So I started coin collecting for fun. I really want to find a silver half or two. What would you guys say is your average per box of halves? How often do you get skunked? I'm asking cause I can probably only afford a box every once in awhile as I'm in college. Just really wanna find one or two to put in a case for my collection. I could buy one but where the fun/cool story behind that?
Guess what buddy... Then after college there is dating, marriage, kids, bills.. It will never end! $$$ Have fun finding your silver
Well, since you're in college, I can tease you for not using the proper word "halves". But the odds are generally low as I've only found a few. Having said that, I still like to search for silver halves. I truthfully have never ordered a box of halves. I just go to every bank in the area I'm searching and ask to buy all the half dollar rolls they have. I've had decent success there relative to the number of halves I've searched. Ordering boxes adds many complexities, like the companies who roll the halves and whether their machines pull out silver. My recommendation, if you have the time, is to just go to the bank and say "I'd like to buy all the half dollars you have".
You're not going to get rich doing roll searching but you can have fun. And the joy of finding something is great! Get the education, it will be worth it in the long run.
Average for me is about 2 per box. You can get lots of skunks in a row then get one with several in them. Hit teller trays too and ask for customer wrapped rolls. That way you have all your lines out in the water. I do 5-8 boxes a week and average about 8 ounces of silver a month. There are guys on here in different areas from me that accumulate a lot more. Ask Truble.
That's a great idea, I'll keep that in mind. Like I said I would love to find a bunch but I'm mostly looking to find a couple cool ones cause I like the history behind them and collecting is just plain fun.
Do many companies pull the silver out? I stop by a bank on the way home the other day to get a couple rolls and the teller offered to clear out their trays for me because she was afraid I wouldnt find anything since their machines take out the silver.
Are the any general areas you would say are better for finding? I mean city vs small city vs super small country side towns
In my experience it's pretty random. It doesn't matter where you go just as long as you are inside a bank. I do like small credit unions for teller trays and customer wrapped rolls. That's were I have had my biggest scores. Don't be afraid to go into banks and credit unions that you are not a member of. Rarely do you get turned down and if you do who cares.
Ask the tellers if they have any halves in their drawers. The worst is you can spend them. As far as "shunks" go, we've gone through 10 boxes straight without a silver. Don't be disillusioned by that, however. It's really just dumb luck finding these. The banks have them. Hit the right one at the right time, you're a winner.
Distinguished gentleman and ladies. Here in South Florida between the two counties there's over 5 million people. And within these two counties I'm not exactly sure how many banks, but there is an awful lot. Since you're talking about half dollars. Every time I going to the bank I always look at the tellers to see how many have say have an buy them. Most of the time I'll be lucky if I can get five dollars worth. So I went to the bank manager and asked him if he could get me a box. The manager got on his computer and did some checking and told me he would be unable to get a box of haves. They basically avoid him because they are not popular in circulation. And occasionally I like to call it window shopping. I will go into a bank and asked to get change, just so I can see what they may have available. I have found this big city does not like $.50 or dollars coinage. What's a hunter to do. USMC60
@usmc60, find another bank. Just my personal experience. He could if he wanted to, but there are fees that the bank must pay and he is unwilling to do that for you. Or he is ignorant of the fact that he can order them, but I doubt that.
I am convinced roll hunting success is very location-specific. Where I live, in the northeast, you will very seldom hit ANY silver. The more "off the beaten track" you are, the more likely. But this isn't the 1970's any more.
I had a threat a while ago. About going through so many thousands of quarters, and only Finding a couple silver in them. You can add about 8000 more to that. Still no silver. Only thing I managed to come across the end of last year, were for 63-64 Nichols. I agree about the charge, the banks not to do anything for free. And like I said before this bank manager pulls silver coins out, when he comes across them I guess. And ever since I started going through boxes of quarters. The first month he ran short, because he did not expect me to order to boxes that month. So ever since then he adds an additional two boxes to his order for his bank. This bank gets its coinage from Loomis here in Miami.I will have to admit one thing that I have not gone to any banks down near the cruise ship, in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. I'm sure a lot of the passengers coming back from the cruise, are not going to carry a bunch of island money back home. So they may exchanged at the bank before they go home. I look at it this way with over 5 million people, that's a lot of change in circulation.USMC60