Now I have a box of halves. What will I be searching for?

milbroco · March 23, 2026 5:14PM

I got a box of quarters from the bank today to search. Hope to find some good stuff. I will post scans of anything I find.
Bob

USSID18 · March 23, 2026 5:16PM

What are the list of things you're looking for?

RedRocket · March 23, 2026 5:33PM

@USSID18 said:
What are the list of things you're looking for?

1916 Standing Liberty quarter(s) would be a good one.

milbroco · March 23, 2026 5:42PM

Any Silver......W Mint Mark.....Any major oddity......Not sure what else to search for though.

Goob · March 23, 2026 5:43PM

@milbroco said:
Any Silver......W Mint Mark.....Any major oddity......Not sure what else to search for though.

Probably a bit of a long shot but you could look for the NIFC America the Beautiful quarters

MsMorrisine · March 23, 2026 5:44PM

here's to hoping you get some silver.

it would be interesting to know the %age of 1998 and before quarters you get

keep an eye out for the W quarters

milbroco · March 23, 2026 5:52PM

So far there seems to be a lot of pre 1998 quarters. Including a real nice 1966.
It also seems like a lot are very beat / worn / damaged looking including the new style from the past several years.

MsMorrisine · March 23, 2026 5:53PM

it's an unwritten rule to not return them to the same bank

milbroco · March 23, 2026 5:59PM

Nope they are going to be deposited to my secondary bank in their coin counter. I also ordered a box of Halves from my primary bank and I should have them next Monday. The banker told me a box is 2,500......Can anyone confirm if that is correct? Thanks, Bob

cladking · March 23, 2026 6:01PM

@milbroco said:
So far there seems to be a lot of pre 1998 quarters. Including a real nice 1966.
It also seems like a lot are very beat / worn / damaged looking including the new style from the past several years.

They should be about 32% but a little lower if there are a bunch of the same brand new quarters mixed in. Later dates '85 to '98 can still be found in nice VF/ XF but they seem to all be chewed up. The older ones can be found down to VG without being damaged. Some dates have gotten very hard to find at all especially in attractive condition.

MsMorrisine · March 23, 2026 6:06PM

half dollars are in $500 boxes and small dollars are in $1000 boxes

a common look for a half dollar box

milbroco · March 23, 2026 6:11PM

Thanks. I thought it was a $500.00 dollar box. If they do order 2,500 for me I guess I will be busy for quite some time.
Thanks again, Bob

MtW124 · March 23, 2026 6:23PM

1971 DDR’s are good ones to look for Cherry pickers FS-801

WQuarterFreddie · March 23, 2026 6:30PM

The W quarters will be well worn at this point. Good as album fillers but most likely not worth more than a few dollars.

You might still average 1 silver quarter per box though.

Please post pics of any W quarters you find! Thanks!😎

milbroco · March 23, 2026 6:40PM

One whole roll was like this......except the 1966. Dirty dingy quarters.

JBK · March 23, 2026 6:43PM

Looks like metals detector finds.

MsMorrisine · March 23, 2026 6:56PM

environmental damage?

that's definitely not a normal look

mr1931S · March 23, 2026 6:58PM

Clad junk gotta love it.

Looks like metals detector finds.

Slightly better looking than metal detector find. Clad coinage that's been in the ground is brown, totally brown color. Banks won't take them appearing as they are found.

johnny9434 · March 23, 2026 7:00PM

That be cool to get some w quarters tp

milbroco · March 23, 2026 7:03PM

So far, no silver, no "W"'s, and nothing worth mentioning.
Cladking hit the nail on the head. The last 10 rolls yielded 129 pre 1998 dates which is 32%
I will continue tomorrow to hopefully find something. Now that I am retired, I have a lot of time on my hands.

The_Dinosaur_Man · March 23, 2026 7:18PM

I keep an eye out for impaired proofs whenever I do something like this. I imagine it would be easier to build a set of those (at least in clad) than it is to find a 1916 Standing Lib.

milbroco · March 23, 2026 7:19PM

What do you mean "impaired" proofs?
Thanks. Bob

MsMorrisine · March 23, 2026 7:26PM

proofs that have seen circulation

i found a half once with the faintest of mirror in the tiniest protected area. most will be obvious without the mint mark

USSID18 · March 23, 2026 7:33PM

MtW124 · March 24, 2026 3:52AM

Jar of metal detector finds in progress

USSID18 · March 24, 2026 2:38PM

milbroco · March 25, 2026 9:58AM

Wow I am losing all faith in finding anything good in this box. Opened several more and and absolutely nothing! Have about 12 more roll to go. Well maybe I will have better luck with the halves next week.

cladking · March 25, 2026 10:04AM

@milbroco said:
Wow I am losing all faith in finding anything good in this box. Opened several more and and absolutely nothing! Have about 12 more roll to go. Well maybe I will have better luck with the halves next week.

I would expect you to find at least three or four common dates before 1982 im nice XF.

cladking · March 25, 2026 10:15AM

@milbroco said:
So far there seems to be a lot of pre 1998 quarters. Including a real nice 1966.
It also seems like a lot are very beat / worn / damaged looking including the new style from the past several years.

It's not unusual that in bad rolls there are one or more unusually nice ones like a nice VF 1966. I always interpret this to mean that oddballs often get mixed in with culls. If you get a roll like this from the bank there was a whole hopper full of this or these were added after the hopper ran empty. In this case, probably the latter.

I would take it as "nice VF" being the minimum grade this date was retained by the assembler. In other words, if this isn't coincidence the person releasing this coin probably saves only ten or twelve coins per $1000.

400Esplanade · March 26, 2026 3:09PM

We got a box recently with 2 surprise enders.

MsMorrisine · March 26, 2026 3:24PM

nice

milbroco · March 26, 2026 4:11PM

Now why can't I find one like that!

400Esplanade · March 26, 2026 4:13PM

That was after several skunks…law of averages kicked in I guess.

USSID18 · March 26, 2026 4:41PM

P0CKETCHANGE · March 26, 2026 4:59PM

@WQuarterFreddie said:
The W quarters will be well worn at this point.

Why would they be “well worn”? Most coins barely circulate, spending most of their time in change jars. I got a Missouri State quarter (released 2003) in change this week and it was UNC.

Barberian · March 27, 2026 1:10AM

@mr1931S said:
Clad junk gotta love it.

Looks like metals detector finds.

Slightly better looking than metal detector find. Clad coinage that's been in the ground is brown, totally brown color. Banks won't take them appearing as they are found.

@mr1931S said:
Clad junk gotta love it.

Looks like metals detector finds.

Slightly better looking than metal detector find. Clad coinage that's been in the ground is brown, totally brown color. Banks won't take them appearing as they are found.

How about Coin Star? I have a quart jar full of dug coins that I need to get rid of. I bet I'll fill the reject bin with nasty Zincolns.

Barberian · March 27, 2026 1:15AM

Don't forget the 2023 Ladybug on George's nose.

johnny9434 · March 27, 2026 2:07AM

@400Esplanade said:

We got a box recently with 2 surprise enders.

The silver looks better then some of the new stuff

milbroco · March 27, 2026 6:42AM

USSID18 - Thanks for the CheatSheet!
I am looking back to the quarters I opened. ope somehing good there.
Thanks,
Bob

cladking · March 27, 2026 6:55AM

@P0CKETCHANGE said:

@WQuarterFreddie said:
The W quarters will be well worn at this point.

Why would they be “well worn”? Most coins barely circulate, spending most of their time in change jars. I got a Missouri State quarter (released 2003) in change this week and it was UNC.

The mint and FED rotate their coin stocks so nothing sits in storage longer than about three years. Velocity is low so a coin might wear down to XF in as long as about 15 years.

When you find old Uncs you can be quite sure that someone released a roll or a group of coins and this goes many times over if they are bicentennial or post-'98.

Old clad quarters wore out back in the day that velocity was very high. A 1965 quarter could wear down to VG in as little as 15 years.

USSID18 · March 27, 2026 7:43AM

@P0CKETCHANGE said:

@WQuarterFreddie said:
The W quarters will be well worn at this point.

Why would they be “well worn”?

He's probably talking about circulated W's that are actually being used in commerce like these.

JBK · March 27, 2026 10:00AM

On a side note, light circulation can sometimes be worse than moderate circulation.

Skin oils/salts get deposited on the coins and unless the coins continue to circulate those contaminants will fester and cause stains and corrosion.

Lightly or sporadically circulated coins don't have a chance to build up a protective patina.

milbroco · March 30, 2026 7:49PM

Pulled a Pepe La Pew with that box of quarters.
Tomorrow I am getting a box of halves.

WQuarterFreddie · March 31, 2026 12:05PM

@P0CKETCHANGE said:

@WQuarterFreddie said:
The W quarters will be well worn at this point.

Why would they be “well worn”? Most coins barely circulate, spending most of their time in change jars. I got a Missouri State quarter (released 2003) in change this week and it was UNC.

Happy for you.

WQuarterFreddie · March 31, 2026 12:06PM

@USSID18 said:

@P0CKETCHANGE said:

@WQuarterFreddie said:
The W quarters will be well worn at this point.

Why would they be “well worn”?

He's probably talking about circulated W's that are actually being used in commerce like these.

Correct!

mr1931S · March 31, 2026 7:38PM

@Barberian said:

@mr1931S said:
Clad junk gotta love it.

Looks like metals detector finds.

Slightly better looking than metal detector find. Clad coinage that's been in the ground is brown, totally brown color. Banks won't take them appearing as they are found.

@mr1931S said:
Clad junk gotta love it.

Looks like metals detector finds.

Slightly better looking than metal detector find. Clad coinage that's been in the ground is brown, totally brown color. Banks won't take them appearing as they are found.

How about Coin Star? I have a quart jar full of dug coins that I need to get rid of. I bet I'll fill the reject bin with nasty Zincolns.

Sometimes the Coinstar machine will go out of order with metal detector finds. Dirty, discolored, corroded not good for Coinstar machines. I see "out of order" sign frequently on the Walmart Coinstar. Some detectorists got no sense. Clean that clad and those copper pennies up before trying to run through Coinstar! Zincolns? Leave em in the ground.

milbroco · April 2, 2026 1:41PM

Got the box of halves today. So, what will I be looking for?
Thanks,
Bob

MsMorrisine · April 2, 2026 1:50PM

@milbroco said:
Got the box of halves today. So, what will I be looking for?

early dates in the70's can have doubling on letters and numbers.

half boxes are more likely to have silver

milbroco · April 2, 2026 1:52PM

Why would a half box be more likely for silver?

milbroco · April 2, 2026 1:53PM

5 rolls and many early 70's.......now to check for doubling.

MsMorrisine · April 2, 2026 1:57PM

fewer coin machines reject silver half dollars and they circulate less

however, i think more people know this and do the same thing

Now I have a box of halves. What will I be searching for?

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