the ridges of the quarter looked silverish in a small stack of quarters I had. Sure enough when I selected that particular quarter out, it was 1951 ;P. Anyways, back on track: What should I look for when roll searching? What types of errors? Mints? Etc... I obviously know to collect anything 1963 and earlier (1959 for pennies). What else though?

 

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Put together a set of everything.

In almost no time at all you'll start learning about what's out there and what isn't. You'll learn to spot the varieties. As you go just keep asking questions and you'll get answers and resources (like CONECA). As the collection grows it will become a reference collection.

Just try to save nice well struck and lightly worn examples of everything so you can see the details.

 

For my first time, I simply walked over to my local US Bank and asked for $44 worth of coins (just so happened to be the amount in my wallet @ the time). I asked for 2 rolls of quarters, 2 rolls of dimes, and 5 rolls of nickles (they were out of pennies which is what I was really after). This was more like a trial time to see if finding something would fulfill that feeling of finding a star note. And it did. It didn't take much either. I'm not sure if I did good or not, but this is what I found:
(all nickles) 1939 P (no mint mark) (silver year or not, I can't remember?), 1958 D, 1962 P (no mint mark), and a 1962 D.

I know the '39 and '58 are old enough to collect just because they are old, but are the '62 and '61 old enough? I'm not really trying to collect based on all years or anything like that, I am just looking for some old coins and through that hoping to find some silver. So all I want is coins that are considered old. What do you guys think? Also, I was interested in finding out what a 'box' is. For instance, how much is a box of pennies? Box of nickles? Dimes? Etc...

P.S. The teller their shorted me 1 nickle for each roll of nickles and 1 dime for one of the rolls, is this common amoungst banks to short like this? I have heard cases before...

 

Oh yeah and if anybody can help me out to determin the condition, that would be helpful too so I can get use to the coin grading system vs. the US paper currency grading system which is what I am used to.

 

This is a good place to begin learning PCGS PHOTOGRADE

 

Downloaded the app, sounds good :thumb:. Still, I'd like to know more about "boxes" of coinage and how much one is. I'm stuck on US cash "straps" which I what I normally go through. Obviously, if I wanna make it "big time" in finding some silver or old coins, I am going to need to go through more than just a couple rolls lol. Also, does anybody know if 1939 was one of the WW2 years for 40% silver nickles? Appreciate all you coin collectors help, and I soon will be up there with you guys knowing this & that but I am still learning, so please be patient with me .

 

Silver nickels started about half way through 1942. If there is a mint mark above the Monticello it is silver. They are 35%. Pennies come in $25 boxes, nickels are $100, dimes are $250, halves are $500, and I'm not sure about quarters. Volume is the key in CRHing. Good luck.

 

Personally, if you wish to start looking through coins, I would buy the latest cherrypickers books. Those will let you know the varieties you are looking for.

 

Like the saying goes, buy the book before the coin. For you, I would recommend picking up a copy of the Red Book for starters. This will give you a good idea of what you want to look for. Then the Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties Vol. 1, (cents and nickels), and if you plan to search dimes, quarters, & halves then pick up Vol. 2 as well. Also, you will want a copy of "Strike it Rich with Pocket Change" to help find those error coins. For grading your coins I suggest "The Official ANA Grading Standards for United States coins", and possibly a copy of "Photograde". With that said, you will also need at least a 10x loupe as well. And I know my USB Microscope sure comes in handy.

1939 was not a year for the war nickel (Dec. 7, 1941, ring a bell), and not all war nickels contained silver. If you plan on just mining for silver, you won't need all the books above, just alot of luck because you are jumping on that bandwagon wwwwwaaaaaayyyyyyyy too late. Hard to find silver anymore.

 

Didn't WWII begin in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland?

 

"War nickels" refer to the metal composition that changed in 1942 lasting until 1945. It has nothing to do with the actualy dates of WWII, just the fact the composition changed due to war needs. Silver is not really needed for a war, but nickel was, for submarine hulls among other things if I remember right.

 

I think I'm jumping on the bandwagon just fiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnneeee because yesterday and today I found a 1967 Kennedy Half (ring a bell? ), as well as 2 silver nickles 1942 (no mint mark, Philli I guess?) and 1943 SF.. Aside from that, I found about a dozen nickles from 1959 and earlier (most from the '30s) which I did mention was one of the items I was searching for, old coins... Not just silver... I also found 7 Wheaties and 1 bicentennial quarter. I'm happy with my finds ...

 

The 1942 nickels you found are not silver. The silver war nickels have a very LARGE mint mark above monticello on the reverse. They made both silver and clad nickels in 1942.

Here is a 1942 'type 1'



here is a 1942 'type 2' silver

 

Good catch, I didn't read his war nickels had no mint marks. No war nickels contain silver unless the large mintmark appears over the Monticello. This is the first instance of the P mintmark ever being applied to US coins. I believe this was done in case the government needed to recall these coins for some reason, to make sorting easier.

 

Oh yeah? Try me:
So, to reply to your statement; you are correct, but also incorrect... The first one with no mint mark must not be silver... But you really shoudln't assume that neither are silver...

 

Wooooooahhhh I said one of my nickles didn't have a mint mark, not both. One of mine just so happens to have a LARGE 'S' over the Monticello on the back...

 

Yeah whatever man. I was simply letting you know that there are no such thing as war nickels without a mint mark. Didn't know I had to get that specific. Just trying to educate you on war nickels. Wasn't trying to tangle up your panties. Of course any nickel in 1943 is silver.

 

If you think my reply was that of a deffensive type reply or a reply suggesting that "my panties were tangled up"... Your mistaken.... I just really get into these discussions and since I am new to the coin collecting world (especially this side of the forum) I am trying to make friends with you guys and learn as much as I can. Kinda like a buddy and a buddy ragging on each other at a football game when a certain team scores, ya know what I mean? Thanks for the info... I have learned a lot, and I appreciate it and I hope we can be friends on here and I can learn and gain knowledge :thumb:.

 

Germany and Russia did invade Poland in Sept. of 1939, and Japan invaded China in 1937. It's funny how people only remember that Germany invaded Poland, while the Soviet Union was just as aggressive then and infact had a pact with the Nazis. I personally don't consider them as ever being an Ally. Had the Germans not turned on them, I feel they would have been invading more than they did. As it turns out though, they didn't have to invade. Just occupy.

 

Cool man. One word of advice is kidding does not translate well into forums. I know you meant well, but its too easy to mistake kidding with aggression, you know what i mean?

I am sure we can learn from each other and have fun, I just wanted to pass that along. It sucks, but true that sarcasm and kidding is hard to write. Maybe try using little emoticons to indicate your just joking around.

Chris