Do you search every coin or just edge search?

[mws_1984]

Been getting clear wrapped coins from Brinks lately. Just wondering do you search each coin one by one or only look at the edges thru the wrapper and then dump them. I'm not seeing anything good so far with these dimes I just got. But thinking I'll open them anyways.

 

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[50cent]

BS. A blind person can easily search for silver (other than nickels) just as effectively as someone with 20/10 vision. In fact, the sound test is more accurate than the ol' eyeball-the-rim-only method.

Coin after coin after coin surely there is a greater margin of error by listening than by looking. Especially 40%ers. Sound test is more accurate for judging whether or not a coin is silver, it's not accurate when used in bulk for 2000+ coins. Also coins like dimes, they are so small it's hard to differentiate the sound difference between clad and ag.

 

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[ArkieBassMan]

Coin after coin after coin surely there is a greater margin of error by listening than by looking. Especially 40%ers. Sound test is more accurate for judging whether or not a coin is silver, it's not accurate when used in bulk for 2000+ coins. Also coins like dimes, they are so small it's hard to differentiate the sound difference between clad and ag.

Nope. Sorry. A sound test is always more accurate than a rim-check. Unless, you're one of those that for whatever reason cannot hear the sound of silver. Dunno if its slight hearing damage or what, but some cannot. My father cannot. I know I can hear a silver coin hit a table from across the room. My first silver coin find was when I was a small child way back in the 1970's. We were in the drug store and I was perusing the comic books near the cash register. A woman paid her bill in change and I heard a silver dime hit the counter. My dad gave me a dollar to buy a comic and I got the change in all dimes and scored the coin.

Silver coins, especially 40% halves, can often look VERY much like a CuNi clad from just a visual rim inspection. However, it ALWAYS sounds like silver, regardless of what it looks like. There's been a few over the years that I would have missed if not for the sound.

 

[ArkieBassMan]

I'm sorry I don't agree. Sure they both work, but using my eyes ill be able to check them 4x as fast.

I'm talking accuracy, not speed. No more silver than I find, I cannot afford to overlook any silver coins whatsoever.

At any rate, it only takes a couple of seconds at most to sound check a roll. I guarantee that if you rim-check only, you have missed some 40%ers.

 

[Omega]

I'm talking accuracy, not speed. No more silver than I find, I cannot afford to overlook any silver coins whatsoever.

At any rate, it only takes a couple of seconds at most to sound check a roll. I guarantee that if you rim-check only, you have missed some 40%ers.

May be true, but I'm happy with the 500+ coins I've pulled in less than 4 months

 

[SanMartian]

What is a good method of sound checking? Dropping coins one at a time on a table?

 

[ArkieBassMan]

What is a good method of sound checking? Dropping coins one at a time on a table?

I just riffle the entire roll in my hand before throwing into the dump bag.

 

[ArkieBassMan]

May be true, but I'm happy with the 500+ coins I've pulled in less than 4 months

Seriously? You want to make this a peeing contest? I've pulled more than double that in 1 day.

I remember being young and thought my way was always the right way. I now wish I had listened more and talked less back then.

I was just trying to help you add a little more to your stash. Do it your way.

 

[fish on!]

I'm almost 100% on the rim check on halves. With that being said, I have around 10 silvers that would have gotten dumped if I wasn't sound checking, too. The sound check does not really add much time to the hunt. I get through a box of halves in 10-15 minutes by rim and sound checking. I could probably trim that down to 7 minutes if I didn't sound check, but it's not worth it for me. I've had all kinds of silvers that look nothing like silver. From black, to brand new clad-looking, to dirty brown, to green. The rim check is reliable, but it is not 100%. I don't think the sound check is 100% on its own either because I've been getting a run of the really rounded edge worn out halves that sound almost like silver depending on how they are dropped.

When I started I would date check every coin. Not only did that take a ton of time per box, it also meant that I wasn't checking mint marks, which made that hunt even less reliable than a rim or sound check. For you guys that check every date and mint mark I give you credit for having incredible patience. If I had tried that when I was getting 20+ boxes per week I would have had to quit my job.

 

[Omega]

Seriously? You want to make this a peeing contest? I've pulled more than double that in 1 day.

I remember being young and thought my way was always the right way. I now wish I had listened more and talked less back then.

I was just trying to help you add a little more to your stash. Do it your way.

How am I making this a pissing contest? I was simply saying I was astonished with the amount of silver I've found. And you know what, that's great you've found over 1,000 coins in one day, do I really care, can't say I do. And thinking my ways the best? Lol. I've talked to Tim, Streatwalker, and SM, and combined all their strategies. All doing between 100 and 300 boxes a month. You say you were just trying to help add to my stash, how do? All I hear is criticism.


Sorry guys ^_^ I'm not usually like this.

 

[Omega]

I'm almost 100% on the rim check on halves. With that being said, I have around 10 silvers that would have gotten dumped if I wasn't sound checking, too. The sound check does not really add much time to the hunt. I get through a box of halves in 10-15 minutes by rim and sound checking. I could probably trim that down to 7 minutes if I didn't sound check, but it's not worth it for me. I've had all kinds of silvers that look nothing like silver. From black, to brand new clad-looking, to dirty brown, to green. The rim check is reliable, but it is not 100%. I don't think the sound check is 100% on its own either because I've been getting a run of the really rounded edge worn out halves that sound almost like silver depending on how they are dropped.

When I started I would date check every coin. Not only did that take a ton of time per box, it also meant that I wasn't checking mint marks, which made that hunt even less reliable than a rim or sound check. For you guys that check every date and mint mark I give you credit for having incredible patience. If I had tried that when I was getting 20+ boxes per week I would have had to quit my job.

Well said. I fully agree.

 

[50cent]

I don't have the best ears, so you may be right as far as I know. I'm sticking to my two eyeballs.

 

[cooper36]

Yeah I'm seeing some dirty looking edges, but just newer coins that are dirty. I'd kick myself if I missed something by only edge searching so going coin by coin. Plus I have the backup of stuff getting rejected in the coin machine when I dump them.

I dumped a 1964 dime in the coin star to do a silver check, it kept it. It almost had no wear on the dime. Please don't count it as a backup as it is not. I learned this first hand.

 

[BuffaloBoy]

I do exactly the same thing, it is not worth missing a silver to save 5 minutes of time.

In the clear plastic wrappers I always opened them because of glare and such- I still only rim searched them though

-------------------------------------
just keep stacking, just keep stacking, stacking stacking stacking

 

[BuffaloBoy]

I rim check and sound check-- and believe it or not, I can sound check a silver dime amongst clad. I've done it too many times... (missed a dime by edge checking but got it by sound checking)... it's a difficult thing to pick up but once you have it down, you won't miss any silver dimes. I must have saved 20+ dimes this way.

 

[baddbluff]

May be true, but I'm happy with the 500+ coins I've pulled in less than 4 months

Probably not the only thing you've pulled in the last 4 months...

But I have to side with Arkie here - he was only offering advice. And he is totally right. I almost threw a dirty Ben away that I missed edge checking. And Ive been doing this for 25 years. i noticed it when it fell in the bag & hit another coin. 40s are much more deceptive. And how can you estimate how many you have or haven't missed if you don't do a sound check? You're just assuming that you caught them all.

 

[Omega]

I do sound check as well. When did I ever say I Didn't?