Now what do I do with them?

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jfriedm56
jfriedm56 Posts: 3,101 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

I have been putting these copper cents aside in this jar when the Mint switched from copper to zinc. The jar is 13 1/2 inches high, 6 3/4 inches across and has a 24 inch circumference. Plus, I can’t lift the thing any longer. Since it’s still illegal to melt these, do I wait until the ban is lifted? Will it ever be lifted? What is the current melt value of a copper cent? Your thoughts?

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  • RiveraFamilyCollect
    RiveraFamilyCollect Posts: 910 ✭✭✭✭
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    I think it's currently illegal to melt down copper cents or nickels. But I'm just basing that on the last thread about melting silver coins.

    Llamas and alpacas are camels. They aren't like camels, or related. They are camels. When was anyone going to tell me this?! How long had Bill Nye been holding out on us?

  • coinbuf
    coinbuf Posts: 12,572 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Current melt is around 3 cents still, but from what I understand most dealers are only paying a premium for wheat cents vs memorial. I highly doubt the ban on melting cents will ever be lifted in our lifetime. I'd roll and deposit or coinstar.

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  • MFeld
    MFeld Posts: 17,140 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    “Now what do I do with them?”
    Have a guess-the -number-of-cents contest. After all entries are in, count them, determine the winner and ship to him or her. 😉 Or save the time and postage expense by putting them in a “Coinstar” machine if you don’t want to look for a local bank or merchants to take them off your hands. Time is money.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,092 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 17, 2025 11:31AM
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    Look at the grocery stores. Some are offering a 2 fer in card form at the store. Get a good steak for your self 😋 👍

  • ajaan
    ajaan Posts: 18,005 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    **The "Double Exchange Day" will take place at all Price Chopper and Market 32 stores across New York on Sunday, November 16th, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Progressive Grocery website.

    During the one-day event, a penny is worth 2 cents when you exchange it for a Price Chopper or Market 32 gift card, worth twice its value. For example, exchange $10 in pennies and earn a $20 gift card redeemable toward future in-store purchases.**

    Unfortunately it was yesterday and the closest store is in Syracuse.


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  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,058 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    carry a few to prevent paying the round up price ... when paying with cash

    i'm thinking the only place benefiting from melting will soon be the fed res

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • PerryHall
    PerryHall Posts: 47,756 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @MFeld said:
    “Now what do I do with them?”
    Have a guess-the -number-of-cents contest. After all entries are in, count them, determine the winner and ship to him or her. 😉 Or save the time and postage expense by putting them in a “Coinstar” machine if you don’t want to look for a local bank or merchants to take them off your hands. Time is money.

    It would take a lot of time and effort to count all of them. Weigh the jar full of cents and subtract the weight of the empty jar. A little math (total weight of just the cents divided by the weight of a single cent) will give you a very close approximation of the number of cents you have.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
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  • MFeld
    MFeld Posts: 17,140 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @PerryHall said:

    @MFeld said:
    “Now what do I do with them?”
    Have a guess-the -number-of-cents contest. After all entries are in, count them, determine the winner and ship to him or her. 😉 Or save the time and postage expense by putting them in a “Coinstar” machine if you don’t want to look for a local bank or merchants to take them off your hands. Time is money.

    It would take a lot of time and effort to count all of them. Weigh the jar full of cents and subtract the weight of the empty jar. A little math (total weight of just the cents divided by the weight of a single cent) will give you a very close approximation of the number of cents you have.

    Yes, but that wouldn’t eliminate the additional time and expense of shipping. Hence, my winking emoji and additional alternatives.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • jfriedm56
    jfriedm56 Posts: 3,101 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Thanks for all your responses! Well I’ve waited 40 years now. I guess I can wait a little longer and hope they lift the ban on melting them. Who knows what’s going to happen in the next few years with no more in production.

  • bsshog40
    bsshog40 Posts: 4,037 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have a 5 gal jug that is over a third full. All pennies go in it so no idea of copper vs zinc.

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  • MarkKelley
    MarkKelley Posts: 2,101 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I sold a thousand rolls on the bay for double face plus shipping (in several lots, not all at once). Made a little money and now I'm done with them.

  • JBK
    JBK Posts: 17,867 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I'd find someone who thinks they're worth more than face value and sell them. Let them worry about melting them. 😀

  • WaterSport
    WaterSport Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Spend them. No one has become a millionare hoarding wheat cents.

    WS

    Proud recipient of the coveted PCGS Forum "You Suck" Award Thursday July 19, 2007 11:33 PM and December 30th, 2011 at 8:50 PM.
  • ambro51
    ambro51 Posts: 14,471 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Unless you have 53 09 VDB proofs

  • P0CKETCHANGE
    P0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,737 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Cash in and convert to silver.

  • Coins3675
    Coins3675 Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭✭
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    I think the melt value is 3 cents apiece.

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  • Batman23
    Batman23 Posts: 5,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    So that is where they all went. I was wondering why there was nothing available for the banks and stores.

  • Creg
    Creg Posts: 1,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 17, 2025 3:10PM
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    I sold my wheats in bulk on eBay. I’m okay with the results of these memorials so mine aren’t going to Coinstar—

    That looks like near forty-five lbs. 100 rolls?

  • Bikergeek
    Bikergeek Posts: 704 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Here is how I experienced the first image on this thread, @jfriedm56! :-)

    By Official M.C. Escher website., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9174116

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  • jfriedm56
    jfriedm56 Posts: 3,101 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Thanks again all for all the varied and somewhat humorous responses. I guess I’ll just hold them for now.

  • Cougar1978
    Cougar1978 Posts: 10,067 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Spend on Play Station 5 get GTA online.

    Investor
  • RedRocket
    RedRocket Posts: 1,938 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Cougar1978 said:
    Spend on Play Station 5 get GTA online.

    "Investor"

    :#

  • dipset512
    dipset512 Posts: 290 ✭✭✭✭
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    I'd be tempted to look for varieties

  • rte592
    rte592 Posts: 2,234 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 17, 2025 9:53PM
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    Build a penny sculpture or cover the bathroom floor.

  • ChrisH821
    ChrisH821 Posts: 7,151 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Start a new jar ;)

    Collector, occasional seller

  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,058 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    You're gonna need a bigger boat

    (any wheats?)

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • jfriedm56
    jfriedm56 Posts: 3,101 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @MsMorrisine said:
    You're gonna need a bigger boat

    (any wheats?)

    Nope. Not in there. Those were separated out before going into the jar.

  • DBSTrader2
    DBSTrader2 Posts: 3,551 ✭✭✭✭
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    Do you think the ban should only exist as long as pennies are minted? Once they are removed from minting & essentially from the economy, why SHOULDN'T one be allowed to melt them? Should be the same as any other copper item at that point..........

  • dcarr
    dcarr Posts: 10,260 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Now what do I do with them ?

    First of all, don't panic.
    They are not a threat to you, unless they fall on your foot. or you mistakenly grab a mouthful from that UTZ snack jar,
    They are not perishable, like bananas. So they can sit there, ignored for a long time (but don't dare give that same treatment to your wife, even if her name is "Penny").

    Pennies are "going away". But the ones in your jar will not spontaneously walk away (without assistance from a desperate thief).

    Sometimes the best option is to do nothing at all.

    Moonlight Mint
  • NerdsLTD
    NerdsLTD Posts: 56 ✭✭
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    Hold my beer….

  • rte592
    rte592 Posts: 2,234 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @NerdsLTD said:
    Hold my beer….

    That doesn't hold a candle to one of the collections a guy at the small coin club has.
    He has the $25 Penny cardboard boxes from floor to ceiling TWO Deep on the long wall in a bedroom office.
    :o

  • NerdsLTD
    NerdsLTD Posts: 56 ✭✭
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    @rte592 said:

    Thank heaven for tiny blessings. That's a competition I'll gladly lose.

  • airplanenut
    airplanenut Posts: 22,766 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @WaterSport said:
    Spend them. No one has become a millionare hoarding wheat cents.

    WS

    I mean, if you hoard 100 million of them…

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  • pcgsregistrycollector
    pcgsregistrycollector Posts: 2,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Cougar1978 said:
    Spend on Play Station 5 get GTA online.

    +1 Has anyone played GTA before?

    Proud follower of Christ! I love the USA! Land of the Bright and Beautiful! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

  • emeraldATV
    emeraldATV Posts: 5,249 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Document the jar and it's contents (All copper cents, no wheat cents, weight optional) ,
    then seal the jar with candle wax. and take the jar to a notary. Using the notary's seal combine the
    two function's the wax was intended for. A true wax sealed jar, with paper work.
    Time and Pressure now controls it's destiny. You control the price. :)
    Don't forget to add in the notary services, 5 - 10 $.
    o:) What ?

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