Considering revision of "skunk box" definition

[Megalodon]

Looking for opinions. I have been calling boxes "skunk boxes" when they produce no silver coin at all. My skunk box % is at 70% using that definition. But lately, I have been wondering if my definition might be too specific or strict. Is it a skunk box if we find no silver but a no-FG half? How about a 74-D ddo? A scarce 1987? If i included impaired proofs, my % skunk boxes would be lower, but I'm really not looking for them (I put them aside for unknown reasons), so is that legitimate? What about a magician's coin? I'm not even thinking about the NIFC halves - I treat them no differently than common clad coins. Thanks for your opinions (and their justifications if possible)!

 

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[Dozer D]

I think that for the majority of us CRH's, a SKUNK BOX implies as NO SILVER, because most of us are not looking specifically for highly unusual coins as you do.

 

[Megalodon]

I think that for the majority of us CRH's, a SKUNK BOX implies as NO SILVER, because most of us are not looking specifically for highly unusual coins as you do.

Thanks Dozer,
I was hoping you'd chime in. I value your opinions!
Hope you are well.

 

[CJ9]

Looking for opinions. I have been calling boxes "skunk boxes" when they produce no silver coin at all. My skunk box % is at 70% using that definition. But lately, I have been wondering if my definition might be too specific or strict. Is it a skunk box if we find no silver but a no-FG half? How about a 74-D ddo? A scarce 1987? If i included impaired proofs, my % skunk boxes would be lower, but I'm really not looking for them (I put them aside for unknown reasons), so is that legitimate? What about a magician's coin? I'm not even thinking about the NIFC halves - I treat them no differently than common clad coins. Thanks for your opinions (and their justifications if possible)!

I think the determination is in the eyes of the beholder. A few months ago someone here got a Queen Victoria large cent from the 1860s (if I recall it was in nice condition also) in a box of halves. Not silver, but one heck of a find and clearly not a skunk if you ask me. I think it is just as you said, if its stuff you are looking for, or if it is really interesting and unique, even though its not silver, you didn't get skunked IMO.

I do think that post 2001 NIFC is like a skunk

 

[TxAg]

Hey Meg,
I continue to use “Skunk” to refer to no silver. But I will clarify my Skunk posts by listing any one off coins like 1974-D DDO, No FG, 1987, Commemoratives, or foreign coins of interest. Theses one off coins made the box worth searching. I have so many nice 2001+ NIFCs (by continuously upgrading my duplicate tubes, culling out lesser grade coins) now that I if these are all I find - Skunk Box!

 

[Diver_Down]

I've always associated a skunk box as one with no keepers. If you only search for silver, then a skunk box is self-explanatory. I believe there is an evolution or maturation of a hunter. Any newb can search for silver. There is no skill. Have a large enough bank roll to fund the hobby, and you are a CRH'er.

But for those that educate themselves on varieties, they learn that the values associated with them greatly surpass the intrinsic silver value of silver halves. We have a unique opportunity having access to such a large volume of coins, why would one be in a hurry to dump them without checking for other value besides silver? One doesn't have to look through every single coin front/back under magnification. Just become familiar with a short Top 10 list. Even if you have no interest in clad, how many search through their silver halves for DDO/DDR varieties? Take the ' 66 Kennedy Half. Most just toss it on to their 40%'er pile. But there are a few varieties that surpasses the 40% silver value.

 

[smokeythecat]

I think most folks would thing skunk as no silver, but if there was a juicy error in it, or something, I'd say then it is not truly a shunk.

 

[blueberra]

I'm in the 'no silver' = skunk box camp; however, in my tracking spreadsheet, I have columns for 'no FG' and impaired proofs. Were I to find a 1974D DDO, I'd record it there as well. Like Megalodon, NIFCs are just clad in my book.

 

[Tommybuckets]

I am going skunk = no silver for simplicitys sake.

 

[FormerTeller]

Considering revision of "skunk box" definition

Personally, I define a skunk box as not containing something I could sell relatively easily for profit. For me, that’s usually silver, but also includes no “FG” halves, DDO’s, errors, magicians coins, and occasionally denominations higher than 50 cents.

 

[GMan00001]

My definition of skunk box = no coins of interest to the searcher were found.

For example:
If the searcher only searches for precious metals such as silver, then no silver = skunk.

If the searcher also searches for error coins, than no silver + no errors = skunk.

For some finding a common foreign coins is worse than a skunk and for others it is desired. Similar with impaired proofs and other oddball things we find.


In my opinion, the definition can be slightly different for different people. However, I also think the common usage of "skunk box" on the forum is "no silver found", at least for dimes, quarters, and halves.

If you said you had a skunk box while searching cents, I don't think anyone would interpret it to mean there was no silver found.

 

[Diver_Down]

...

If you said you had a skunk box while searching cents, I don't think anyone would interpret it to mean there was no silver found.

Reminds me of when I was searching cents years ago. I was only searching for wheat and copper. There was one box without a single copper cent - solid box of zincolns. I thought to myself what sort of freak takes every copper cent and then I was reminded that I was that sort of freak.

 

[Dozer D]

Diver: I think that was around 2009-2011 when copper hoarding was in high interest on TN, where a lot of guys were buying those Rydale copper sorting machines. I found myself doing the same thing, pulling all coppers & wheats, then returning just zincs to the banks either rolled or loose for counting machines.

 

[Diver_Down]

Diver: I think that was around 2009-2011 when copper hoarding was in high interest on TN, where a lot of guys were buying those Rydale copper sorting machines. I found myself doing the same thing, pulling all coppers & wheats, then returning just zincs to the banks either rolled or loose for counting machines.

It was a while ago. But the odds of not finding a single copper or wheat out of 2500 coins is near zero. At the processing facilities, the bags are dumped into a hopper and while I obviously was on the receiving end of a homogeneous box, it would have to be where the hopper contained the bags from another hunter dumping zincolns.

 

[FreedomUIC]

Rules are rules no matter when they were made or how they were made. A skunk box is one that contains absolutely no silver. That is the only criteria for a skunk box and should never change. I am part of the old-school hunters, I just don't post anymore about my finds or lack of. We don't change because some people don't like them, we don't change rules for people who hunt NIFC and we certainly don't change rules for people who love to get foreign coins unless of course one of them may be silver.

 

[Megalodon]

Rules are rules no matter when they were made or how they were made. A skunk box is one that contains absolutely no silver. That is the only criteria for a skunk box and should never change. I am part of the old-school hunters, I just don't post anymore about my finds or lack of. We don't change because some people don't like them, we don't change rules for people who hunt NIFC and we certainly don't change rules for people who love to get foreign coins unless of course one of them may be silver.

Freedom, Please don't hold back - Tell us how you really feel!

I tend toward one rule so we all know that a skunk box means no silver. I have seen some boxes described as skunks because they "only" contained one or two 40% halves. IMO, that is definitely not a skunk box. On the other hand, impaired proofs, NIFC and non-silver foreign do not elevate a box from skunkiness. The real question is for finds that are not silver but actually more valuable than silver. Perhaps they are the asterisk or footnote in the records.

BTW, some of the foreign coins masquerading as halves are accepted by coin machines - such as the Panama 50 Balboas.

 

[FreedomUIC]

Rules are rules no matter when they were made or how they were made. A skunk box is one that contains absolutely no silver. That is the only criteria for a skunk box and should never change. I am part of the old-school hunters, I just don't post anymore about my finds or lack of. We don't change because some people don't like them, we don't change rules for people who hunt NIFC and we certainly don't change rules for people who love to get foreign coins unless of course one of them may be silver.

Do I have to type this out again.

 

[Megalodon]

Do I have to type this out again.

Please don't! However, may I nominate you to chair the CRH Rules Committee for the sometime-in-the-future CRH Constitutional Convention?

 

[FreedomUIC]

Rules are rules no matter when they were made or how they were made. A skunk box is one that contains absolutely no silver. That is the only criteria for a skunk box and should never change. I am part of the old-school hunters, I just don't post anymore about my finds or lack of. We don't change because some people don't like them, we don't change rules for people who hunt NIFC and we certainly don't change rules for people who love to get foreign coins unless of course one of them may be silver.

Do not make me do it!!!

 

[enamel7]

Skunk box equals no silver.