I apologize for saying something that has been said many times on this forum, but lately I have been just buying rolls of various denominations and pulling out what I need. last year I blew the dust off my collection from when I was a kid. I had a lot of coins up to 1970, when I stopped collecting. I think back then I realized that girls were more fun than coins, hence the cutoff. Anyhow last year I started filling in some of the holes before 1970. I have done pretty well and it has not been cheap. My wife has been pretty supportive, which is cool. The kids think I am a nerd though. So lately I have been really going after the post 1970 stuff, which is not so hard, it's just a matter of looking alot at pocket change, looking at my wifes purse change, getting the rolls from the bank, looking at tip jars, etc. My point is getting this stuff which is chep is pretty fun. It's the thrill of the hunt and the kill, when you find a keeper. And it's easy. I have had a couple of home runs as well. The other day I found a 1999 Penslyvania S quarter. This crazy hobby.
I've never done roll searching, but from all the comments in here it appears to be a rewarding task. I suspect it is subject to the law of diminishing returns. But as the adage goes, "A chicken doesn't stop scratching just because it hasn't found any worms." Keep at it and best of luck.
Every once in a while I will go to the bank and buy rolls of pennies/nickels and dimes (cause that is what I can afford) and half the time, I will get something half way exciting, nothing to rare but still worth keeping or help me complete my sets. For example I spent $10 dollars a couple of weeks ago and bought rolls of nickels. Each roll had at least 2/3 nickels prior to 64 and one had a 1939. Now only if I can get ones that had a buffalo nickels in them
Nickel rolls are actually the best to do...the best luck of getting older stuff. Dimes and Quarters you are pretty much only going to get 1965-current. Not to say that older stuff hasn't been found, but it's few and far between. With the cents you can occasionally find some older stuff (I average one Wheat per every two rolls, oldest I've found was a 1937, my mom recieved a 1919 in change at the grocery store in 2008 though). I also get quite a few Candian cents too. A lot of times the cents are really nasty though. But with the nickels, every roll I do usually turns up two or more coins from before 1964, and I've found 38 and 39 issues more then once. I actually have not been able to find any nickels from 68 and one other late 60s year, I can't recall if it is 67 or 69. (I have charts so I don't have to try and remember) but I have found almost all 64 and older nickels, and many from the 40s and 50s as well. For me at least the nickels are also the most dirty. Your hands will need to be washed VERY throughly afterwords! Just my obsevations from a year and a half of roll searching.
I generally get rolls from the banks and searched for any hidden treasure. Living in San Francisco, I go to various neighborhood banks to get my rolls and avoid commerical districts such as Downtown. Like to get rolls that are put together by hand vs. the Fed. Res. stuff. With the way of the economy, good chance of finding silver, like Kennedy's. 3 recent finds are 1945-s Merc., 1947-d Walker and dateless Buffalo. Keep searching!
In your experience when you bought rolls of nickels how many rolls did you buy at one time? are the odds in your favor of buying more? (I wouldnt think so but you never know!)
The other day I could only get 20 rolls of pennies at the bank, which s OK, but I wanted a few more. Nickles next
Sounds like we are beginning to have fun! Strange how the thrill can be from digging up a rusted '43 to finding a horde under a mattress to finally procuring that 1909 S Wheatie. History can be pretty or ugly and still collectible and informational all at once with this hobby/business/investment.:bow:
