Getting coins from banks

Cladiator

Hi all...

How do you go about getting coins from banks? Do you just walk up to any one of the tellers and ask for rolls of half dollars? Should you tell her/him you are looking for older coins? Is this considered rude or a wast of the banks time? Is it cool with the bank? Are there tricks to knowing which banks may have the biggest supply of old coins? Basically, I've never done it and frankly I haven't been inside a bank in 5 years thanks to online banking and just don't know what to do and what not to do...

kenoshapete

Yup, just ask and you shall receive. I do that all the time. 'Don't really care what the teller thinks, and no, you don't have to tell them you're searching through rolls. -- Great past time and very relaxing for me.

Bochiman

Have your bills in your wallet so it is easier, go to the merchant teller, be friendly, and ask.
When you start wanting/getting the coins in rolls, especially the halves, go to the merchant teller.

I got to joking around with mine and he was able to get Ike dollars from their central office when it wasn't happening for me before.

It can be a crapshoot to find the right bank for your needs....I found BankofAmerica to be the easiest for me locally (out of 4) and my credit union to be worthless for this.

Hint...don't do it on paydays, on fridays (esp around lunch) nor on Mondays if you can help it (their busy times).

I do it during their slower times.

just go in and ask the merchant teller and ask their advice on getting rolls if they don't have it. They can try to order a lot if they want.....IF THEY want...that is the key.

Good luck

Cladiator

Great advice guys, thanks! How many rolls do you usually get? Is it difficult for them to get more than a couple rolls at a time?

Neptune

Clad - One tip - I find the tellers are not real smart about coin collectors. When I take my rolls in to "exchange" for more rolls - they get real confused. Some of the bigger banks are even rude, but most of them are just darn stupid..... No offense to any smart tellers who read this.

For instance I took in about 8 rolls today to my local bank in boonieland, and it took the teller about 5 minutes of explaining before she understood what I wanted. She had to ask two other tellers, and then still tried to hand me the empty wrappers. Finally the lady that knew me, told her "it's OK". I guess sometimes they may think you are trying to pass of trash in the wrappers???

I usually just have to bluntly say that I go through the rolls to try to fill coin books for my grandchildren - and sometimes that doesn't even work. After time, tho, some of the tellers do get to know you and what you want - and then you just go to them instead of the stupidos.

A lot of times they insist on giving you back bills for the rolls you want to exchange, and then you just have to explain again. One dumby tried to exchange my rolls for the ones I had just given her - you have to watch them closely because they are not real bright.

I mark my rolls with highlighter in case they try to give me back my own rolls. No sense in sorting through something you have already gone through - especially in smaller towns.

Also, I ask for "bank wrapped" rolls, as I have found them to be a little better pickin' on a general basis - altho sometimes you will find a good roll that isn't bank wrapped with lots of goodies.

Good luck.

Cam40

ask for a box.

cents are $25 per
nickels are $100 per
dimes are $250 per
quarters are $500 per

not sure if Halves come in boxes, but surely bags.
many, most banks HATE Half dollar and dollar coins and usually carry the minimum supply.

Cam40

Neptune- your post cracked me up..

Cladiator

Neptune...good info, thanks!

I think what I will do is take the coins I get that are of no numismatic value to me and trade them for paper money at a local store. Then take that paper money to go get more coin rolls. I think this way I can avoid at least some of the "stupido" bank teller problems.

Sphinx357

I wouldn't suggest any of the small banks, just your big banks that have more than one table for people wanting to sit down and discuss a loan or what have you. I usually get halves, mainly because virtually no one uses them on a day to day basis and silver is plentiful in them.. well usually. I get paid on thursday night then I go cash my check on friday morning or so, so I just ask for it in halves. Or if I decide to do it on an off day, I'll get a little less than 2times that amount ($500) worth. $500 is quite obviously only fifty rolls and it takes no time at all to go through those if you're just picking out the silver. I guess if they ever asked why I want the halves, I'd tell 'em why and since I do my banking with them if they starting being an ass about it I'd just switch banks. One thing to make sure you're doing though is to pick up the halves or whatever you're getting at one bank and get rid of them at a different bank altogether, no sense in going through stuff you've already looked at. Only real problem I've had is this one teller didn't want to give me a bank bag to hold the $500 worth of halves, she wasn't sure if she was allowed to... lol.
Good Luck!

1957joe

I look for half dollars all the time. One time I had a teller ask me what I was going to do with all those things. I looked at her with a straight face and told her that I eat them. The confused look on her face was "priceless"!

morganbarber

I used to go to the bank every day for work. I got to know all of the tellers. Pretty much every day, I would say "You don't have any rolls of halves, do you?" They usually didn't. When they did get some in, they would usually blurt out to me as I walked in that they had them. I would be embarrassed to go into a bank where I didn't know the people or even have an account and ask.

kenoshapete

The bigger banks are usually better, however, my brother-in-law last week went to a TCF bank in a grocery store and asked the clerk for $2 bills or dollar coins. The teller said she was out, but had a roll of half dollars... He got the roll from her and it was 1/2 1964 and 1/2 1964-D halves. I got to see them and I would say they were all about MS-64. They were in a very old wrapper, with "1964" written on it in pen... I must admit I was very envious. -- Needless to say, whenever I do that it usually doesn't pan out for me. I've got to get a few hundred dollars worth just to get five or six 90% or 40% halves. -- The worst part about this story is that my brother-in-law doesn't even collect coins.... He knew that they were silver, but didn't know about grades, etc.... I was sooooooooooo envious, but happy for him. -- It pays to search the rolls. Pete

DaveG

If there are a lot of bank branches around you, I've found that it pays to go to the ones in "older" neighborhoods, as sometimes older folks (or their heirs) will deposit rolls of coins that they've had around for a long time.

I once went to a branch where someone had just deposited $200 of 90% silver halves!

Also, since many branches hate halves and dollars (and therefore ship them out every week), it pays to establish a relationship with the head teller and go there every week to get the coins and bill they don't want (I've also picked up several $2 United States Notes this way).

Also, small gifts (chocolate and flowers, for example) sometimes go a long way!

fishcooker

I promise you, if you go in there talking about how yer gonna pull a buncha silver outta their rolls of halves.....Well you *might* get by with it once, but I guarantee it won't happen twice. There are plenty of slow times at the bank and they do pick silver from the rolls of halves. Lot's of the kids working as tellers today do not know that silver halves exist. Don't create your own competition!

The best thing to do is to establish a relationship with the people at the bank. I got a 1864 Indian cent from a nice bank lady recently. It won't get me to Disneyland, but I like it. A buddy of mine takes cookies and his puppy to the bank a couple times each week. All the ladies make a big fuss over him *and* he gets some interesting coins for face value. What more could a guy want?



PS: Don't take any rolls that have highlighter marks on 'em

cdwegner

I was in vegas last spring and picked up some rolls of halves just out curiousity at a casino. The first couple rolls had a lot of silver in it. I was very happy.. then the next couple rolls had nothing.... Of course, all the coins were very dinged up.

fwiw

c

Cladiator

Yeah,

I've tried the Casino thing a couple times to no avail.

Steve355

I look for half dollars all the time. One time I had a teller ask me what I was going to do with all those things. I looked at her with a straight face and told her that I eat them. The confused look on her face was "priceless"! Text

LMAO !!

As a longtime "half dollar hunter".....I'll have to try that line myself !!

2,570 90% found since 1991.....

Steve

atarian

I know the tellers at the bank know whats going on. why else would a 20 yr old buy 190 $ in halves . i got a few good ones. but thats all nothing OMG .another hint FLEET bank is the best and PNC bank is the worst for finding coins