Separating coppers from zincs when rolling?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Circus, Jul 5, 2015.

  1. Circus

    Circus Tokens Only !! TEC#4981

    Separating copper pennies from zincs when rolling? I'm a token collector not a coin collector first off. My mother was a coin collector,[:D] She never meet a state quarter she didn't have to keep, But that's another story. She has about 7 to 10, 3 pound coffee cans filled with pennies.

    I have been separating the Canadians out since they seem to have some value to collectors that don't get them daily in change.

    But after going thru a couple of cans, separating the pre-1982's ( i am not going to way them to pull the coppers out.

    So I have been doing rolls of 1981 and earlier mostly from the late fifties and newer so far.

    This is what I have been told to do, by a couple of coin collectors I know. Because they claim that you can see the pre-81 rolls for a premium.

    First question is it true that they can be sold for a premium above the roll value?

    Other than saving them for their copper/zinc melt value. Is it worth it? It is an activity during Boob tube watching, so I'm not doing this on its own.

    And no I don't have any interest in coin collecting!
     
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  3. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    Bidiots are liable to buy anything!

    Chris
     
  4. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    I'm chiming in because I'd like to hear other's input on this, but I don't think it's worth it unless you have a buyer lined up and plenty of room to store them. There are several pretty cheap coin sorters that you can buy or make to separate the copper out for you. I move around about every 3 years so I don't even bother.
     
  5. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    I don't feel there is any money to be made with these at this time. Maybe in 20 years.
     
  6. littlehugger

    littlehugger Active Member

    Yes, I have seen them for sale on EBay. Copper cents and wheats.
    Years ago, I got a $50 bag of 5000 wheats for $75. They are in the hundreds now.
    Some people are pulling a profit on the, so you can too.
     
  7. 16d

    16d Member

    That had to be VERY long ago. 10 years before internet, they were more costly
     
  8. littlehugger

    littlehugger Active Member

    Yeah, it was long ago. But, common date copper cents are still out there at a cost of 1 cent, and are currently selling on ebay over face value. Same principal as wheats.
     
  9. littlehugger

    littlehugger Active Member

    Bags of 5000 are around $200 and up now. One guy was selling 100,000 for $7000.
     
  10. Hommer

    Hommer Curator of Semi Precious Coinage

    I have to ask. Did your mom search these coins for rarities or just pitch them in a can?
     
  11. Histman

    Histman Too Many Coins, Not Enough Time!

    I do the same thing. I'm waiting for the government to confiscate all of the platinum, gold, and silver. Then I'll corner the market on copper. But seriously, I do it just as another quirky thing to do as a coin collector. Makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. :)
     
  12. Circus

    Circus Tokens Only !! TEC#4981

    As far as I know just put them in the cans, Just like the state quarters she never meet one that she didn't like and she held on to every one that came thru her hands.
    The ones I have gone thru have been from 1959 and to about 2011, only found 2 1943 steels, and around 156 other4 wheaties. Haven't started on the dimes,nickles JFK's, Franklins or the rolls of the gold dollar coins. Not to mention the mint sets that my parents bought each year and now are only worth about $3.00 each to dealers! She wasn't a collector other then in the sense of filling the blue albums.;)
     
  13. softmentor

    softmentor Well-Known Member

    From what you have said here, these are exactly the sort of coins that roll searcher collectors love to buy. They hope to get lucky and find an error set or a rare date and make a nice profit.
    so, there is potential $ to be made if you learn about each series and what has value and go through them with collectors eye.
    There is also $ to be made selling them as is, not as much, maybe, but some value there.
    what you don't want to do is dump them too cheep. unless you sell them to me of course : )
    You may not want to spend a LOT of time learning about coins but it would be worth getting some basic knowledge to be sure you are getting fair value for what you sell.

    RE copper cents, there is a very small premium at this time for copper (pre zink) rolls on Ebay, but don't forget that they charge a pretty good fee on product AND SHIPPING. that means to sell 10 rolls of cents you would have to get about $11.22 to cover face value ($5.00) shipping (probably $5.25 for that much weight) and fees (usually 10% or more). That would be to break even - same as spending them at face value. Probably tough to sell them at that rate.
     
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  14. Hommer

    Hommer Curator of Semi Precious Coinage

    You should be able to.make a decent profit just by selling them as is in the coffee cans. Definitely what collectors and roll searchers dream of. How you sell them and where depends on how much profit. I don't know where you live but there are a lot of coin guys who make a respectable profit at flee markets or you might try selling them on this site.
     
  15. Circus

    Circus Tokens Only !! TEC#4981

    I have had somebody that has tokens which he would like to trade for some of the rolled pennies. Contact me today and we will see what he has. Much more fun than selling them or swapping at the bank or coin star!
    sounds like the people at the gun shows selling the copper rounds for people to use as money. After the world as we know it ends. Most people would be better off in buying copper wire on spools and keeping that as it would be something people will need and have very little chance of making themselves from copper rounds. Even buying scrap copper would be better. But when one of the South American countries economy went a way in the 70's no body would take gold or silver in exchange for food, gas or anything else. what they wanted was bullets and guns.
    What I always find interesting is how many of the noble metals people give no thought that if they tell people they have gold and silver to "buy" stuff. That somebody won't be around to collect the metals!
     
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  16. littlehugger

    littlehugger Active Member

    In a cultural collapse, guns, ammo, food and water will be primo stuff. The ones with gold, but no guns, will lose their gold. Those who have guns, food, etc, will still be forced to fight to kepp them, and to stay alive.
    This of course, is initially, especially if its localized. Given a general collapse, one which is not actually Armageddon, and a lot of people will die. Probably 90%. Assuming its not the actual end of the world, things will slowly coalesce into a new, more primitive culture, and then, gold and silver, etc, will again be valuable. But in the lack of a cohesive, modern culture, they have little worth. Civilization makes precious metals precious as a means of exchange. If we are all cavemen, its worthless.
    I can see that we are very close too the End Times. I think we will see them within the lifetime of many of us. The survivor in me wants to prepare, but there is no point in preparing for the end of the world.
    But, I think your average coin collector would be ahead of the game in any lesser crisis. Who else would have silver, gold and copper coins in greater abundance than most? Who else would have knowledge of the true intrinsic value of various coins that will be used? Who else will be able to spot counterfeits?
    Copper is fun and easy to acquire. Its cheap and easy to set aside, and one day, if it hits the fan, those cents, etc, will have value, just as they did long ago, as large cents, half cents, etc. And you will be far better off spending the thousands of copper cents you have, than the poor guy with only a few, high value gold coins. A $20 gold coin might be priceless, but who is going to have change for it when you try to buy a loaf of bread at the store?
    Anyway, its all just speculation. I have kids and a cutey young wife, so I don't want the world to end. But if it doesn't, its still cool having this stuff, and it does appreciate.
     
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  17. softmentor

    softmentor Well-Known Member

    wow, all this over a question about rolling copper cents.
    back on point, yes, there is a little value in it but probably not by selling on ebay. Yes try selling the whole can by weight here, and might make a little on it. At lease here there are no fees like Ebay, but also here people are pretty smart about what is a bargain, so have reasonable expectation about your profit.
     
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