How does one go about purchasing rolls of uncirculated coins?

coinguy89 · November 23, 2004 7:00AM

If I want rolls to cherry pick through for various errors and varieties where should I get them. I really want only uncirculated rolls. Dealers or banks? Im mostly thinking Lincoln memorial cents. I think it would be a lot of fun. Oh yeah, how does one know someone hasn't already looked through the rolls already?

coinguy89 · November 23, 2004 7:26AM

Anyone?

dthigpen · November 23, 2004 7:27AM

Bank.

BASEagle · November 23, 2004 7:30AM

U S Mint

Mike

oreville · November 23, 2004 7:37AM

coinguy89: You need to make a lot of friends in the hobby!

They will be one of your biggest source of rolls. A great way indeed is to start with a roll set of obw lincoln cent rolls from the memorial reverse era. They are still very reasonable.

Robgetty · November 23, 2004 8:03AM

I don't think that I would trust many sources to not have already cherrypicked any rolls.
You can always get mint bags, but that is pretty large scale, plus you can't go back 30
years to look for recognized varities.

oreville · November 23, 2004 8:46AM

I do not agree with Robgetty as far as lincoln memorial cents. They are too many obw rolls as well as not expensive enough just yet and with experience, one can learn how to discern what has been opened and been "re-sealed."

keets · November 23, 2004 9:21AM

hey Scott

local dealers are a good source and club auctions are also good. hook up with a dealer and join a club(s) close to home. remember, you're driving now, no excuses. and if you don't already have it, get coppercoins Lincoln Book.

my personal take on searching any denomination/series is that if you look for any kind of roll coins on eBay there is a better chance they've been searched than if you get them locally in the two ways i've mentioned. dealers with storefronts have them primarily for one reason, to buy what walks in off the street cheap and then to turn it for a profit. if you hook up with a guy close to home and help out or show interest in the hobby---it helps if you spend money in his store

---you can often have a shot at stuff before anyone else. plus, most dealers really don't look for die varieties and stuff. with clubs, the majority of the membership for whatever reason, is older. that generation often has stuff that's been their's for a long time and they have never searched them. remember, a guy who's 60 now was your age when roll collecting was in it's heyday and die variety collecting was for advanced collectors/specialists which were in small numbers.

i know my local dealer has more rolls of Lincolns than he knows what to do with. he buys them and sells them without ever searching them.

al h.

coinguy89 · November 23, 2004 10:41AM

Thanks guys. What exactally does "obw" mean?

haletj · November 23, 2004 11:07AM

original bank wrapped. Good luck! I love looking through Lincoln Rolls too.

cladking · November 23, 2004 12:53PM

You can usually spot check large roll lots by just looking at a single roll. These often
all came from the same bag so one roll would look very much like every other roll. While
obw rolls are interesting and can contain gems or rare varieties, the coins in tubes should
not be overlooked. Sometimes collectors would search bags for nice coins to save and
then store them in the plastic tubes.

It's a good idea to always try to save at least one coin from every roll you check. You'll
be surprised some of the things you'll find when you go back later and recheck these.
Sometimes you'll be a little hypercritical or just overlook a variety.

Dealers often have these rolls. E-bay should be a good source for the cheap rolls if pos-
tage doesn't kill you. Let the dealers know you want these and more will find you.

oreville · November 23, 2004 1:49PM

Here is a obw roll of 1954 quarters - Orange Brandt papers - no bank markings.

This was once owned by a very astute PCGS board member who sold it to another smart board member and then the second one found me!

This is an unopened roll. These rolls can get quite expensive but if you stick with cents in the post 1958 era you can learn lots, have lots of fun, and not spend a lot of money!

Also, bank names of the various rolls is an interesting aspect of collecting obw rolls. In this area of collecting, you are NOT SUPPOSED to even open the rolls and peek inside. The idea is to preserve them just the way they are! The paper outside the roll is more important than what is the inside of the roll.

coinguy89 · November 24, 2004 6:50AM

What if im more concerned about acquiring what's inside? I would like to cherry pick through them for various errors and varieties. Should I still buy those types of rolls?

NJDrew1 · November 24, 2004 12:30PM

Banks are a good source, since you can get the rolls at face value. It would help to talk with the branch manager, or the head teller, who sometimes maintains a want list for newly-issued coins for their customers. Keep in mind that the banks don't have to compile a want list, but some of the friendlier banks do.

clackamas · November 24, 2004 1:00PM

What denom's are you talking about? Ebay is a great source for OBW rolls. Do not neglect tubed rolls as well. You can picke up tubed rolls cheaper and they are often very good - reason - astute collector in the 1960's did not want to ruin the coins by leaving them in a roll so he puts tham in a tube. Eveyone thinks "searched" and they sell at a discount. Not always true. I have done awesome with tubed rolls on ebay.

How does one go about purchasing rolls of uncirculated coins?

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