my bank doesn't have half-dollars....

windwhispersintrees

This is really kind of lame....I live in a town of 23,000 and my bank doesn't have rolls of half-dollar coins. They only get them if someone turns some in. I didn't even want them to search....just to use for my kids' allowances.

So I asked if they had dollar coins instead, figuring I might get some of the new ones. The roll I received was all 1979 Susan B. Anthonys.
Yuck!
Still waiting for my first Scagewea (?) dollar in change and to receive one of the new nickels. Not holding my breath here in eastern MA.

So what do you do in these circumstances? Head to a larger town/bank and ask? Any problems if you don't have an account with them?

coinguy89

Well my bank has the same problem, so actually go to the smaller bank in town, and I didn't need an account there, but I didn't get halfs, I got nickels. Oh by the way I've only seen two of the new nickels so far in circulation.

coinfreak499

I had to wait 2 weeks for them to go in the vault and get them.

Cameonut

I am not yet sure if hunting for halves is worth the effort. I live in a large enough town where halves are available. I went to my local credit union - they were happy to "sell" me $100 worth of halves - they hate them. They just used their coin counting machine to count out 200 of them and put them in a plastic bag for me. I went thru them at home and found one 1967 half - the rest were all 1971 or later. Now I have to figure out how to get rid of them...

Cameonut

Smitty79

I have the same problom with not being able to get them, but I live in a small town so I shouldnt be too surprised.

coinguy89

<< <i>I am not yet sure if hunting for halves is worth the effort. I live in a large enough town where halves are available. I went to my local credit union - they were happy to "sell" me $100 worth of halves - they hate them. They just used their coin counting machine to count out 200 of them and put them in a plastic bag for me. I went thru them at home and found one 1967 half - the rest were all 1971 or later. Now I have to figure out how to get rid of them...

Cameonut >>



Yeah I would agree with him on this one, I don't think it would be worth the effort.

Conder101

<< <i>the rest were all 1971 or later. Now I have to figure out how to get rid of them... >>


Try spending them and become a memorable person.

anablep

I've been to two different banks and usually no one has any rolls (or loose) halves.

Once the bank said they had $400 in halves. So I got $50 that day. The next week, they said they had none. WTF? Where'd they all go? I don't get it.

nwcs

Yeah, I remember once buying a tank of gas using SBAs, SACs, and JFKs. The clerk almost didn't accept it.

nickel

a bank or credit union is a business . they make money by offering loans , and by paying you 2 % for your CD purchase , while getting 4 % for their jumbo CD purchase . If not enough dimes ,quarters or dollar bills are deposited that week or month , the bank calls Dunbar , or Wells Fargo or other supplier of 'cash' , to have available for people to cash their checks . Also , they need cash for businesses to fill their cash registers . This delivery costs money , as dunbar or whoever will not deliver for free . Most banks order cents,nickels,dimes,fives,etc. but not halves or dollars , as most customers will not accept them, and demand paper dollars in lieu of sac dollars . A branch manager cannot have a thousand or two sitting in the vault , as it brings no interest (income) for the bank . Same for two dollar bills . Any halves or dollars are usually deposited by customers . These coins do not fit into cash drawers , and are shunned . Similar for quarters . if a bank needs quarters , it orders X amoun of rolls . the armored car companies deliver whatever . They dont have time to sit there and specifically roll all michigan or texas quarters . you get what you get . Special requests cost more ,and not many banks care to pay more . Hopefully , an informative post for those who are interested

Conder101

I'd like to add a couple of things to Nickel's comment. Banks usually have a fair idea of how much coin they need to have on hand to service their business accounts. And they try to match that with the amount of coin that typically comes in as deposits plus a small buffer amount kept on hand. If collectors come in and request large amounts of coins then the bank runs the risk of not having enough on hand for their regular clients so they may have to order more coins. As Nickel said they get charged for that. Naturally they don't like that, it costs them money.

On the flip side, if collectors or other people deposit large quantities of coins the bank doesn't want them laying around as unproductive assets, but they have the same problem, it costs them money to ship them back to Brinks, Wells Fargo or wherever. So you see a bank doesn't really like having coins because they are usually a money loser for them. They will handle them for their depositors as an expense of doing business and because they do hope to make money off of the depositors, but they really don't want to accept these losses from non-account holders. That's why they often won't give or accept coin rolls from people who don't have accounts with them. And it explains why they don't like to specificly order coins for a collector. They worry that after you have searched them and pulled out what you want, the unneeded coins may wind up coming back to them as a deposit. Thy now represent a doubled expense. Once to have them shipped in and then again to have them shipped out.

windwhispersintrees

Thank you all for the insight.
I gathered availability was related to expenses for the bank.
....yet another reason why these things don't make it into circulation.

nickel

as a sidebar , also helps to explain why people dump coins into those 'coinstar' machines in high traffic retail stores , and it charges them about 9% . A labor intensive business , as you have to maintain the machines , haul heavy loads of coin for proccesing , sort , weed out foreign , count , package , accounting , etc .