How many Large Cents would constitute a "roll?"

PutTogether

How many Large Cents would constitute a "roll?"

sumnom

I don't' even know when rolls came into use. I am sure someone here does. When did people start rolling coins in the US (or anywhere else, for that matter.)

mozeppa

i'd say once you had at least 15...you'd be on a roll.

Placid

The oldest dated bank rolls I have seen were from the 1930's.

RWB

Large cents were shipped in wooden kegs. There were no "rolls." I think each keg held $20, but my memory might be faulty.

shorecoll

If you were putting them in rolls for fun, I'd say 20. Put 20 low grades in a 50c tube and see if it's full.

skeeterhawk

In the old days.....back in the 70's.........dealers would offer circ Large Cents in rolls of 20.......that's what I recall so I would consider 20 to be a "roll"

mozeppa

I think stewart blay mentioned seeing an original roll of 1908 cents once.

but i think they went earlier than that.

ProofArtworkonCircs

This is the third thread, I have seen recently speculating on when rolls were invented. I wish somebody would come up with a definite answer and post it here. I am not positive, but I think Benjamin Franklin mentioned rolls of copper coins somewhere in his writings. I am not talking cents here, these would have been pre-revolutionary pennies or half pennies.

Of course, I once read in a history of steetcars that somebody was so fascinated with the chute to collect the fares, that somebody put in a whole roll of nickels in the 1830's. That one does not compute at all. At least the car was a horse car and not electric.

joecopper

A few years ago when Sturgeon sold his roll of 1793 Liberty Caps (no joke), there were 50 coins.

seateddime

50

ProofArtworkonCircs

I suppose there might be more than one answer so 20 and 50 both may be right..
I have seen rolls of 30 dimes, 20 quarters and 40 halves which is a variation on the usual arrangement.

joecopper

50 -- end of story -- they are 1c size does not matter

illini420

<< <i>A few years ago when Sturgeon sold his roll of 1793 Liberty Caps (no joke), there were 50 coins. >>



Do any photos of that exist??? would be great to see that!!!

PutTogether

I truly didn't know this would spark a discussion. I just have a ton of G/VG common Large Cents that I was thinking of bulking together and selling as a "roll."

This is neat to try and figure out.

illini420

without reading the posts of others first, I would have guessed 25 as they are much bigger than small cents (imagine that!!) and seems like 4 rolls for a dollar makes sense.

still want to see one put together though

skeeterhawk

<< <i>50 -- end of story -- they are 1c size does not matter >>



Are you "ending the story" out of knowledge or with your own opinion???????

joecopper

If you based it on size -- Dimes and Siver dollars for instance
Using diameter Dollars would be 24 (using Red Book Data)
Using weight dollars would be 5 (used Red Book data)
Using Draped Bust and Late Date weights there would be 49 to equal weight of Morgan Dollar roll

I went with Sturgeon

Pistareen

I cataloged the Sturgeon "roll." He picked 50 as a nice round number, based upon his young son's suggestion if memory serves. He ended up with 52 or 53.

Kegs were available in different sizes, generally 12,000 to 15,000 coins ($120 to $150). I have a contemporary newspaper from 1821 that includes an ad from the Philadelphia Mint offering cents in parcels of $120 to $140. I found some other references in a never-published project on the Randall Hoard I put together years ago.

The idea of rolls of large cents is sort of like talking about Model T sunroofs. An anachronism or a fantasy, or you can feel free to make your own!