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I was just gifted 50lb of loose pennies
Orlena
Posts: 409 ✭✭✭✭
I was gifted a huge box of pennies- if I go through them what should I look for?
I’m not a penny collector so not sure what treasures to watch for. Thanks in advance
1
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Wheat pennies.
Spend them!
Micah Langford - https://www.oldglorycoinsandcurrency.com/
I save all of the 1981 and older (solid bronze) cents.
separate them as to year and mintmark before trying to identify them for anything special.
Just remember...the advice you receive on a site is worth every bit of what you paid for it.
Get a price guide. Check to see which dates/mints/varieties (for varieties, be sure you understand how to accurately identify them) are valued high enough to make a search worthwhile, allowing for any costs involved in trying to resell them. Look for those.
3 piles
wheats, 1981 and before cents, 1982 to now cents
sounds like about $100 of cents. it's up to you to search them or not, but i'd at least search the wheats
hope you find a pre-wheat
Hopefully it's an older accumulation or, chances are, it won't be that much fun.
If it is older, look for any 1909 to 1915 with mintmarks, especially 1909 S's and 1914 D, 1924 D, 1926 S, 1931 S.
After this, you need the doubled dies, 1955 and 1972 (they're quite obvious). There are an awful lot of varieties, but these need education, experience and a good numismatic eye.
I hope you find something fun......
Thanks to all of for the great tips. After about two hours of looking I’m starting to reexamine the term “gift”. Most are in the last 40 years, but the pre 1981 suggestion might have some results.
If they are recent don't waste your eyesight searching them. Just cash them in and be happy that you got some spendable cash out of them.
7500 is the right number. One who is not a collector would have a learning curve trying to set aside varieties worth more than say $10. Wheat pennies found, pull all of them out and then look 'em up in the Red Book later (2026 Red Book costs about $15). Pull out all the pre '82 cents if one wants them for their copper. One should end up with about 10 pounds of pre '82 doing this with 7500 cents. The Red Book will show pictures of the better varieties. Have a magnifying glass handy for checking those 1970-S pennies for a high '7'...and 1972 Philly issues (1972 with no mintmark) for a double die obverse. 1972 DDO is worth several hundred dollars in nice condition. I just noticed that 1970-S DblDie Obv is listed at $12,500. Yeah pull all 1970-S pieces for close inspection later. 1969-S is another. Set aside as they are found.
The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
Albert Einstein (14 March 1879--18 April 1955)
when someone wants you to round up, give them exact change
1877,1908 s, 09s 🤩
Yes, for the sake of your sanity and eyesight, dump them in a Coinstar.
30+ years coin shop experience (ret.) Coins, bullion, currency, scrap & interesting folks. Loved every minute!
To much werc to sort it and roll it
In German, "Gift" means poison!
And "Rauschgift" = poison smoke = drugs...
I'm retired, but my time is still worth more than sifting through thousands of coins, not one of which is likely to be worth more than the melt value of the copper (before 1982, and some in 1982).
Be my guest, but the "Coinstar" suggestion above would be mine, also.
Amen boys - after combing through a mound or two I decided the Coinstar route was best. I figure I will lug a coffee can full with each trip to the store and hopefully get them all cashed in by April. My bank said they are not taking in pennies- I’m guessing the “great penny retirement “ is bigger than anticipated.
Congratulations!
Micah Langford - https://www.oldglorycoinsandcurrency.com/
List them on eBay as “unsearched”. Then put them in rolls of 50 and sell for $5 per roll.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5