100,000 Coins Search in 100 days
MJ1927
Posts: 157 ✭✭✭
Having coin roll hunted for a number of years now, I like to catalogue my finds in a nice big spreadsheet but haven’t really shared what I’ve found. I am now embarking on a small numismatic journey where I plan to open 100,000 coins worth of pennies and nickels (because my luck stinks with dimes and quarters) in a set period of time. Starting on Tuesday May 4th, I will give myself exactly 100 days – Thursday August 12th – to see what I can find. With that being said, I have created a list of sorts as targets to see what I can find over this 100,000-coin search – if you guys can think of any others I should add to my “target” list, let me know (and for the wise guy who says an 1877 penny, just know that I can’t even win my money back on a $1 scratch card)!
Updated the Target List with a new fancy spreadsheet that calculates percentage completed rates:
Comments
1955-S Wheat cent
War nickel
[edit to add:]
1957-D Wheat Cent BIE die chip
1913 Type 1 dateless Buffalo nickel
Flying Eagle Cent? You're an optimist. That's good.
Hey, what do we have if we don't have hope! Had a buddy find one in a roll once a few years back, there's bound to be a couple still out there... maybe...
You should add a proof cent and nickel to the list. Proof cents are harder to find.
That's amazing. I got a IHC in change awhile back. A 1900. I'd guess xf 45. Promptly lost it. But a Flying Eagle in a roll? WOW! Don't think I'd lose that one!
I think you should find at least a couple steel cents.
Ws
Canadian cent and nickel. Those are SUPER scarce in rolls of US coins.
Of the coins in the OP, might find the 55-S cent and war nickels. I wouldn't expect any of the others.
Unless older coins are being intentionally placed into circulation, I wouldn't expect to find anything other than common circulated wheat cents; dateless Buffalo nickels; an occasional silver FDR dime, Washington quarter or Kennedy half; and "junk bin" world coinage. This is aside from the currently circulating US coinage (mainly die varieties and "W" quarters).
Sounds like a fun project, but it would be a shame if that's all you looked for. The less you look for, the less you will find - and who knows what rarities could be lurking in 100,000 coins.
If I were you, I'd look for all of the major doubled die varieties, design varieties, and any other die varieties of interest. Watch out for mint errors, as well. Flip the coins over as you go through them - you never know when a major rotated reverse will turn up.
Really? They used to be common in rolls in northern Vermont.
Good luck....I would be surprised if you found 20 buffaloes.....and a 1909 VDB would be very unlikely as well.
It will be interesting to see what you find.
Likely..not much.
One of my friends has kept a good record of his coin roll hunts in a project similar to yours since 2017. You can see the results on his instagram highlights @logan.the.collector
Anyways, what kind of denominations are you planning on searching? I have seen some people make a killing on finding and selling W quarters.
We would also appreciate knowing what state you are in. Asking cause it seems like some states render far better CRH results than others.
My eBay page: https://www.ebay.com/usr/alvareznumismatics
Well that's an impressive goal for a quick total!
So are these going to be by eye and occasional loupe or are you slipping every single one under a scope?
This makes me want to figure out how many individual coins I've searched in my life just from opening rolls...
Started about 1979... I'm going to guess...at least a bajillion
GOOD LUCK!!! Many positive roll searching vibes being directed your way!!!!!
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
I hope if you are going through the trouble of searching 100,000 coins you are looking for die varieties (doubled dies, repunched mint marks, etc.)
You are much more likely to find something significant in that area than finding obsolete coin designs like Indian Head cents and Buffalo Nickels.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I actually found two in February 2014, one from a bank wrapped roll and another from a customer wrapped roll from different banks.
how about a 50-D Jefferson
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
I'd add:
Double die cent
Double die nickel
Error cent
Error nickel
Clashed die cent
Clashed die nickel
1943 steel cent
A wide AM cent (1998, 1999, or 2000)
An RPM cent
An RPM nickel
One coin with a value over $5
Good luck on your quest. Let us know the results on Aug. 12 or earlier if you finish earlier.
Sarcasm doesn't always come through in text
Pray for coins from an estate that the heirs have recently dumped at the bank. That is the only way you are likely to find anything on your list.
20 rolls of cents, or 25 rolls of nickels per day. Every day. Pretty ambitious. Good luck to you sir. And may I suggest a large jug of hand cleaner.
A lot of negativity here from people who have never done volume roll hunting before. Everything on that list is doable, I'd even say likely with that volume, outside of the FEC and MAYBE the V-Nick.
Professional Numismatist. "It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
Ambitious project.... It would be enough for me to even take on 100K coin search, never mind setting targets for finds. Years ago when I was searching rolls of halves, the only find I ever had was a WLH... all the rest were clad Kennedy's... Cheers, RickO
I would put my money on the Wide/Close AM's...
Pulling for a 1992 close AM!
A minty 1999 wide AM would be a nice consolation prize.
1995p DDO
1995d has a nice DDO
The other known post '65 big Lincoln DDR/DDO's
Hopefully a few proof coins to brighten the drudgery.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
Are you going to do a daily / weekly / monthly find listing?
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
A young guy comes in the shop and does exactly this. Afterward he brings me all the copper cents before '82 and I pay him 1.5 cents per. Hoarding copper for the big day, when we abolish the cent.
V-nicks are very doable. My wife and I search two boxes of nickels weekly and we average one V nickel a month. Buffalos and war nickels show up frequently as well. One or the other in every box, on average. As for cents, wheaties are rampant and I pull the occasional wide AM as well.
That’s very ambitious. I did one box of pennies last night (25$) and it took over 4 hours. Good luck to you!!
We need a weekly or bi-monthly update!
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
Back in the summer of 1962 it was not unusual for me to go through 10,000 cents in a single day. I would attach a bag of 100 rolls to my bicycle (a design feature of my bike allowed me to do this) bring a bag of rolled coins back to the bank and get another bag. I got to the point where I could spot certain dates by looking only at the reverses. During that year and 1963 I found exact one Indian cent, a VG 1903 if I recall. By the end of summer 1963 there was little left to be found in the way of better date cents. War nickels were still in circulation as were late date and dateless, or almost dateless Buffalo nickels.
You should consider adding half dollars to the mix. This could yield you your best chance for some silver, 40% & 90% JFK's, even an occasional Franklin or WLH are not out of the question.
Thanks for all the comments and feedback! Just wanted to respond to a couple of the questions posed underneath my post and give more details on my plan - thanks for all the engagement I wasn't expecting that much!
1). Although not terribly common, obsolete coinage such as V-nickels, IHCs, are still out there to be found in boxes, albeit you may go 30 boxes before seeing one, so more out of foolish optimism than expectation, I put some of those on the list. Additionally, for those who don't roll hunt as frequently, its not uncommon at all wheat cents (so a key date in 100,000 coins isn't impossible), and I usually can find buffaloes and war nickels as well - I average around 1 of each every 1.6 boxes
2). Although I have the list of rarer finds, I always check for known errors, DDOs, etc so not just looking for the rarer coins - for example I always pick out proofs and have accumulated about a jug's worth of 2009 nickels that are basically face value but as its a lower mintage year I like to save them regardless
3). I am in the Midwest and border Canada, so I actually do get a lot of Canadians, I average 1 bird cent and 1 King George IV penny every 2 boxes or so, and always put those aside - love the older pennies from our friends to the North!
4). I might give quarters and half dollars a try too, but my bread and butter is definitely pennies/nickels and have managed to find more interesting things in those boxes in general
5). I have updated the list to reflect some of your guys' suggestions - so thanks for those!
6). Lastly, I aim to do an update every 10,000 coins or so, and with that being said here is my first pick-up, updates to come!
Thanks!
Shewww.
Here I thought I was the CRAZY Hounddog?
Good going and Good Luck.
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
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**Update 1: 9,000 coins searched **
Well, the first hunt is done – not too much in terms of standout finds, however of the 23 wheat pennies found, a 1916, 1936, and 1937 were the highlights. Knocked off the proof nickel from the target list early on with a 1982-S, and the two-nickel boxes also produced a dateless buffalo and a 1945-D war nickel (by the end of the 100 days I might nic-a-date all of the dateless buffaloes found just for a little… fun but we’ll see). Whilst looking out for errors I did find this 1969-S penny and although I don’t think it is the DDO, it does look like some machine doubling, especially on the 'Lib' and the 's' – you might need to zoom in to see more clearly – but would love to hear your comments about this one as I am no expert on errors.
Somewhat of a slow four boxes, but had lots of fun – and it goes to show older stuff is definitely out there – I found the 1916 penny in the same box as these shiny new 2021 pennies which proves that point! Onto the next set of boxes, see you soon for the next update, and happy hunting!