How hard is it to get a steel penny from change/bank roll

tightbudget

I get one roughly once every month, but people have been telling me that's its almost impossible...

secondrepublic

I've never gotten one.

dieabolical

Once a month?
Good grief, how many rolls do you go through?

tightbudget

<< <i>Once a month?
Good grief, how many rolls do you go through? >>



A box a week

sumnom

I have never seen one in circulation.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

<< <i>I have never seen one in circulation. >>



same for me

mcheath

I found a rusty one in the take a penny tray at 7-11 a couple of years ago.

cladking

I haven't gotten one in nearly fifteen years and I look at more than a few coins.

CheeseGuy

I think I may have found one several years ago before I started actually looking.

I've found more silver halves, quarters, and dimes than steel cents. Heck I've even found more v nickels and indian heads

droopyd

I think I've received 2 steelies in circulation in the past 40+ years -- and one of them was when JFK was president and I was in preschool.

cladking

They were extremely common in the late '50's but it was around this time that the FED started removing them.

I never really understood why they were removed but apparently some users had a problem with them being magnetic. Only around a quarter of the mintage was retired and destroyed but many were already lost to time or rust before the FED's action.

RW

I got one in change at Wendy's about six months ago. I was so amazed I posted a thread about it. It's the only one I've ever seen in circulation.

CarlWohlforth

So, how do you get to come by roughly one steel cent per month on average?

(I haven't found one in change in many, many years...)

Shortgapbob

I received about 4 in four years while working part-time at a Wal-Mart Photo Center.

Coxe

I went through thousands upon thousands of them from circulation sources in the late 60s early 70s and never found a steelie ever. The common man seemed to always save them thinking they would be worth a ton later. Found plenty of IHCs but never one of those. You find them monthly? Now that is odd.

BobaFett72

2 or 3 in the past few years; usually very discolored or corroded.

foundinrolls

I average one or two per month. This one was in a bag of cents I looked through last week.

basestealer

It is my understanding that modern counting machines reject these--so I doubt you'd find any in bank rolls or anything from the FED. However, people-rolled rolls might have them.

foundinrolls

Definitely people rolled rolls:-) In fact the one that I showed came out of one of those wrappers that come with the do it yourself coin wrapping machines that they sell in Wal-Mart.

BECOKA

I have not found one in change since the early 80's.

Buddyboy

The last one I encountered was about a year ago. I was at the customer service counter of my neighborhood grocery store preparing to toss my completed shopping list. Lo and behold, upon glancing into the trash can, I saw a steely on top of some discarded papers. I recognized it in the 3 ft. tall can by its dark gray color from the zinc oxidizing. I guess someone received it in change at the counter and figured it was dirty or something and threw it away. It's now in my special jar for wheaties.
Bud

DRG

I have found about 1 every 3-4 years from circulation (no special searching).

When you say that you search "a box a week", how many rolls is that?

I am guessing that you are searching A LOT of pennies to find one a month.

All of the coins I have found were well worn and rusted. The really nice one posted earlier clearly was in some one's collection for many years. It probably was taken by some kid and spent...Too bad!

Burks

I've found a total of three so far. That's out of 12+ $25 boxes.

Not exactly an easy find. All mine has been in pretty bad condition as well.

Shamika

Thats amazing. I've been keeping an eye on my change for 33 years and not once have I ever found a steel cent.

SmallSizedGuy

I have probably received 1 in change the past 40 years. That was about 7 years ago and is currently residing in my desk.

the4x4man

I have found 4 steelies over the past month. I go through 4 or 5 boxes a week. I have found some nice old ones too, 1916's through 1919's, some 1920's, alot of 1940's, and mostly 1950's. I also get some foreign change. I get my boxes straight from the bank, and they get them from the sorting/rolling company in Harrisburg, PA.
If your wondering, yes I have alot of free time, I hurt my back and neck in the service and am recouping.
Happy hunting
The4x4man

oreville

Last one I found was in 1969.

Prior to that, I used to find them at least 3 to 5 a week, mostly in the early 60's.
I had 30 rolls of them and sold all but one roll of them over the years.

ricko

I get one or two a year in change... just got one last weekend. I also have two rolls of them, have not opened the rolls. Plus a small cloth bag of the random ones I pick up. Usually the one's I get in change are from the supermarket... they have a change machine at the checkout line... it is stocked with rolled pennies - so I assume they come from the bank. Not sure why I save them, but I do always put them away. Cheers, RickO

sumnom

I have been checking my change since about 1975 and have never seen one. I envy those of you who find them.

FredWeinberg

I believe the original post was probably
referring to Zinc cents with the copper
plating removed......

Finding two of those every month is not surprising.......

If the original post meant 1943 Steel cents, let us know......

57loaded

<< <i>I got one in change at Wendy's about six months ago. I was so amazed I posted a thread about it. It's the only one I've ever seen in circulation. >>



it must have been really buggered

ricko

Fred,
I was referring to 1943 steel cents. Cheers, RickO

tightbudget

<< <i>I believe the original post was probably
referring to Zinc cents with the copper
plating removed......

Finding two of those every month is not surprising.......

If the original post meant 1943 Steel cents, let us know...... >>



Yes, it was referring to regular steel cents, a box has $25 in it, and I do sometimes find some more in the coin counting machines.

lkrarecoins

not ever, not never for me...i would say its as common as finding an IHP in circulation

kwmorgan

I got a few as a kid back in the early '70's, but nada since then.

cwazzy

<< <i>not ever, not never for me...i would say its as common as finding an IHP in circulation >>



I'm pretty sure they are more common than finding an IHP in circulation. One a month is amazing but I don't think it is out of the question. I am lucky enough to work in a bank and have seen several in the last year or two. The last one that we found was reprocessed one. I thought that was odd.

Chris

Rob85635

I think I may have found one once, but it was a loooong time ago. I assume not good, I always check my change and the only "rare" stuff I find on a semi regular basis is wheaties.

richardshipp

Never for me.

Now Canadian Cents......... their a whole different matter.

FredWeinberg

Sorry - from the post I just assumed it might be
about somethin' else.......

As was said above many times - that's pretty tuff
nowaday's to find steel cents!

laxmaster92

Never found one

DRG

The last one I found was sitting in the COINSTAR reject bin...It was there with a Canadian penny.

I recognized it as a Wheat cent first. When I looked at the date...1943. On closer examination you could see that it was a dark, rusty color instead of copper.

I would agree that they are not all that uncommon in circulation.

You have to actually LOOK to find them.

Rarely are they steel white! Usually they are old and rusty and just blend in with the rest of the pennies.