1st Time Coin Roll Hunting

[ThatCopperSound]

Hey guys. I came across this site and wanted to try my luck at finding some silver at face vaule.
My parents are making me pay for my first car, so any way to make money I will not hesitate to try. I work at Sonic, so I come in contact with money every day and will definately be on the look out for silver coins.

Today, I went to the bank and bought $120 worth of half dollars. Here are my results:

3-90% (two 1964 and a very mint 1955 Benjamin)
2-40% (both 1968)

I am about to head out to hunt some more.

Any tips for a newbie?

 

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[BuffaloBoy]

I am on a skunk srreak with boxed half dollars, not a single silver in over $14,000 searched. Do not order half dollars, stick with customer wrapped half dollars. You'll get more silver that way.

 

[goldencoin]

'55 Ben is a key date, put it in the "do not melt" pile (in fact, but it in a nice 2x2, 'cause those don't show up often). Also, check and see if it is the "Bugs Bunny" variety for a really valuable coin

HH
-GC

 

[BuffaloBoy]

Goldencoin is correct, I did not notice you got a 1955 ben. Look up on the internet what a bugs bunny half dollar is, you'll see.

The coin though is not necessarily "VALUEABLE", But will indeed catch more than melt value. I am just sayiing not to expect anything huge like $100+.

Good luck paying for your car, and remember, keep your money making a clean and positive way.

 

[SilverFace]

"Sounds" like your off to a good "Silver" start - esp with a nice cond. '55 Ben.

Good luck & HH

 

[ThatCopperSound]

My '55 Benjamin does not appear to be a Bugs Bunny half dollar. It looks uncirculated though.

I went to some other Chase banks around my house, no luck with half dollars.

One bank offered that they would be happy to buy boxes. I might take them up on that offer.

 

[SilverFace]

I've had some success with half boxes so far but nothing great - yet. Last week's 2 boxes produced 1 Ben and 2 x 40%'s. Most of us seem to have much better success with customer halves - but sometimes they are a little hard to come by and often you get other people's dumps. But sometimes customer halves produce quite well - like the success you've had already. I had a nice score myself just yesterday with a near solid roll (19) of 40%er's from a cwr and a couple more 40%er's in loose from another bank. But I probably shouldn't keep mentioning customer halves so much (even though I know most everyone here is already aware of how great they can often produce) because it only increases my competition even more - from those here that live in my area (which I believe at least a few here do).

HH

 

[Captaindoodle]

Wow...there's no substitute for beginners luck! It took me 4+ years to find my first 55 Ben. Think of it as one of the trophies in your video games.

As a short list of "common trophies" in the half game you might keep your eye out for (in my personal descending difficulty level):

Barber Half
90% silver commemorative
Silver proof 40% or 90%
Foreign silver (Medio Balboa, Columbian 50C, Rupee, Canadian Half, etc)
1970S
1970D
Clad commemoratives...including the ubiquitous Statue of Liberty Commemorative (SLC)
1976S silver proof
1976 silver circulation strike

Less probable:
Seated half

Happy hunting and good luck with your car fund. P.S. your insurance will cost a ton, so if Mom and Dad are footing the bill for that...way to go and thanks Mom and Dad!

CD

 

[apush]

Try dimes, too. They add up quickly. Ask for "customer rolled dimes--or paper wrapped dimes." At only $5 a roll to purchase, that is highly affordable starting out--and easy to dump. Or, if you can swing a box @ $250.00 give that a go. Many folks here work dimes and make a good haul. The best number of dimes I culled out of one box was 12. Not a bad way to add a bit more to the pile. I had to purchase my first car, too. That was in 1976.

HSH,
apush

 

[ThatCopperSound]

Try dimes, too. They add up quickly. Ask for "customer rolled dimes--or paper wrapped dimes." At only $5 a roll to purchase, that is highly affordable starting out--and easy to dump. Or, if you can swing a box @ $250.00 give that a go. Many folks here work dimes and make a good haul. The best number of dimes I culled out of one box was 12. Not a bad way to add a bit more to the pile. I had to purchase my first car, too. That was in 1976.

HSH,
apush

I just finished going through $100 worth of dimes. They were wrapped in a clear plastic and yielded no silver. I will most likely not be buying them in the clear wrap again. It was still fun to go through though.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[rileyboy]

Welcome aboard!, "It's out there for the finding. I bought my first car also. That was in 1957.
Guesss I'm getting old.
Stay well,
rileyboy

 

[ThatCopperSound]

Other than the the pre-1971 halfs, are there any other rare half dollars to look out for?

 

[SilverFace]

magicians halves are fairly rare and kind of cool to find - esp if you've never seen one before. But I don't think they have much value - just sort of a novelty coin. I remember when I found my first one this last summer I didn't know what the heck it was.

 

[madwest]

Other than the the pre-1971 halfs, are there any other rare half dollars to look out for?

Rare you say? What do you consider rare? Some collect NIFC because of low mintage. Some say that they are not worth keeping.
It is up to you (some "modern" NIFC are Ag - everybody here keeps those):

Date Mint: # Minted
=======================
1971 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,220,733
1972 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,260,996
1973 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,760,339
1974 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,612,568
1976 S (clad)(proof strike): 7,059,099
1976 S (40% silver): 11,000,000
1976 S (40% silver)(proof strike): 4,000,000
1977 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,251,152
1978 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,127,781
1979 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,677,175
1980 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,554,806
1981 S (clad)(proof strike): 4,063,083
1982 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,857,479
1983 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,279,126
1984 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,065,110
1985 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,362,821
1986 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,010,497
1987 P: 2,890,758
1987 D: 2,890,758
1987 S (clad)(proof strike): 4,227,728
1988 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,262,948
1989 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,220,194
1990 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,299,559
1991 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,867,787
1992 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,858,981
1992 S (silver)(proof strike): 1,317,579
1993 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,633,439
1993 S (silver)(proof strike): 761,353
1994 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,484,594
1994 S (silver)(proof strike): 785,329
1995 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,117,496
1995 S (silver)(proof strike): 679,985
1996 S (clad)(proof strike): 1,750,244
1996 S (silver)(proof strike): 775,021
1997 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,055,000
1997 S (silver)(proof strike): 741,678
1998 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,086,507
1998 S (silver)(proof strike): 878,792
1999 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,543,401
1999 S (silver)(proof strike): 804,565
2000 S (clad)(proof strike): 3,082,483
2000 S (silver)(proof strike): 965,421
2001 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,294,909
2001 S (silver)(proof strike): 889,697
2002 P: 3,100,000
2002 D: 2,500,000
2002 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,319,766
2002 S (silver)(proof strike): 892,229
2003 P: 2,500,000
2003 D: 2,500,000
2003 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,172,684
2003 S (silver)(proof strike): 1,125,755
2004 P: 2,900,000
2004 D: 2,900,000
2004 S (clad)(proof strike): 1,789,488
2004 S (silver)(proof strike): 1,175,934
2005 P: 3,800,000
2005 D: 3,500,000
2005 S (clad)(proof strike): 2,275,000
2005 S (silver)(proof strike): 1,069,679
2006 P: 2,400,000
2006 D: 2,000,000
2006 S (proof strike): 2,000,428
2006 S (silver)(proof strike): 1,054,008
2007 P: 2,400,000
2007 D: 2,400,000
2007 S (clad)(proof strike): 1,384,797
2007 S (silver)(proof strike): 875,050
2008 P: 1,700,000
2008 D: 1,700,000
2008 S (clad)(proof strike): 1,377,424
2008 S (silver)(proof strike): 620,684
2009 P: 1,900,000
2009 D: 1,900,000
2010 P: 1,700,000
2010 D: 1,800,000
2011 P: 1,700,000
2011 D: 1,750,000

There are commemoratives that many ppl keep. Some commems are Ag, everybody keeps those.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_United_States_commemorative_coins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_United_States_commemorative_coins

 

[ThatCopperSound]

Very informative. Thanks!

I found that one of my '71 does not have a mint mark.

 

[pronghorn]

Any tips for a newbie?

Read the beginners guide at the top of the CRH section and
read as many of the threads here in the CRH section of
T-net as you can, you will learn something from
almost every thread!
Good Luck!

 

[ThatCopperSound]

Do you have to have a bank account with the bank in order to buy half dollars?

I have a Chase bank account. Can I go to a Frost or a Wells Fargo and buy half dollars?

 

[madwest]

I found that one of my '71 does not have a mint mark.

Nothing special about that. No mark means Philly. You'll see 1971 no mark dozens of times per box if you date search halves (155,000,000 minted).

 

[dossier]

Wow...there's no substitute for beginners luck! It took me 4+ years to find my first 55 Ben. Think of it as one of the trophies in your video games.

As a short list of "common trophies" in the half game you might keep your eye out for (in my personal descending difficulty level):

Barber Half
90% silver commemorative
Silver proof 40% or 90%
Foreign silver (Medio Balboa, Columbian 50C, Rupee, Canadian Half, etc)
1970S
1970D
Clad commemoratives...including the ubiquitous Statue of Liberty Commemorative (SLC)
1976S silver proof
1976 silver circulation strike

Less probable:
Seated half

Happy hunting and good luck with your car fund. P.S. your insurance will cost a ton, so if Mom and Dad are footing the bill for that...way to go and thanks Mom and Dad!

CD

I approve this message lol. I was trying to think up a similar list but you spelled it out pretty well imo. Although the 1970D has less strikes than the 1970S.

 

[the Huntah]

Welcome aboard SilverSound

Patience and tenacity win out. There will be good and bad days.
Congratulations on your find Have a merry x-mas
and may New Year 2012 bring you more great finds
Take care



Wayne AKA "the Huntah"