I asked that question previously, and the jar is very nearly full. I did a quick count a couple of days ago, and came up with $105. When its full it should be about $110. Emptying it and putting it all back settled the coins to make a little more room. I think I am going to take it to a small local bank, where they have 50+ accts. No fees, no minimum balance. This bank has a coin counting machine that is free for members too. You dump it in, like Coinstar. It counts it and gives you a receipt. If you are a member, they will give you cash, or deposit it. If you are not, there is a fee. I can use the account for roll searches, and redeposit with no fuss, no fees. It turns out my son that helped me really enjoyed it, so maybe we will have a winter hobby together. Incidentally, we did find a 1939S Lincoln. Wheaties are getting rarer and rarer.
I did the whole bank member - non member stint one time. Then they got rid of their coin machines due to low usage. Just bite the bullet and go to a normal CoinStar machine. They will charge a small fee. No big deal. The jar will get full again! You can also ask your bank to give you paper coin wrappers of different denominations. They are usually free. Roll up the coins and bring them in to deposit. Or keep the rolled coins at home to purchase groceries. The store loves change! As long as you are truthful and accurate with what you give them as payment. Sometimes they will ask you yo bring in more rolls or even take all of them. I took to my local grocery store $50.00 in nickels, dimes and quarters.
I think you've already answered your own question when you mention a bank with accounts that have no fees or minimum balance, and the icing on the cake is a coin counting machine that you can use for free. What's there not to like? I live in a big city(or suburb of one) and I doubt if I could find any of that. The banks I've asked at insist they don't have any coin counting machines, not even for their own use, which seems like a lie to me since, How do they count their coins??? By hand ?!?! Anyway, I'd love to have access to that.
Its an old neighborhood bank in a residential neighborhood. It has changed names 3 times now. I had an account there years back, before my health ended my coin collecting days, and would cash my dug coins that way. I learned to get rolls of coins to search, and mix them in a bucket of dug coins, so they didnt stand out. But then they moved the machine out from behind the counter. I used it to send money to the Philippines. I started an acct, added direct deposit and sent the ATM card to the Phils. But then they changed names again. And the Phils became a proscibed country and the card stopped working. When I went to investigate, it was not just countries, but several states! Rare that banks offer less services, or limit any state. But, it suits my needs for now.
My credit union has a free (to members) coin counting machine. Just slide your ATM card, dump the pile of searched change in, out pops your deposit slip (with no fees taken out; yep 100% credit) and you walk out the door without having to talk to anyone. Pretty slick.
