Bulk Searching cents, etc

A coworker of mine, their uncle passed away a couple years ago. He left a large hoard of coins. I haven't seen any of it yet, but I provided them one of my Redbooks a couple years ago and for example with Quarters told them to look at the quarters that are worth $10 or more (in the book) and look for those specific ones; and also look for the Silver ones. They found none. ($10 being a mark that they would be willing to give time to find)

Matter of fact it seems this guy did one thing that I do but more to the extreme. For instance, I keep all the Bald Eagle quarters I get in change and put my pennies into decade containers. This guy seems to have just kept all of his change for decades.

After they went through all of the quarters (looking for the valuable ones) they found nothing. So now they're wondering about the cents/pennies; they are thinking of just dumping it all in a change machine. With all the errors and stuff out there what should I tell them are the major years / mintmarks to look for.

They're opting to just dump everything in a coin machine at this point. They've had these coins now for about 3 years and only have gone through the quarters. They're going to bring me in a small box of pennies just to sift through so I have an idea of what they have. But the collection really didn't contain any early coins or anything numismatic that stuck out, just a pocket change for decades so far.

So what would be specific years/mintmarks and errors to look for in cents?

 

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All Wheat's are worth at least $0.03 each at coin shops. The 69S DDO, 72 DDO, 84 Double Ear, 92 and 92D close AM (CAM), 95 DDO, 96 WAM(Wide AM), 98 WAM, 99 WAM, and 2000 WAM to name a few.

 

He probably just saved his change, at the end of the day dumped it in a jar.
So there wouldn't be very many silver dimes or quarters, and they are most likely just face value. There could be a few decent nickels and cents just by accident. Let them just take the quarters and dimes to the bank and avoid the machine fee.
I would take the nickels and cents off their hands at face value, so they don't pay the 10% machine fee, look through them, and I spend them at face value in the coin acceptor at the grocery self checkout to avoid the 10% extortion fee.

 

Funny you mention this. A close friend of mines father passed away not long ago. This friend knew I was a coin guy and asked me to come help him figure out his fathers collection. The photos below are what I was met with yesterday afternoon. That jar is every bit of 50lbs plus and full of wheat's. The man had more than $1500.00 in rolls of uncirculated state quarters and the newer Jefferson nickels. He apparently was quite fond of the buffalo a few years back. He had $200.00 of rolls of them...... In all practicality, I sent my friend to the bank with the state quarters and nickels. I simply sorted all the silver and collectible coins for them and directed them to an honorable dealer...... I believe my situation is much like yours. There comes a point where it is just not practical to review every piece. Particularly when the Probate Courts are involved. Unless a fellow has a free month on his hands, take it to the bank and put it where it is safe. Any reputable bank will take the change with no coin sorter fee. Those things are more crooked than one armed bandits.

 

That is a great example. Except they seemed to have collected older coins too - picture of walking halves. This collection seems to be pure pocket change.

The main concept I've had to remind myself is that even 0.03 cents to a dealer doesn't mean anything to certain people. One has to remember, "normal" non-coin collecting people may not have the fervor for dealing with items in large quantity.

Matter of fact, I don't have the fervor either to look through a ton of cents. I have a ton of cents going back to the 1970s that I've stored away that I really have no intentions of going through any time soon, if ever. But I still have them.

Thus the reason I'm looking for specific years. Also in regards to WAMs etc I'm not sure they really care to look closely enough. I'll bring it up and provide a quick list. But the more I talk to them it's not worth their time to sell it to me either -- too much weight to deal with.

They've been through the quarters and found nothing. Sparks of interest but no action. The closest coin shop is about 2 hours away, one way. The coins has turned into a "hassle" for them, not a wanting to learn about coin collecting, since it all seems like pocket change anyways.

I've offered them many time to look at various quantities which they have not taken up the offers. So we'll find out what they want to do with the collection shortly as it's been lingering too long now for them.

 

What is it about us coin collectors? Are we just hoarders in sheep's clothing? I am embarrassed to say this. I don't spend quarters. I throw them in a box..... Well, I have three boxes full to date. Will I ever go thru them? Heck no.... And I cannot begin to tell you why I do that. My kids will hate me when I am gone.

 

I believe that it is collections like these that alowed me to get Two 1950-S Lincoln Cents in change three weeks ago. The Baby Boomers are disappearing.

 

I try and get rid of all my loose change. Because it just piles up.
I probably put 15,000 cents in the coin acceptor at the grocery over the last few years.
And what happens in most cases, (OP #1) whoever gets stuck with it, just gets rid of it at a 10-11% loss, because it's too much to deal with. Coin Star is racking.
Yes any bank (credit union MUCH better in terms of fees) where you have an account should take these coins at no surcharge.

 

I think we are just hoarders in a sense, or cents.
I save all my quarters too. I put the eagles ones in one container, and recently the more modern in another container (though my kids use some from time to time for school stuff). I just take all the dimes/nickels to the CU sorter.
I'll also buy a few half rolls from the CU here and there and just plain store them ... or hoard them.

I do have to add, in my will/estate papers I have a description of stuff. The quarters are just quarters. most of my collection is listed of purchase date, acquiring cost, etc. and different methods of selling. So they'll know which ones to just dump at the bank.

 

My wife dumps the change out of her purse periodically, and there's usually $10 to $15 of it sitting on the kitchen table. Being a luddite, she would never do the Coin Star thing, so it is up to me to spend all of this change, and I do so just as you do... at the Walmart self-checkout.

I have been able to find a dozen or so 1983 quarters in her change, although I haven't done the research here to find out why these might be worth something more than 25¢. I found out just the other day in one of the threads here that some 1982 quarters are worth more than face value. I'm sure I must have put another dozen of these into the coin slots at Walmart, too.

 

Congrats on that find, but I suspect that many of the really great finds are limited to certain areas of the country. I would never HOPE to find a '50-S in my change here in Baton Rouge. I did, though, find a very nice 1930 LHC in the reject hopper of a Coin Star machine once.

 

I'm not sure I could hate anyone that leaves me boxes of money.

 

Caution: Wear heavy gloves and handle large glass coin jars carefully - gallon sized mayonnaise jars and the like with rusted on lids will break easily and cut you up - be safe!

 

That sir, is handy advice! Hadn't thought of that but makes perfect sense. And I don't heal overnight like I did when I was a youngster!

 

cool

They brought in a box of pennies, sorted.
plus on blank planchet with which may have some slight marks on it? not sure if just PMD scratches or what.

 

Bought about 1500 wheaties from someone at a flea market. Nothing newer than 1955, and oldest one I've found so far is the lone 1905 Indian Head Cent. The problem is all the coins are damaged, most heavily, either cut around the edges or have holes punched through them. I've sorted through about 1/3, and have found a bunch of 10s and 20s here, a few S's, but nothing crazy valuable yet. Even if I pull an 09S VDB, in this condition it probably wouldn't be worth more than $70. There are a few blank planchets in here, but I fear he coins were just worn down with acid or something corrosive. However, they are smooth and the width of the planchets are that of a regular penny. I have one that's about the size of a 2 cent piece. All are smooth and edges are perfectly round. Hmmmm....

 

nice catch
The first batch I bought was about 1500. Though I don't really plan on going through them. They were in a heavy smokers house and you can feel that on the coins. They go in a ziploc and used as ballast for a safe.

 

Really? You're not even the least bit curious as to what might be in there? I think my favorite part about coin collecting is the hunt and the excitement of buying a huge lot and never knowing what's in there. I think, even if I overpaid, that it's worth it for the thrill!