Do you have a routine when checking coins? When I was just starting out, I was only looking for silver (check rims and dark patina), S mint marks, and some key dates. But now that I've absorbed more information, it seems that almost every year has an error (e.g. as shown in Strike It Rich, Red Book, CT, etc.). Other than memorizing every single year with their errors or rarity, what do you all do when checking coins? For me, I check the obverse for any obvious defects, key dates, mint markings, lamination errors, etc. Then I zoom in with my loupe to check for double dies and other errors to confirm anything I saw w/o the loupe. Next, I rotate the coin horizontally with my thumb and index finger on the rim, and make sure that the coin is upside down so as not to have a rotation error. And check the reverse in the same manner as the obverse. As you may already know, this process is very time consuming, and I'm not sure this process can go any faster other than memorizing all the errors with their respective key dates, or ignoring everything that isn't worth a certain amount... Thoughts appreciated! EDIT: I'm going to see how a 300x USB microscope setup will work out. So, I'd use my monitor to watch and carefully slide the coin in like an assembly line. Maybe that'll make things move faster.
300x is overkill. That much power is enough to see a booger in Lincoln's nose, but nobody collects them. It's one thing to become familiar with errors, but what purpose does it serve if you haven't yet learned to grade? If a coin is in poor condition, what good is it to save it for the error? Chris
I should have mentioned it's variable magnification from I think 1x-300x. I'm in the process of learning to grade thoroughly but it's definitely an art. Some coins I do come across are in great shape.
It doesn't for everyone, but I've seen so many errors in such pitiful condition that the condition is an overriding turn-off. Chris
Sometimes when I see a beat up key date coin I'm grateful it's not an error coin just because it's so ugly.
so... back on topic, "What's your routine when checking coins?" I make a sheet of paper (long "legal length" paper 14' long) for each denomination; one page for Linc's, one for wheats, one for Jefs and so on. I make a grid for the years that fits the size coin then write in the "squares" for the years I am looking for. Ex: for JFK's I mark "all" for pre 70' in the 70 box I write NIFC, also in the 87 box, in the 74 square I mark D- DDO and so on. Then as I work with a box of that denomination I have a "cheat sheet" of sorts to remind me of what all I'm looking for. After a while I pretty well have it memorized but I find it helpful to have it in front of me. For coins that I need a loope, I stack them on their square while unrolling and checking for dates and things I can see with just my reading glasses. Then after going through a box or what ever, I take each stack, (say the JFK 1974-d stack) and use my loop or computer microscope to look for the DDO's. I re-roll all the not-keeper while playing cards online. casual, relaxing, not in a hurry, just fun pace.
I forget to mention, I also use a cheat sheet for dates and mintage, except I have it up on the computer monitor. "Key" dates for nickels I consider to be anything below 60 million, using the link below. I have the error dates listed out adjacent to the mintage. http://coinmintages.com/jefferson-nickels-mintage/
While I'm searching (lets say pennies for example) I have 3 buckets, a 1982-1970, a 1969-1959, and a garbage container. I search and throw them into the corresponding buckets. But for every other denomination there are keepers and non keepers! I'm usually watching Netflix while searching too !
I live in a small town. When I first started collecting, there wasn't an internet and the only reference material that I had was the good ole World Book Encyclopedia. Every once in a while I would see an add of some sort in the back of the free monthly magazine from REA that had an add wanting you to send them your 3 legged Buffalos or 59 doubles or some type of error coin. Having big hopes I bought the biggest magnifying glass that Ben Franklin 5 and Dime had and started on my quest to rid the world of their error coins. Like I mentioned earlier I live in a small town. After weeks of getting rolls of pennies from the bank, checking them and then swapping them for more, I started to recognise some of the same damaged coins that I had looked at before. Particularly one that had been shot with a 22. It wasn't long before I had repurposed the magnifying glass into a fire starter.
when cent and nickel hunting i usually have my scope set at 30x and inspect the coin on my computer screen, first the obverse under scope lights for anything abnormal, (clips, cuds, indents, struck thru an such) then closer inspect under mag., (RPM, DD, clash, cracks an such) then flip coin to check orientation and repeat above process, most coins take all of 5 seconds to check, coins that i know could be something 10-15 seconds, (like 1971,72,83,84,95,97 lincolns to name a few), i have 2 containers, 1 for zincolns, 1 for coppers and a scale to weigh all the 1982 and 1983 cents that are not obviously plated, "notepad" is open and i record whatever i keep and drop it into a coin tube, with cents i also usually have a tab open with coppercoins, lincoln resource center an wexlers websites for resources, i'm in no hurry so 1 roll will take about 10-15 minutes...
I search cents, so the first thing I do is pour them out on a cookie tray (a handful at a time) and pluck out any wheats I see. Then I through the rest into a 5 gallon. Next I sort out the 16 years I search, plus any mintmark cents 1989 and older. I use to search every single coin but it took too long and it was kinda boring. I'm not in the discovery business, I'm in the recovery business, and I'm fine with that. I've looked at so many photos and coins, that the images of what I'm looking for is burned into my head at this point. Edit: After the sorting of the wheats, if I find one in the bucket, it's usually in above average condition, which makes my day.
