Silver half hunting FINAL

fastrudy

Thought the boards would want an update on my search through boxes of half dollars for silver. Here is the cumulative totals:

5078 coins looked through
57 40 %
1 90 %
2 Proofs

IHC08

I'm surprised that you found more proofs than 90%.

Do you feel it was worth your time?

secondrepublic

that's a pretty decent return. I'm surprised you got that many 40%'s.

fastrudy

I am retired, I get money from a pension for just breathing. So my time is worth nothing. It takes about an hour to go through 1000 halves. I think that whoever rolls them up and places them in the boxes has a counter that rejects the 90% halves (I know I would, and Coinstar does too). I keep track of all of my searches and will continue to report the cumulative totals for this forum. Gives me something to do and keeps me off the streets.

nam812

<< <i>.........Do you feel it was worth your time? >>



Even at his slow rate of 1 hour for a $500 box (he's most likely checking each date, and that's fine), he still made over $60.00 per hour, which I would say is worth most people's time.

FullCameo

57 40%!!! WOW! I found out Brinks has been searching through the coins in our town so the silver supply here has dried up.

piecesofme

I found out Brinks has been searching through the coins in our town so the silver supply here has dried up

Your best bet is to not bother ordering thru a bank but to go into a bank and ask them if they have any bags of Halves or even Quarters. This way you get what the public has brought in and are more likely to get some silver rather than something that Brinks has already searched and then delivers to the bank.

I've had better luck just walking into the bank and saying whatcha got than placing an order.

MaineJim

That is a great return on boxes! I would increase the number of boxes if possible as you seem to have hit a nice run of boxes there. I average about 3 silvers per box though it has been slowly shrinking lately. This is probably due to my own years of searching in the same area and getting searched coins back. I am faster on searching the boxes though as I can complete a box in about 5 minutes. It does take longer if I get a good box as I like to savior my time when they are nice.

Maine_Jim

fastrudy

A box in five minutes!!! That's a roll every six seconds. That is unbelievable.

MaineJim

I am quick and don't miss much plus I am only looking for silver and odd coins. I will pull the interesting proofs but still usually just toss them into the bag. The key is to have a bank that will take your coins back in $1000 bank bags. That sure speeds things up!

Maine_Jim

nam812

<< <i>I am quick and don't miss much plus I am only looking for silver and odd coins. I will pull the interesting proofs but still usually just toss them into the bag. The key is to have a bank that will take your coins back in $1000 bank bags. That sure speeds things up!

Maine_Jim >>



I would think that the key is not to have to show a deposit at all.

DrBuster

I got 2 rolls from the bank today when I took $204 in change in to swap for bills. Each roll had 1 68 in it, score! First in a long time.

MoneyLA

Hi. Tell more about the "proofs."

FullCameo

<< <i> I found out Brinks has been searching through the coins in our town so the silver supply here has dried up

Your best bet is to not bother ordering thru a bank but to go into a bank and ask them if they have any bags of Halves or even Quarters. This way you get what the public has brought in and are more likely to get some silver rather than something that Brinks has already searched and then delivers to the bank.

I've had better luck just walking into the bank and saying whatcha got than placing an order. >>



Excellent advise POM, I will try that.

MoneyLA

Besides the bank, I'd also try your local fast food joints. A couple of weeks ago in change at McDonalds (yes, I eat at the golden arches, love their oatmeal) I got change including a silver quarter and silver dime.

If there's one place that silver coins are likely to show up, it's a McD's.

Im also seeing a lot of pre-82 copper cents -- more than what I would get in normal change anywhere else.

aj2525r

Hello,

I went through a box last week, 2 40% halves. This is better than the previous two boxes together....

I spend the remainder as fast as I can.

I try to be very polite but my patience is worn thin over "Are these quarters?"

RANT-->"I can't believe this, people see quarters every day, how can they think a half dollar is the same thing?!?"<---RANT over

On a weekend I can spend around fifty dollars worth.

Plus I get dollar coins and try to keep those in circulation as well.

Anyone else tilt windmills like I do?

MaineJim

<< <i>Hi. Tell more about the "proofs." >>



I see quite a few impaired proofs in boxes. I've made a few sets of them but now I just toss them back. I also used to keep the 1987 coins but after collecting a roll of each I also just toss them back.



<< <i> I would think that the key is not to have to show a deposit at all. >>



That would be nice but they need to have an account to charge back if the bags I turn in are short. Never has happened.

Maine_Jim

secondrepublic

<< <i> Anyone else tilt windmills like I do? >>



I spend them too. But before I hand the cashier the coins, I tell them "here's 3 dollars in half dollar coins," or something along those lines -- just to let them know what's coming.

nam812

<< <i>That would be nice but they need to have an account to charge back if the bags I turn in are short. Never has happened.

Maine_Jim >>



No banks with free customer coin counters near you?

MoneyLA

Could you explain how the proofs are put into circulation? This is what I dont understand. They must be "cut out" of the sets, right? Do people do that?

Spooly

Kids do!

cohodk

Thats a pretty good return.

I ordered a $1000 box from my local bank a few months ago to keep the kids busy for a few hours. Of 2000 coins, we found 1 40%. Ugh!!

MaineJim

<< <i>No banks with free customer coin counters near you? >>



My goal is to not use the counters. With the bags you can drop off a few bags at a time in a couple minutes. It does help to have a decent size account at the bank.

Maine_Jim

nam812

<< <i>

<< <i>No banks with free customer coin counters near you? >>



My goal is to not use the counters. With the bags you can drop off a few bags at a time in a couple minutes. It does help to have a decent size account at the bank.

Maine_Jim >>



Everyone has to do what is best for them I guess. My goal would be to never show any record of picking up, or dropping off, a single coin.

InYHWHWeTrust

Sorry for the repeat story...

When I got back into coins in 2002-3, I read about half searching. Our primary bank did not have any, so I went to our secondary bank (Dad always advised having 2 banks, so I've kept his advice through the years), and the branch manager was more than happy to order a couple of boxes.

The day after they arrived and I picked them up, Hurricane Isabel hit. No power for 2 weeks, but our Honda generator came in handy.

We searched and found 2 1964s, and 31 40%, about 30:1 ratio. The kids got real good at spotting the silver ones by looking at the edges. Even the wife had fun.

We filled some holes in Whitmans, I kept a MS65 1987 D for my book ( ), and the rest: some we spent, some we put in the offering plate, most we re-wrapped and deposited at BANK #1.

So now you have another reason to work with 2 different banks.

It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. The kids haven't really asked often to get some rolls, but when they do, we get some. 30:1 was the best we ever did. Never found Franklin, Walker, others. Lots of Casino coins, and some rolls of BU 1995-2000.

edited to add: picture of the 40% + some others that I picked up later that year from a friend who was selling off his junk silver. Wish I had bought a truckload more back then. Sold off all the 40% to convert to 90% when it was about 20x.

fastrudy

After a month 'off', I picked up another 2000 halves to search. It was my best two boxes ever....15 40% and 6 90% including a 1950-D Franklin. Picked up two more proofs also. So the revised totals are:

Halves searched: 15078

40% found: 74

90% found: 8

The last two boxes were incredible. Some coin accumulator must have died and the widow just took all those old half dollars and rolled them up. Also nice to know that the bank's rolling machine does not reject the 40% or the 90% coins!!

secondrepublic

excellent! glad to see it's still out there. I found one 90% and one 40% the first time I picked up some rolls around 2007, but since then I've only gotten dirty fingers from the fifteen or 20 rolls I've picked up.

gimli89

Started to pick up rolls 2 years ago at local credit union every 2-3 months, maybe 10-20 at a time so far 5 40% 1 90% the rest I take to casino and use for tips and antes playing stud poker and any left turn in at cage so I get them out of my area.

fastrudy

Update:
19,078 halves looked through
86 40% silver
8 90% silver

worth $681 at today's silver price.

fastrudy

looked through 23078 halves, found 111 40% and 9 90%, thus far

secondrepublic

you should give us a "play by play" rather than a cumulative update... e.g., yesterday you found two 40% halves out of ten rolls searched, etc.

Baley

I realize this is "fun" and a hobby, but I'd be really curious to know how much you are "making" per hour, on average, when you take the silver value, subtract the face value, the cost of the gas driving around, and any other expenses, and divide by the number of hours spent doing this

fastrudy

secondrepublic:
Okay today I searched 2000 halves and found 15 40% and two proofs.

Baley: Takes 3 hours (Max) for me to search 2 boxes and the time to get to both banks is negligible because I have to go shopping near them anyway. Cost of gas is ZERO, since I have an electric motorcycle (I know you will ask, so the cost of electricity to go to both banks that I use (one for picking up the halves & the other for cashing in the rejects) is about 30 cents). My time? Well I am retired and, you know, this is a hobby, not a business. I notice more 40% halves are entering the system lately probably due to the bad economy and the death of the collectors who saved them without informing their heirs of the silver value. BTW, more 40% halves is a FACT; my reasons for this is an opinion.

fastrudy

Saturday: looked through two boxes of halves (2000 coins) and found
3 proofs
8 40% Kennedys &
1 90% Walker 1937.

Will look through 2 more boxes on Monday!

derryb

How about marking a big red X on the boxes you return, I suspect I'm getting your returns.

mkman123

keep it up, your bound to hit the jackpot someday!

secondrepublic

thanks for the update! and congrats to you on the finds. more than just making a little money, I'm sure it's fun to have something to keep you busy and look forward to.

calleocho

has anyone ever tried searching dimes or quarters?

fastrudy

Sunday:
2000 halves searched, found:

14 40%
0 90%
1 Costa Rican 1 colon piece

Klif50

I don't buy boxes but I go to the bank once a week. I always ask if they have any halves, big dollars or $2 bills. They generally have any where from none to 15 to 18 pieces. I usually average a 40 percent when I get more than 5. A few weeks ago they had 4 rolls. Two rolls were government rolled, one 2009 P and one 2009 D. In the other two rolls there was a total of 10 proof halves. I guess people are taking them out of their sets to sell, the proofs look fine, have minimal handling from being put in the rolls. Anyway, I take anything they have and never take anything back. Since my savings accounts only pays .025% there is no sense in having money in there. Keeping all the halves is sort of a savings account for me. It's not likely I'll pull out a few hundred in halves to take friends out to eat or buy something so I just let them accumulate. I've already separated out the silver and when I die the family can take the various cans and bags to the bank and cash them in to pay for the burying. I save the $2 bills and Ike dollars for the same reason. Just a kind of savings account and I get "interest" by pulling the silver when it shows up.
One key is that I'm always nice to the tellers, always call them by name, ask them about their week and in general have a good relationship with everyone in the bank. My business account is there so quite a bit of money goes in on payday and that helps to keep them happy.

fishcooker

I've got proof sets that sell for less than $8 today. I'd rather spend them than ebay for $8. Apparently others feel the same way.

57loaded

<< <i>has anyone ever tried searching dimes or quarters? >>



fastrudy has posted finds here and i'm sure they would be a lot worse for 90% in dime and quarter rolls.

some get lucky in a roll or box but over the long haul, i think it would be very slim

fastrudy

Searched through another 1000 halves today, found:

32 40% silver <======best yet!

Unfortunately silver is down $10 from the date of my last search, but it is found money. Have three more boxes to sort through in the ensuing days. Every box has the same inventory number stamped on it.

fastrudy

Searched 2000 halves today

found 16 40%
and two 1987-S Proofs.

fastrudy

Searched 1000 more halves, everything back to normal. I only found 1 40%.

Getting 4000 more this week for another search.

fastrudy

Oct 2: 4000 halves found 2 40% (worst ever)

Oct 7: 4000 halves 9 40%; 8 90% (including two Frakies and a Walker!); 1 94-S Proof and a 1972 Quarter?

4000 more ordered for next week.

Since April, I have gone through 39078 halves and 'mined' over $1000 @ today's silver price.

Twinturbo

Searched $2500 face today in halves

Scored zip nada zilch

Cubby

Can someone tell me what is the going rate for 40% halves, please?

fastrudy

I recently sold some for 10.5 X face on the BST thread

Cubby

Ok Rudy, thnks for the "fast" reply

fastrudy

Another weekend, another 4000 halves searched.

Found 1 40% and 3 90%(all walkers)

Meager food for souls forgot.