Wheat Cents in Circulation?

mrcommem · May 2, 2021 3:59PM

I went to the bank on Friday and got $20 in cents to search through. I hadn't done this for a while but the price of copper is about $4.50 a pound so I thought I would sort out the copper pennies. I have one of those discriminator machines that separates the copper coins from the copper coated coins. After going through 2000 pennies the results I found are 253 copper coins and of those 2 wheat cents, 1953-D and 1945-D, respectively. That about 0.1% wheat and 12.65% copper. Have these two populations of coins diminished that much? It seems that even the Lincoln Cent Book (1940-1974) would be very difficult to complete from circulated finds. What is the average price of a circulate wheat cent today?

MsMorrisine · May 2, 2021 4:35PM

Bout 3 cents

golden · May 2, 2021 4:44PM

The 1940-1974 Cent book would be almost impossible to complete from circulation today.

joeykoins · May 2, 2021 4:45PM

Yes, it has dwindled down tremendously. However, one can still be lucky! About 6 months ago. I purchased a $25 box of pennies from my bank. 183 out of the 2500 coins, were ,yes you guessed it. WHEATIES. One 1909 vdb. and one 1910s.

bearcave · May 2, 2021 5:08PM

291fifth · May 2, 2021 5:17PM

@joeykoins said:
Yes, it has dwindled down tremendously. However, one can still be lucky! About 6 months ago. I purchased a $25 box of pennies from my bank. 183 out of the 2500 coins, were ,yes you guessed it. WHEATIES. One 1909 vdb. and one 1910s.

Probably an estate coin hoard being dumped by heirs who just wanted to be rid of the coins.

291fifth · May 2, 2021 5:21PM

I still find a very few wheat cents though many of them are damaged or corroded. Finds are getting fewer and fewer with every passing year.

Are they "rare"? Just remember the thread about the collector who has a garage full of large plastic barrels filled with them. Many years back I was told that there is at least one hoard in the Detroit area that contains more than two million wheat cents.

rec78 · May 2, 2021 8:21PM

I just deposited 600-700 wheat cents that I found metal detecting in a local bank. Most were discolored form environmental damage. Maybe you can find them.

Icollecteverything · May 2, 2021 8:24PM

I have a feeling that most of the wheats I get in circulation now are seeded by collectors. in a very small amount of change in the last 6 months raided from the wife's pocketbook I got a 1920, 1923, 1931, 1946-s and a 1948-d plus 1 or 2 more later dates. Seems a little odd.

Tibor · May 2, 2021 9:48PM

For Coin Week this year, as in previous years, I spent 5 rolls of wheat cents and
two rolls of partial dated buffalo nickels. Doing this for 15+ years.

joeykoins · May 2, 2021 11:11PM

@291fifth said:

@joeykoins said:
Yes, it has dwindled down tremendously. However, one can still be lucky! About 6 months ago. I purchased a $25 box of pennies from my bank. 183 out of the 2500 coins, were ,yes you guessed it. WHEATIES. One 1909 vdb. and one 1910s.

Probably an estate coin hoard being dumped by heirs who just wanted to be rid of the coins.

Yes, if interested to check out my 183 Wheat box. Go to my "Christmas at my bank..." thread. Just bumped it to page 1.
Yes, 183 wheaties found. My best cent box. Thanks

ricko · May 3, 2021 5:51AM

I have hundreds of wheaties... I just save them whenever I get them in change...been doing that for many years. Some day I will search them for anything special...Cheers, RickO

WCC · May 3, 2021 5:53AM

All the wheat cents must be in barrels like the > @291fifth said:

I still find a very few wheat cents though many of them are damaged or corroded. Finds are getting fewer and fewer with every passing year.

Are they "rare"? Just remember the thread about the collector who has a garage full of large plastic barrels filled with them. Many years back I was told that there is at least one hoard in the Detroit area that contains more than two million wheat cents.

I remember that thread. There must literally still be billions of wheat cents around in "change jars". Someone mentioned value as 3c. I presume this must be "retail", as I do not see any dealer paying more than FV or a fraction of a cent more for larger quantities for the most common dates in average or even better circulated grades.

Jimnight · May 3, 2021 12:09PM

Wheat cents are still out there ... but I think they are getting harder to find.

lkenefic · May 3, 2021 7:05PM

Wheat Ce ts are definitely out there... I just put about a dozen or so back into circulation... happy hunting!!

BJandTundra · May 4, 2021 4:03AM

@rec78 said:
I just deposited 600-700 wheat cents that I found metal detecting in a local bank. Most were discolored form environmental damage. Maybe you can find them.

I'm amazed the Bank let you use a metal detector in their building!

amwldcoin · May 4, 2021 5:09AM

You just don't know who to sell them to. If you want the 3 cents or more you need to hook-up with one of the program buyers.

@WCC said:
All the wheat cents must be in barrels like the > @291fifth said:

I still find a very few wheat cents though many of them are damaged or corroded. Finds are getting fewer and fewer with every passing year.

Are they "rare"? Just remember the thread about the collector who has a garage full of large plastic barrels filled with them. Many years back I was told that there is at least one hoard in the Detroit area that contains more than two million wheat cents.

I remember that thread. There must literally still be billions of wheat cents around in "change jars". Someone mentioned value as 3c. I presume this must be "retail", as I do not see any dealer paying more than FV or a fraction of a cent more for larger quantities for the most common dates in average or even better circulated grades.

BuffaloIronTail · May 4, 2021 9:29AM

@golden said:
The 1940-1974 Cent book would be almost impossible to complete from circulation today.

Yup. Good thing I finished mine 1940-1968 back in the day.

Pete

Hydrant · May 4, 2021 11:05AM

I always put them in the coffee cup holder in the car whenever I get one in change. Then they disappear. The last one was a 1926. I guess I don't really want them. Just more clutter.

scooter25 · May 4, 2021 11:43AM

I’ve got a 25$ box of pennies upstairs that I will be going through tonight. See what I can find .

SaorAlba · May 4, 2021 3:04PM

I got a '41-D in change at the grocery store the other day. They are out there.

YoloBagels · May 4, 2021 3:14PM

In 2019 I averaged ~11 per box; Plus an 1889 indian.
In 2021 I hunted one box and got six, including an AU58 RB 1944 cent.

One thing I noticed recently is that there has been a significant drop in copper pennies over the last 1.5 years or so. Used to get at least two boxes for each $100 hunt. Recently I have only seen about 5-6 per roll.

I live in Mid-Georgia south of Atlanta. My friends in NY seem to average 20-25 wheats per box in 2021, so there do seem to be pockets of better CRH finds throughout the country.

Wheat Cents in Circulation?

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