Half $ search

Well - I finally did it - I ordered a Box of half $ - I can't wait to see what I find.
I have been searching 3-4 rolls at a time, (I take whatever the teller has when I go to the bank). I have not done too badly - 5 40% silvers, 3 proofs, a bunch of AU's /BU's that my daughter and I are putting into an album.
It would be nice if I can turn up some 1964 Kennedys or maybe even some Ben Franks or dare I say - Walkers. Its possible right?
I will let everyone know what turns up - I get them next Thursday.

 

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Good luck!
3 Proofs?
That is very good.

 

I don't know how many rolls 3-4 at a time adds up to, but it sounds like you're doing great thus far! My luck has been pretty bad lately with customer-rolled rolls.. (Though I did get one Franklin and a Washington Dollar in a roll last week...)

Franklins are still around and Walkers are definitely possible (though I admit, I haven't pulled one from a box yet). I managed to find a Barber a couple weeks ago.

Good luck!

 

vwap
Yeah, and I still hate you for that Barber!

Excellent find.
I am usually happy just to find silver.

 

I'm always happy to find silver!

 

I ordered a box from my bank about 3 weeks ago and today the teller told me they were in. I was in a hurry and the bank was busy so I told her I would be back tomorrow for them. 500.00 of halves should keep me busy for awhile

 

Depending what your goals are I'm basically down to looking for silver, proofs, and 1987/2002+, occasionally I'll make a pile of 1974D's to look through. It takes me roughly 15 minutes per box of $500.. (Though it used to take forever and a day when I checked coins against the album..)

 

I would love to find a barber - hard to believe that they would be in rolls out there in 2007.

 

You mean like this?

Stats for the box that I found this in

3 ---40% Ag Kennedies
21 -90% Ag Kennedies
22 -Franklins
21 -Walking Liberties
1 --Barber


I'm guessing this Barber might actually be P-01

 

Awesome. That's out of one box? Amazing..

My stats for last night (5 boxes) was pretty terrible, especially compared to that:

3 - Franklin
4 - 90% Kennedy
17 - 40% Kennedy (1 - 1970D, so yes, they're indeed possible to find! )
3 - 2002+

 

You will find that as you search larger and larger quantities, 4 silver coins per box will be about par and minimally acceptable. The fact that you found 7 90% silver coins is actually a good result.

In my mind to determine if I had a good week, I give each box a rating.

0% Ag Proof == ¼
40% Ag ===== 1
40% Ag Comm = 2
90% Ag ===== 2
Barber ====== 4 (I've only found two of these EVER)
90% Ag Comm = 4 (Never found one, but I know people who have)

If I average a rating of 4 per box, I consider it a good week. Rarely do I get much higher, and frequently it's less. The rating is meaningless, but it makes me feel good to calculate it.

 

The first time I got half dollar rolls (10 of them), two of them were all 90% silver coins. One of these rolls was 50-50 Franklins and Walkers, and the other was all 1964 Kennedys in beautiful uncirculated condition. I've been thinking lately about maybe sending them in to be graded -- do you think it's worth it? I'd send pics but I'm not going to be home until Thanksgiving.

 

I've only just begun logging my boxes, and so far, about two out of every pickup (4-5 boxes) have really sucked, with the remaining 2-3 boxes per pickup bailing out the day..

Though nowhere near as frustrated/frustrating as picking up other collector returns..

 

5 Boxes!!! $2,500 or 5000 coin man thats alot. the "hit" ratio seems low - I guess I have been really lucky with my misc. roll search.

Hearing these stories of finding barbers - even ones in poor shape - and franklins and walkers - really get my hopes up. I would be happy to find a Barber in that shape. Where else are you going to get a Barber half for .50!

 

I mark my rolls with a mark - b/c I started getting my own rolls back.

 

If you have your heart set on finding a specific coin, you will be very disappointed.

You just have to educate yourself on what to look for and be happy with what you find.


As for grading Kennedy Half Dollars, these were saved in such abundance that there really is no premium for getting them slabbed. The only time one might consider it is if you have a MS-69 or MS-70, but that requires some research to learn the grading standards up front.

 

It sounds like the percentages have changed quite a bit over the last year and half. I was an avid half dollar roll searcher, picking up 2 boxes every week for over 2 years (from 2003- 2005/6). I stopped because the percentage of silver pulls was getting less. But from 2003-2005/6, the avergae pull was 1 - 90%/40% half in every 5 rolls. Franklins and Walkers came in about 2-4 in every month (8 boxes). Barbers were always scarce. I only found 6 in total. Silver comms are even rarer. - I pulled only 1. At a rate of 4 per box, I don't know if I'll jump back to it anytime soon. Is 4 per box, really teh standard now?

 

It's definitely a lot more hit and miss than it sounds like it used to be, but based on my results, I'd say an overall average of 4-5/box is about right. Sometimes I get none, other times I'll get a bunch, but it evens out.. 10/box is definitely a good box.

 

When a box has silver in it, it usually has more than 4, but all it takes is one week of zip and the average comes crashing down.

 

I agree with you, have to be very lucky or full of bull to get many 90% coins. I just started a new box today just went through 10 rolls 40 to go. I found a 1998-S clad proof unreal had some marks but not bad. I have also found 30 GEM UNC 1998-P real beuties so far and some other low mintages from 1980's and 1990's:thumb: