Imagine if you could by a box of half dollars from the '70s or '80s

[SilverForBrains]

I have a great idea for an investment. That is, to buy boxes of halves, pennies, and dimes, and keep them in a vault for about 30 years until I retire. Think if someone had unopened boxes lying around of different denominations from thirty years ago. the mystery would kill me, I would pay a lot? How many silvers are in there, and what kinds? From my point of view, penny boxes now are hot, and considering we are already getting skunk boxes, in thirty years finding a wheat, or maybe even a copper, will be like finding a silver dime now. Now imagine you had a box that contained 1/3 copper and 20 wheats? Gold mine! Is it worth having your money tied up? what do you think these would be worth?

HH
SFB

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[madwest]

The mystery is what your idea has going for it. Will someone pay a premium just for the hunt?

Otherwise, buy those boxes, sort/search them and dump the un-desireables. The appreciation on the keepers will be the same 30yr from now either way. Not holding the clad/zinc saves you from the lost opportunity, inflation losses, etc.

On the other hand, I predict that someday ppl will hoard our modern clads for the metal value (Ni and Cu content). They will say "remember when hunters use to throw the clad coins back?" However, so long as they are readily available at face value, use your funds for more profitable (or enjoyable) purposes.

[Dok Holliday]

The mystery is what your idea has going for it. Will someone pay a premium just for the hunt?

Otherwise, buy those boxes, sort/search them and dump the un-desireables. The appreciation on the keepers will be the same 30yr from now either way. Not holding the clad/zinc saves you from the lost opportunity, inflation losses, etc.

On the other hand, I predict that someday ppl will hoard our modern clads for the metal value (Ni and Cu content). They will say "remember when hunters use to throw the clad coins back?" However, so long as they are readily available at face value, use your funds for more profitable (or enjoyable) purposes.

This guy is making us 'sconnies look smart!

[SilverForBrains]

Dok Holliday, are you referring to me or Madwest??

Madwest, thanks for the input, I think this is actually a good discussion. I see your point, and I think it's a good one. While coins can only be traded for face at the bank, there is no reason tying up your cash when more currently valuable coins can be obtained. Also, your other point is that you will essentially see the same return on valuable coins in the future whether they are hidden among clad or have been picked and can be presented separately.

However, I also know that there are internet websites currently that operate solely on purchasing mint wrapped rolls and boxes from the bank, and reselling them at a premium. I think they do pretty well. This means that people will pay for a hunt, even when those rolls can be obtained at face quite easily. On ebay also, you can buy unsearched rolls of wheat cents. Generally the sum of the value of the pennies when you unwrap them turns out to be much less than you payed for the roll. I think that provides some solid evidence that the hunt is a commodity that people will pay for.

Taking into account both our arguments, I would say that anything bigger than pennies is not worth saving, since the finds are already minimal and that is a lot of money tied up. However, I am convinced that current boxes of pennies will be worth more in the future to people who want to search for coppers and wheats. I would love to hear what you think about this.

[Solid Rolls]

I think it would depend on what type of premium you were gunning for. I love a gamble and this would definitely be one.

[fistfulladirt]

I remember when we threw the 40% halves back

[SilverForBrains]

I remember when we threw the 40% halves back

Sounds similar to my dad telling me all the amazing baseball cards he had that got thrown out when he got older. Mickey Mantle rookies, etc. Do you remember at what point the 40%ers became valuable enough that you started keeping them?

[Dok Holliday]

Dok Holliday, are you referring to me or Madwest??

Madwest, because he's one smart 'sconnie.

[SilverForBrains]

Madwest, because he's one smart 'sconnie.

Yeah, he is a smart dude. A lot of guys on this forum are!

[fistfulladirt]

Do you remember at what point the 40%ers became valuable enough that you started keeping them?

About 5 years ago.
I remember years ago when I was a teen and everybody was grabbing up 90% which went to the smelter because the Hunts wanted pure silver. I honestly can't recall 40% having value until recently.

[CoinFetcher]

Can you tell me whata box of halves looked like in the 70s or 80s? Or both?

I am very curious. All the details you can muster!

[TimZim]

I think 1 silver dollar will be worth more then a very large pile of copper anything!!

[crhstreetwalker]

Can you tell me whata box of halves looked like in the 70s or 80s? Or both?

I am very curious. All the details you can muster!

I'm curious to see what a box of gold eagles used to look like. Could you imagine?

[sagittarius98]

I'm curious to see what a box of gold eagles used to look like. Could you imagine?

Each denomination has a different amount found in a roll and are color coded by denomination. See below:

• Cent: 50 coins, $0.50, red
• Nickel: 40 coins, $2.00, blue (in the past, sometimes found in 20 coin, $1.00, half-rolls)
• Dime: 50 coins, $5.00, green
• Quarter: 40 coins, $10.00, orange (in the past, sometimes found in 20 coin, $5.00, half-rolls)
• Half Dollar: 20 coins, $10.00, tan, brown or yellow (in the past, sometimes found in 40 coin, $20.00, double-rolls)
• Large Dollar: 20 coins, $20.00, white (obsolete) (in the past, sometimes found in 10 coin, $10.00, half-rolls)
• Small Dollar: 25 coins, $25.00, yellow
• Quarter Eagle: 40 coins, $100.00 (obsolete)
• Half Eagle: 40 coins, $200.00 (obsolete)
• Eagle: 50 coins, $500.00 (obsolete)
• Double Eagle: 25 coins, $500.00 (obsolete)

A box of double eagles cost $25,000.

[Diver_Down]

About 5 years ago.
I remember years ago when I was a teen and everybody was grabbing up 90% which went to the smelter because the Hunts wanted pure silver. I honestly can't recall 40% having value until recently.

I agree it was about 5 years ago. 40%'ers always had the inherent value, but you couldn't sell them. Dealers wouldn't pay anything for them as they were going to tie up their capital in 40% junk silver when their customers wanted 90% junk silver. Refiners didn't want them as it cost too much to refine vs. the 90%. If you kept them, you were tying up your own capital.

[Generic_Lad]

The problem is proving it to the future buyers. Today you can buy "still sealed" mint/proof sets in their envelopes from the 50s and 60s and possibly find some rare die varieties in there. The problem then is how do you know that it is genuinely unopened and that a scammer didn't just reproduce the envelope? Or re-seal it?

I can see the same thing happening with boxes. After all, would -you- believe an ebay seller selling boxes from the 80s or 90s? Chances are they look the same as they do today and a date code would be easy enough to fake for a scammer.

I can see this being a good idea but unless you know of a way to without a doubt prove it to a future buyer, I can't really seeing it justifying the capital when if you just bought good PMs, collector coins or even stocks with that money you might get much more $$$ than keeping a $500 half dollar box in the safe.

[Solid Rolls]

Well said Generic Lad, never really thought of it that way.

[shoot]

you could tell if it was newer and "scammy" if some dates are after the time period they claimed the box from.

[SilverForBrains]

you could tell if it was newer and "scammy" if some dates are after the time period they claimed the box from.

Since the boxes would be factory sealed, the buyer could use this as a scam barometer for sure. I wonder what a box from the 70s or 80s would be like? Probably a lot of 40%ers! I would think the 90%ers would be just as scarce as they are today, especially the post hunt brothers 80s boxes. Maybe before the hunt brothers there were more 90s in circulation? I don't know, but still, probably lots of 40%ers.

Generic lad, you make a great point about tying up your capital. You always have to take that into account in any investment. Still, I think the appreciation over time would make it worthwhile, at least it would be better than having your savings depreciate in value. of course, I use all my savings to CRH, so it appreciates anyway. Thanks for the input!

[crhstreetwalker]

Each denomination has a different amount found in a roll and are color coded by denomination. See below:

• Cent: 50 coins, $0.50, red
• Nickel: 40 coins, $2.00, blue (in the past, sometimes found in 20 coin, $1.00, half-rolls)
• Dime: 50 coins, $5.00, green
• Quarter: 40 coins, $10.00, orange (in the past, sometimes found in 20 coin, $5.00, half-rolls)
• Half Dollar: 20 coins, $10.00, tan, brown or yellow (in the past, sometimes found in 40 coin, $20.00, double-rolls)
• Large Dollar: 20 coins, $20.00, white (obsolete) (in the past, sometimes found in 10 coin, $10.00, half-rolls)
• Small Dollar: 25 coins, $25.00, yellow
• Quarter Eagle: 40 coins, $100.00 (obsolete)
• Half Eagle: 40 coins, $200.00 (obsolete)
• Eagle: 50 coins, $500.00 (obsolete)
• Double Eagle: 25 coins, $500.00 (obsolete)

A box of double eagles cost $25,000.

Incredible. $500 rolls haha I wonder if anyone CRH'ed in the early 1900s.