Do you get excited when you discover a silver coin in your pocket? Coin roll hunting and coin detection can be your place.
A friend recently discovered a 1980 Lincoln Doubled Die Anverse in his pocket. That 1 cent coin sold for just over $75!
Some time ago I got half a dollar 1946-P Walking Liberty for change at the local pharmacy.
We recently documented a coin discovery that netted the collector a $150 gold coin.
Does this happen every day? No, but enough to know that a lot of people aren't paying attention to the money in their pockets.
And that makes coin collectors like me very happy!
Do you check change in your pocket or purse? Otherwise, you could be letting a fortune slip through your fingers and not even know it!
Coin Roll Hunt – What is it?
In its simplest form, Coin Roll Hunting is buying change at face value to look for valuable coins. These coins can contain silver or just be short or wrong and die in a variety of coins.
My Friends 1980 Lincoln Double Die Anverse The above coin is one of those rare error type coins.
The Walking Liberty Half Dollar I received in return is an example of a silver coin.
What coins do people look for when they look for coins? They are basically looking for:
- silver coins,
- key Date Coins,
- coinage errors and
- Varieties of matrices.
We'll talk about the specific currencies to look for in a few paragraphs.
Every day, people who take a few minutes find valuable coins like these during Coin Reel Hunt!
Where can I find coins?
Everywhere there is change! You never know when the next shiny coin will appear. Hunting for the coin toss is all about being aware of the change in your hand.
- Check the change in your pocket
- Check your change jars and piggy bank
- Check coin machine reject tubes
- Buy coin rolls from banks
If you get hooked on Coin Roll Hunting, you'll find lots of different places to find coins.
Build a relationship with tellers at your local bank. When ordering complete rolls, you can order customer-wrapped rolls (CWR), bank-wrapped rolls (BWR) or coins in the teller's tray.
You can also order or order full boxes or bank-wrapped rolls.
Most banks are more than willing to provide you with what you ask for, if they have it in stock. If you have an account at that bank, in most cases you can request boxes full of coins.
Bank branches that do a lot of business with local merchants tend to have tellers on hand.
I got into the habit of asking the clerks if they saw any interesting coins in their till when I paid for my purchases. If they do, I'll explain that I'm a collector and I'm willing to buy the coins. For the most part, people are very cooperative and if they're not too busy, they'll take a minute to check. I found many interesting silver coins just by asking.
Now, let's take a look at the specific currencies to pay attention to.
What coins do I look for when hunting for coins?
Silver Coin Scroll Hunt
Most 90% silver dollars, such as the Morgan and Peace dollars, have disappeared from circulation and will not be found in bank records. I was lucky enough to find a few peace silver dollars when I asked clerks while paying for groceries in stores, especially country stores.
Eisenhower dollars first appeared in 1971. From 1971 to 1976, San Francisco-produced Ikes were produced as 40% silver-plated coins and appear on bank rolls. Collectors know and look for several varieties of Eisenhower dollars.
silver dollars
- 1878-1921 Morgan (90% payout)
- 1921-1935 Peace (90% silver)
- 1971-S - 1976-S Eisenhower (40% silver plated)
Silver half dollar coin roll hunt
Barber Half Dollars virtually disappeared from circulation at this time. However, the Walking Liberty and Franklin halves continue to show up often enough to keep coin hunters hopeful. Entire scrolls have been discovered!
Kennedy's 1964 half dollars were minted with 90% silver, and fans of the assassinated president saved millions. From 1965 to 1970, the composition of the coin was changed to 40%. Collectors are always on the lookout for these coins and they appear frequently.
- 1892-1915 Barber Half Dollar (90% plata)
- 1916-1947 Walking Liberty Half dollar (90% silver)
- 1948-1964 Franklin Half Dollar (90% silver)
- 1964 Kennedy half dollar (90% silver)
- 1965-1970 Kennedy half dollar (40% silver)
Quarter silver coin roll hunt
The last 90% silver coins in circulation left the US Mint in 1964. Finding a Liberty coin upright is a long shot, but it happened.
The most common silver quarter you are likely to encounter is the Washington quarter minted between 1932 and 1964. There are some rare issues with these coins to look out for. To readWeird Rooms of the 20th Centuryfor more information about them.
- 1916-1930 Standing Liberty Quarters (90% plata)
- 1932-1964 Washington Quarters (90% plata)
Hunt for rolls of silver coins
Both Mercury and Roosevelt Dimes appear frequently on bank and exchange records. The last Roosevelt Dime with 90% silver was issued in 1964.
Because they are so small, people often overlook them, but there are bugs and varieties that can be valuable if found.
- 1916-1945 Winged Liberty Head (Mercury) Dime (90% plata)
- 1946-1964 Roosevelt Dime (90% silver)
Wartime nickel silver
silver war coinsthey are very popular and tend to appear both in bank records and change frequently. Popular with collectors and WWII aficionados, be sure to put them away when you find them.
- 1942-1945 Jefferson Nickel
*Look for the large mint mark on the back of the Monticello to confirm it is a nickel.
Penny Roll Hunt
The humble penny is probably the most collected of all coins minted in the United States and the one most ignored by the general public. But, pennies worth thousands of dollars are often discovered. You just need to be aware of which coins to look for.
If you often find Indian Head pennies in bank rolls and estate sales. Wheat coins are still common on the exchange. Many people collect all coins minted before 1983 because they are copper. Remember that it is illegal to melt them!
There are literally hundreds of cents worth of bugs and variety of data worth hundreds of dollars if found. Again, you need to educate yourself and learn about currencies. It's best to have a handy reference on your desk.
- 1859 to 1909 Indian head cents
- 1909 to 1958 Cents of Wheat
- 1943 steel pennies
- Lincoln Commemorative Collectible Coins
- 1960 small date / large date / large in small
- 1960D small date/large date/D over D, small over large
- Double matrix obverse from 1969
- 1970 Data Pequena (High 7) / Data Grande (Low 7) / Dbl Die Obv
- Double matrix obverse from 1971
- 1972 Double mold obverse
- 1979 S Filled/S Transparent
- 1980D double matrix obverse
- 1981S Filled W/O Transparent S
- 1983 Double Reverse Knife
- 1992 AM Closing
- 1992D Cerrar AM
- 1995 Obverse double dice
- Amplia AM from 1996
- 1996D Ancho AM
- 1998 AM width
- 1999 AM width
- 2000 AM width
This is not an exhaustive or complete list of interesting or valuable coins that you might find in your pocket change or coin rolls when hunting for coin rolls. It's a starting point. A list of suggested currencies to look out for that might be slipping through your fingers.
In the final section, we'll look at references and necessary resources that you can use to determine what you've found. If you don't know what to look for, you'll never find it!
Coin roll hunt: get rich with change
After spending dozens of years basically doing what I've described above, I've discovered that I'm not the only one who enjoys hunting! the author ofGet rich with change - Mistake coins bring a lot of moneyhas been doing exactly the same thing. In fact, there is a large community of coin collectors who use these resources for fun, enjoyment, and sometimes for a small profit.
The US Mint produces error coins each year. From folded cents to inverted flipped coins to lost dollar bills, these coins can be worth much more than their face value and Get Rich Pocket Trading: Mistake Coins Bring Big Money will help you identify these valuable coins.
Author Ken Potter regularly appears in Numismatic News, Coin World, World Coin News and others. His own website, Ken Potter's Variety Vault, is a treasure trove of information for coin collectors.
Get Rich With Pocket Trading: Mistake Coins Bring Big Money Now Available On Kindle! If you still haven't found a good reason to own your own Kindle, this might be the one for you. I've been going to coin shows, coin shops, pawn shops, and anywhere else I could find coins for years. For much of that time, I carried a notebook or small reference manuals. After a while it became a pain to carry. Having all of that same information in the small Kindle package makes life so much easier. Get a Kindle and keep all your currency references in one place!
Learn the secrets to finding valuable silver coins, insects and varieties. Will you get rich? Probably not, but it's a great way to learn how to make your hobby pay for itself. Get your copy ofGet rich with change - Mistake coins bring a lot of money¡hoy!
Look for coin rolls for fun and profit
I've done this off and on for years. It's not so much about profitability as it is about the thrill of the hunt. I found some really nice items by looking through scrolls I got from local banks.
Look for coin rolls for varieties of dice, war coins, Roosevelt silver coins. Some of the finds I keep, many I sell or exchange.
For me, it's the same feeling that got me hooked on coin collecting as a kid. It's finding that coin that interests me. This is certainly different from what might interest you or the next person.
is the find. The chase. The hunt. That “cool” or “wow” moment. Coin Roll Hunting is spending time doing something relaxing, enjoyable, punctuated by moments of surprise and occasional pleasure.
If you are looking for a great hobby for yourself or with your kids, Coin Shooting Hunt might be just what you need! Give it a try, there's little to lose except a little time.
FAQs
Is coin roll hunting still worth it? ›
In general, I would say it is not as profitable as most people hope. It does however, not cost anything when done correctly. Most coins are only worth a few cents or dollars over face value, barely enough to cover the cost of selling. You could likely make more money flipping coins.
What's the best coin to coin roll hunting? ›Pennies are often the best bet because they're printed in large quantities and are more prone to errors, he said. They're also the least expensive coin rolls to obtain: You can have 1,000 of them and only tie up $10. A coin that's out of the ordinary in any way is likely to be worth more than face value.
What dimes to look for when coin roll hunting? ›Prime targets of American coin roll hunters are silver dimes, quarters, and halves prior to 1965, and 40% silver half dollars from 1965–1970.
What is the best website for coin values? ›- 01 of 10. The United States Mint. The Fourth Philadelphia Mint. ...
- 02 of 10. PCGS CoinFacts. ...
- 03 of 10. Newman Numismatic Portal. ...
- 04 of 10. CoinNews.net. ...
- 05 of 10. NGC World Price Guide. ...
- 06 of 10. Heritage Auctions. ...
- 07 of 10. Great Collections. ...
- 08 of 10. Mint Error News.
Once known as the “hobby of kings”, coin collecting is slowly becoming as passé as monarchy itself. From casual collectors to career professionals, and all levels of dedication in between, numismatics is experiencing a steady decline.
What's the luckiest coin to carry? ›- The Silver Sixpence (Great Britain)
- The Lucky Irish Penny (Ireland)
- Leap Year Mercury Dimes (United States)
- The Five-Yen Coin (Japan)
- Vault Protector/Cash Coins (China)
- Touch Pieces – Healing Coins (England & France)
- The Gold Angel (France)
- SPECIAL BONUS: Personal Lucky Charm Coins.
- #1 — 1964 Copper-Nickel Clad Roosevelt Dime. ...
- #2 — 1965 Silver Roosevelt Dime. ...
- #3 — 1982 No-P Roosevelt Dime. ...
- #4 — 1996-W Roosevelt Dime.
One quick way to determine if a coin is rare or valuable is to look at the mintage. That's the number of copies of the coin that the US mint produced (aka issued). The lower the original number of copies printed, the more valuable a coin will likely become.
How can you tell if your coin is valuable? ›- Initial Mintage Number. This refers to how many of the coins were originally minted and available in the market.
- Coin Grade. The better condition your coin is in, the more valuable it can be.
- Demand.
Coinoscope is a visual search engine for coins. Coinoscope makes coin recognition easy - just snap a picture of a coin with your phone camera and the app will show you a list of similar coins. Click on the coin to see additional information in the web browser of your phone.
Which coin is most searched on Google? ›
- Bitcoin. Even though Bitcoin is the worst-performing cryptocurrency in the market, it is still the largest cryptocurrency. ...
- Dogecoin. ...
- Shiba Inu. ...
- Ethereum. ...
- Cardano. ...
- Avalanche. ...
- Litecoin. ...
- XRP.
- LiteCoin.
- Ethereum.
- Cardano.
- Binance Coin.
- Polygon.
- Steller.
- Ripple.
- Chainlink.
Bitcoin – Most Profitable Cryptocurrency of All Time
Therefore, it took several years for Bitcoin to even trade at $1 per token. Fast forward to late 2021 and Bitcoin surpassed a value of $68,000. This means that in just over a decade, the value of Bitcoin increased by many millions of percentage points.
As a coin collector, it's nearly impossible to make money by just collecting coins. Instead, you can make money by selling all or part of your collectible coins. You can either sell the coins at a profit or liquidate part or your entire coin collection.
What type of person collects coins? ›Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other means of payment used to resolve debts and exchange goods.
What is the average age of a coin collector? ›Interestingly enough, the average age of coin collectors is 40+ years old, which represents 66% of the population.
Is it worth buying coins from the US Mint? ›US Mint coins are a worthy investment choice because of the design (Eagle Design), especially for the Gold bullion coins. Additionally, the US Mint produces a range of commemorative coinage that transcends their intrinsic metal value.
Where should coins be placed at home? ›Feng Shui Coins must be placed near the entrance of a home to capture the positive energy. The coins have a certain spiritual magnetic capacity that will draw the moderately flowing Qui towards itself. Placing a coin near the door will make sure that the family remains healthy and beautiful.
How many coins should you carry with you? ›Step 1: Theory. So what is the fewest number of coins you can carry that allows you to produce any exact change? The answer is 10 coins, 3 Quarters, 1 dime, 2 nickel, and 4 pennies.
What coins give 1000X? ›Ethereum (ETH)
This makes ETH a great long-term investment that could potentially multiply your investment up to 1000X in 2023. Ethereum has incredible long-term potential. It is the second largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, and it has a huge set of features that make it very attractive.
What coins have the most potential? ›
- Metacade (MCADE)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Shiba Inu (SHIB)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- The Sandbox (SAND)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Solana (SOL)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
The 1849 Double Eagle is currently the rarest and most valuable coin in the world, with an estimated worth of nearly $20 million.
What is the most sought after dime? ›- 1.) 1874 CC Liberty Seated Dime - $115,000.
- 2.) 1872 CC Liberty Seated Dime - $85,000.
- 3.) 1871 CC Liberty Seated Dime - $75,000.
- 4.) 1873 CC Liberty Seated Dime - $62,000.
- 5.) 1916 D Mercury Dime - $41,000.
- 6.) 1859 S Liberty Seated Dime - $27,500.
- 7.) 1919 D Mercury Dime - $25,000.
- 8.)
There is only one known example of the 1873 CC No Arrows Seated Liberty Dime, making it the rarest dime in existence. Although the Carson City mint produced 12,400 of these dimes, they were supposedly all melted down when the weight standard for the coins was changed.
What to look for before cashing in coins? ›You'll want to look for die cracks and missing elements, paying particular attention to words printed on the coin and edges of images. Strike mistakes such as doubling, cracks, and missing sections are also common errors that can increase the value of a coin.
What is the oldest coin you can find? ›The Oldest Coin in the World
According to different scholars, the Lydian stater is considered the world's oldest coin still around. Made of a mix of gold and silver called electrum, these early coins were minted around 600 BCE in the kingdom of Lydia in the modern country of Turkey.
The $1 million Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin is a novelty coin, if there ever were one, and it tips the scales at a whopping 100 kilograms or about 220 pounds. Only six of the nearly pure gold coins have ever been made, as of December 2022, and each has a face value of $1 million.
Should you clean old coins? ›This is never advised for the general public. There is no benefit to attempting to clean a collectible coin. Copper never re-tones to its original color and look anyway. Put down the polish before you destroy something historical and throw away a fortune.
Is it OK to sell old coins? ›Those who have been collecting the coins for many years can now utilise them if they want to. They can sell those coins and earn a great number of deals. Nowadays the buying and selling of old coins and notes are increasing among history and culture lovers especially. People curate ancient and antique things.
What year coins are worth money? ›1 | Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle | $20,212,100 |
---|---|---|
8 | 1894-S Barber Dime | $2,412,200 |
9 | Lincoln Head Copper Penny | $2,325,200 |
10 | 1893 Morgan Silver Dollar | $551,272 |
11 | Sacagawea Cheerios Dollar | $25,058 |
How to get coins graded for free? ›
PCGS Photograde Online is free, and provides detailed close-up photo images for 25 types of 19th and 20th century U.S. coinage issues in up to 12 different grades.
Which app is best for selling old coins? ›Coinbazzar is India Best Numismatic App. Where you can buy sell Coins, Bank Notes, Medals, and any Numismatic related item also any antique items you have for sell.
What are the top 3 coins? ›- Bitcoin (BTC) Market cap: Over $350 billion. ...
- Ethereum (ETH) Market cap: Over $ 170 billion. ...
- Tether (USDT) Market cap: Over $66 billion. ...
- Binance Coin (BNB) Market cap: Over $45 billion. ...
- XRP (XRP) Market cap: Over $18 billion. ...
- Cardano (ADA) ...
- Solana (SOL) ...
- Polkadot (DOT)
1 | FLOKIFLOKI | +113.78% |
2 | Baby Doge CoinBabyDoge | -22.66% |
3 | Milo InuMILO | +18.87% |
4 | BitcoinBTC | +13.37% |
5 | SingularityNETAGIX | +8.50% |
Although every bank will give out free coin wrappers, not every bank will accept your rolled coins if you are a non-customer. Chase Bank happens to have rather generous policies for non-customers, who can exchange up to $200 in coins as long as they're in coin wrappers.
Do banks prefer rolled coins? ›Banks do not charge a fee to their customers when they deposit coins, but many require that the coins be rolled in wrappers. Some banks like Wells Fargo will exchange rolled coins for noncustomers without a fee.
Do banks still give out coin rollers? ›Most banks will give you free wrappers if you ask and will exchange their customers' rolled coins for cash — and many extend that courtesy to non-customers as well.
Are coin proofs worth more? ›Value: Proof coins are much more expensive than their uncirculated counterparts. Uncirculated coin prices also depend on the price of gold or silver. Rarity: There are fewer proof coins minted than uncirculated, so they can be challenging to acquire.
Can a bank refuse to take rolled coins? ›Yes. A bank can set its own internal policy as to whether it will accept or exchange unrolled coins for currency.
Can you get rare coins from the bank? ›Some of the largest banks in America are in direct contact with the Federal Reserve, which makes it easier for them to special-order rolls of coins for repeat coin-collecting customers. A lot of people don't even know that this is an option. But the truth is that almost all banks are capable of selling rolls of coins.
Can you still get silver dollars at the bank? ›
Yes, you can buy American Silver Eagle coins at a bank.
The U.S. Mint indicates that it sells Silver Eagles to authorized purchasers.
...
- QuikTrip. QuikTrip owns a line of gas stations across 11 states, with 800 locations in total. ...
- Bank of America. ...
- Wells Fargo. ...
- US Bank. ...
- Credit Unions.
Is there a coin-counting machine at Walmart? Yes. Coinstar machines can be found at the vast majority of Walmart locations across the country.
Is Coinstar free at Walmart? ›You do not pay a fee; however, Coinstar retains a 10% processing fee from your donation amount for national charities and a 7.5% processing fee for regional charities. See Charity Partners for information.
Is there still a coin shortage? ›The short answer: no.
Can I get gold dollars from the bank? ›Where can I get golden dollars? The U.S. Mint sells golden dollars directly to the public from its website (Off-site), or you may ask your local bank if it has any inventory.
What is the best coin certification? ›If you want the certification of your coin to be universally accepted you may want to stick to the two most trusted services, Numismatic Gaurunty Corporation (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). NGC and PCGS are trusted around the world because of their consistent and reliable grading.
What are the best silver proof coins to collect? ›The Mexican Silver Libertad, the Canadian Silver Maple, the Silver Britannia, and the American Silver Eagle are some of the best silver coins to collect.
How much does it cost to get a proof coin graded? ›Coin Grading Costs
Grading prices vary according to the maximum value per coin. For instance, modern coins that are worth a maximum of $300 will cost from $17 to $22, depending on the company of your choosing. Coins with a maximum value of $10,000 can be graded for $65 to $80 dollars.