Change Jar Breakdown (Does anyone seperate their copper cents?)

mrpaseo · October 31, 2010 5:59AM

Like many I have a change jar that I have been putting my change in for some time. I have a smaller cup in the kitchen that I put my daily change in until I get around to sorting out the coins and putting them in the big jar.

Today I had about half a cup so I decided to see what I had, and frankly, I was a bit surprised. First the breakdown, I have one change jar for the clad coins and I roll the cents. I separate the copper from zink and I pull all the Wheaties out.

Here is what I found today:

Total change in the cup: $24.65
Quarters: $16.50
Dimes: $6.80
Nickels: $1.85
Cents: $1.41

The cent breakdown (Here is where I was surprised):

Of the 141 cents, there were 34 (Non-wheatie) coppers and 6 Wheaties: 1942-D, 1950, 1939, 1953, 1957-D and 1958 (RB w/a reverse CUD).

I found the high number of wheat cents unusual, what's your take?

mkman123 · October 31, 2010 6:02AM

Thats interesting however I wonder if more and more people are turning in their coins and don't care if its wheaties or not. I am finding fewer and fewer copper pennies lately though in change.

aj2525r · October 31, 2010 7:26AM

Hello,

I think you are just seeing cents/pennies making their way through the change system. Someone either died or decided they needed money to pay bills and turned in to a bank all the change they could find. The bank put it into rolls and sent it out to businesses.

I pull all the 95% copper cents I get. I turn all the zinc coated with copper cents back in. I figure turning in something with around two cents worth of copper isn't a good idea. So what if I can't do anything with it right now.
1. If inflation takes off the copper should go up and the copper cents will be worth even more.
2. If the global economy picks up copper demand will pick up and the copper cents will be worth more.

I have an old ammo can. It isn't full and putting copper cents into it take me very little time or effort.

End production of the cent and paper dollar.

pontiacinf · October 31, 2010 8:09AM

<< <i>Like many I have a change jar that I have been putting my change in for some time. I have a smaller cup in the kitchen that I put my daily change in until I get around to sorting out the coins and putting them in the big jar.

Today I had about half a cup so I decided to see what I had, and frankly, I was a bit surprised. First the breakdown, I have one change jar for the clad coins and I roll the cents. I separate the copper from zink and I pull all the Wheaties out.

Here is what I found today:

Total change in the cup: $24.65
Quarters: $16.50
Dimes: $6.80
Nickels: $1.85
Cents: $1.41

The cent breakdown (Here is where I was surprised):

Of the 141 cents, there were 34 (Non-wheatie) coppers and 6 Wheaties: 1942-D, 1950, 1939, 1953, 1957-D and 1958 (RB w/a reverse CUD).

I found the high number of wheat cents unusual, what's your take? >>

now ray how many quarters were statehood and lets see nickles 2004/2005 and cents any new cents, you said you broke it down
but im feeling ya left info out

mrpaseo · November 3, 2010 1:42PM

Next time Bill, the complete breakdown

GrumpyEd · November 3, 2010 2:59PM

Lot's of people are hoarding copper, maybe it will be like silver but it takes more space.

Article about copper:

copper going up

SaorAlba · November 3, 2010 8:45PM

I purchase betwixt $25 and $50 of cents a week and go through them, mining for copper of course. I estimate about 30% of cents in circulation that I see are coppers. The side benefit and the exciting part is finding wheats. So far I have about 600lbs of cents in big jugs. I have been actively mining when I am in the US for about 3 years.

delistamps · November 3, 2010 9:07PM

The only surprise to me is the large number of dimes. 66 quarters and 68 dimes...seems unusual...if you're one to keep whatever coins you get in change!

I've been filling a thin-necked jar with dimes for some time; many days I get home with a pocket of change but only 3 or 4 dimes.

Steve27 · November 3, 2010 9:33PM

I've been saving my non-zinc cents since 1982, and while I see a Wheat cent every so often, your number does seem high.

YogiBerraFan · November 3, 2010 9:45PM

I have been separating my copper cents since 1982. I was a very young collector at the time and thought it was neat. I actually had 3 containers. One container was just for 1982 cents because I could not tell which ones were copper. About a year later I showed my uncle what I was doing and he showed me how to tell. Fond childhood memories

That is a high number of wheats but lately they seem to be coming out of the woodwork.

BigRick · November 3, 2010 9:46PM

Yes.

ricko · November 3, 2010 11:00PM

Actually, I have seen fewer wheaties recently. Strange. In the first three months of the year, I was finding two or three a week....now, I am lucky if I find two a month. Cheers, RickO

DrBuster · November 3, 2010 11:42PM

I rolled my jar up in May, silver or foreign was the only thing I looked for. I do know there were tons of copper and wheats I put in these.

Got a set of truck tires for it - about $600

chumley · November 4, 2010 12:38AM

my son and I feed the change jars,we get a lot of canadian living on the border,actually arent their pennies purer in copper than ours? a canadian penny is a lot easier to cut in half than an american one

CoinCrazyPA · November 4, 2010 1:24AM

I separate them by years pre 82 copper and the latter. I get a great mix around were I live. Usually 60% copper pre 82.

CoinCrazyPA · November 4, 2010 1:26AM

<< <i>my son and I feed the change jars,we get a lot of canadian living on the border,actually arent their pennies purer in copper than ours? a canadian penny is a lot easier to cut in half than an american one >>

There older nickels are pure nickel.

ajaan · November 4, 2010 1:33AM

<< <i>actually arent their [Canadian] pennies purer in copper than ours? >>

Before 1997 they were 98% copper.

johnny9434 · November 4, 2010 2:39AM

i keep the coppers separate from everything else. the zinc crap goes as sooon as possible

Change Jar Breakdown (Does anyone seperate their copper cents?)

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