coil roll question from newbie - but experienced metal detectorist

[pulltabfelix]

I have done a some boxed halves and was skunked years ago. I am in north metro atlanta.

when you guys refer to "loose" halves are you just asking the teller for any loose or recent halves they have at their teller station that people have deposited?

which is more productive, boxed or loose halves?

I remember that I had to use a small hand truck on the boxes and still got skunked.

thanks for any help on these questions.

 

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[Megalodon]

I just started coin roll hunting after a 50 year hiatus. Yes, I hunted rolls in 1965-66, even wholesaling coins to the many coin shops around at the time. I quit when I discovered metal detecting. Well now I have become a "fair weather" treasure hunter who struggles with the heat and high humidity - which seems much worse with headphones. So I started to get two boxes of halves each week this summer to search in the A/C. I used to ask for loose halves and rarely got any and never got any silver, so I don't bother to ask anymore. Each of my banks has at least one coin collector teller or manager, so they would/should scoop up any loose silver. But there are plenty of stories about others getting silver from the cash drawers. A box of halves is 1000 coins, so box searching that many machine wrapped coins is just my preference. BTW, a box of halves is 25 pounds. When the tellers can carry them two at a time, I can too. The silver distribution is so variable that one box can be a skunk while the next can have 20+ silvers.

 

[enamel7]

Honestly, that question is subjective on being in the right place at the right time. Yes, loose coins are either coins in the teller tray or customer rolls.

 

[Dozer D]

Few weeks ago I was skipping around to get dime boxes, one branch bank had NO dimes, but I asked her if she had any halves. She had 4-rolls, then she also said that she had $9 in loose ones. Took them all, only 2-40% in the rolls, but 6-90% and 10-40% just from the loose $9. Always ask either way, just might get a collection dump.

 

[mountainman 2]

Just a heads up, it's always a good idea to buy all the loose half dollars they have and not hint in any way that the ones before 1971 are silver. If there isn't a silver hoarder at that bank, asking for only the silver ones might create one. Good luck.
As for which is more productive, if the tellers haven't looked through them, i would say you have a better chance at a big score from loose halves and CWRs (customer wrapped rolls) brought in. Just my opinion.

 

[Kantuckkeean]

Just a heads up, it's always a good idea to buy all the loose half dollars they have and not hint in any way that the ones before 1971 are silver. If there isn't a silver hoarder at that bank, asking for only the silver ones might create one. Good luck.
As for which is more productive, if the tellers haven't looked through them, i would say you have a better chance at a big score from loose halves and CWRs (customer wrapped rolls) brought in. Just my opinion.

I don’t do boxes anymore due to the low ROI, but occasionally stop by random banks in random towns, so by default, I do better from loose halves. When buying loose halves, I always buy them all and say that I was hoping for more. I then ask if the other tellers have any. If they do, I’ll say, “I’ll take them. At least you all won’t have to count them anymore.” I don’t tell them what I’m looking for, and if they ask (very rarely), I sometimes say that I’m trying to get all the dates and ones in better conditions or that I use them in poker games and ask about big dollar coins too. I’m always polite and thank them and wish them a good day.

Kindest regards,
Kantuck