Marking searched coins

[SnakemanBill]

I've noticed this week that I'm seeing quite a few halves that are marked up. I assume that someone is marking their coins after searching. Is this common for CRHing? Is the practice frowned upon?

I was thinking about marking a box before dumping to see if they come back and if so how soon would they start showing up in my new rolls. Thought I would ask first in case the practice is considered bad etiquette for CRHing.

 

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[Scott (Mich)]

I myself have never marked any. It is frowned upon by a few here, and a few that post here do mark theirs too.

I think it would not serve much of a purpose except to waste your time. Chances are really slim that you will ever see one of your marked coins again. Think about it this way, go to the local beach and throw a hand full of colored sand along the shore. Then come back a week later and pick a scoop of sand up and see how many grains are there that you recognize as yours. CRH-ing is like that. There are many millions of halves out there that yours will be mixed with before being re-wrapped and boxed and sent to who knows where in the country.

The only reason I would ever want to mark any is to verify that I am or am not dealing with a closed loop system. In other words I buy my halves from bank A and drop them off at bank B but without my knowledge bank B wraps them up and sends them right back to bank A so I am getting my own dumps back.

But if you decide to mark yours you may want to pick some unique mark so you will know for sure that they were yours. The latest marked halves I found were four in the last box with a thin red felt marker line. Before that, in the past, I found a few with a broader red mark across the neck, a single black dot on the head, and some with a single black slash. All of the marks I have found have been on the "heads" side of the coin.

Too bad I could not put a gps tracking microchip on one and then see where it actually goes. That would be quite interesting.

Happy Hunting,

Scott (MI)

 

[SnakemanBill]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the input. Checking to see if I was dealing with a closed loop system was my reasoning for wanting to mark a few boxes. I figured if I marked two boxes of dumps (each box with a different mark) and dropped one each at two of the banks I'm dealing with I might get some idea of whether or not I'm dealing with the same coins again and also get some idea of how long after marking a batch of coins will any of them show up?

I don't think all the coins are going back to one repository for delivery to the whole country though. Its regionalized isn't it? I don't think the banks here would be getting their rolled coins from the same place as banks in your area.

How about it coin markers? Has anyone here marked a bunch of dumps and gotten any back? If so how long before they started showing up?

 

[Silver_Fox]

I don't believe in defacing public property. Graffiti is graffiti in my book no matter where it is. And it looks disgusting.

 

[cyberdan]

I think it would not serve much of a purpose except to waste your time. Chances are really slim that you will ever see one of your marked coins again.

The only reason I would ever want to mark any is to verify that I am or am not dealing with a closed loop system.

As most of you know I do mark my halves, only takes a few seconds per roll. One perminante marker stripe across the reeded edge of the roll.

I mostly buy all halves from bank A and always deposit in banks B & C. After a while I started getting back my own halves. Right now it is a steady 3-5 halves per roll. (my bank A only sells 5 X 5 X 2 boxes - I have purchased the flat 5 X 10 X 1 boxes from some banks and never gotten one of my own back)

I do not believe in some of the slash and burn type of marking I have seen, that is way overboard. But my experiment has proved that within a certain geographic area it is a closed loop system.

 

[capy325]

I don't believe in defacing public property. Graffiti is graffiti in my book no matter where it is. And it looks disgusting.

As much as it frightens me I have to agree with SF... Finding silver = good, Marking coins = BAD!

 

[BBcardsRI]

Isn't it illegal?

Defacing a legal tender currency?

~Dave

 

[TooManyHobbies]

Isn't it illegal?

Defacing a legal tender currency?

~Dave

I believe only if it renders the currency unusable or is intended to defraud. A marked coin is still legal tender, the mark doesn't alter it in any way.
I hate finding marked coins myself and I don't mark them. It does tell me they are being hunted by different people though.

 

[jewelerdave]

All the halves dumped go into a closed loop system. There are two ways of marking halves, the dumb way, these are people who just randomly mark them, these are the types that like a dog, has to piss on everything they see, its pointless and only confirms the fact that yes they are in a closed system.

It has already been proven many times that yes you can get your dumps back?

It has also been proven that a magic marker does not magicly repell silver. You will find silver with marked halves.

If someone wants to know how long it takes to get halves back, it just depends.
For example I did a test back in march, putting a sticker with a date and serial number on the coin. I made one per $1000 of halves dumped.
Sure enough, just 2 months later I got the same coin that I knew was mine, I had information, I knew the number of the coin, and the date it was dumped, and how long it took to come back.
that particularbatch took just two months, and there was loads of silver mixed in with it.

What does this prove? well you get your stinkin halves back, but it also proves that no matter how much you search and dump, you cant stop others from depositing silver along with your dumps. Hence, marking halves, espeicaly with a magic marker is utterly pointless and a waste of time.

Most marking is done by poorer CHR that dont do the volume others do and cant wrap there head around these concepts, there dumps get snatched up by the bigger players, searched just the same, any mixed silver gets pulled and taken, and its on to the next batch.

I have searched my own dumps many times. But thats ok, I still find parts of collections and silver. The tracking coins proved it. As well as other peoples piss marks and holed coins I see over and over again.

know this so you dont waste your time, every 50k in halves that adds up all gets mixed together and rerolled into a pallet, Does not matter if its dumps or silver bearing. It all gets rerolled and sent out.
Between Mark and myself we clear at least 50k a month together in differnet parts of our state. Yes, we get eachothers dumps, but have also gotten some of the same collections as well. Even when we dump 20 to 50k in halves a week, any other bags that come in get mixed in with the rest,and with it silver.
Now, I know there are other CHR in my local as well, all totaled, who knows how much gets searched. But every week more is out there. Although less and less of late, new stuff is hitting the system all time.
So long as people are getting old, dieing, desperate etc and coins get deposited, silver is added into the mix.

 

[SnakemanBill]

Well if I had realized I would be getting so many peoples panties in a knot I wouldn't have even brought it up. I asked a simple question as a new CRHer. I thought it was probably a closed system but wasn't sure. So I asked.

No I don't go through 50K a month. Because I only go through 4-5K a month that makes me poorer?

Should I decide to mark some coins to test how long before I start getting them back makes me disgusting?

Whats disgusting and poor are those of you who take such a crappy elitist attitude to those of us who are new to the hobby and trying to learn the ins and outs of it.

 

[BBcardsRI]

Bill... Bill... Bill

I'm sorry that you can't handle a few different lines of text on an online forum. Jeeze... you would think we showed up at your front door throwing punches at you or something with the way you just over-reacted.

You come here and ask for advice and people's opinions and when you get JUST WHAT YOU ASKED FOR, you complain and yell at US just because you don't like what you are hearing?

No one called YOU disgusting for wanting to mark halves... that comment was about the HALVES looking disgusting.

You should be grateful that people told you it is a closed loop system... hell they just saved you a lot of time since you KNOW the answer to your question and don't need to mark coins yourself.

As far as someone calling you poor? I didn't see that ANYWHERE. Sure, someone mentioned 50k in halves, but didn't say anything about going through that much or less making the CHR'er "poor". So nice job twisting THAT reply around and into knots to suit your own needs as well.

If ANYONE has their "panties" in a bunch, I would have to say that it is YOU.

~Dave

 

[LJ]

SMB.....it's all good. Don't let some of the comments knock you down. It was a valid question.

I am one who has also marked some coins in the past to gain knowledge. It was well worth it too. Personally, I work hard at creating a system and this knowledge has been very beneficial. It is not as cut and dry or black and white as some of the comments above put it. There are some real advantages to marking some coins.

I will say not every coin needs to be marked. Marking 50 or so out of $2K is plenty to get the info you need especially if you search large volumes.

As for defacing a coin by a small mark, I am not sure what the law states on this.....don't really care either. I see painted coins for sell all the time......is this illegal? Personally, I don't think it hurts a darn thing and if I felt the need to do again, I would not hesitate one minute. I would not mark a coin another may want to use in a collection book so if you do mark one mark the older beat up coins.

Lighten up JD......take a Valium dude! This is just a discussion. Maybe you should go post on this subject in the "Rant" section of the forum to blow off some steam.

Good luck SMB. Again, if you feel a need to put a small mark on some coins to test a specific theory....go for it. Who cares what others think about you wasting time....it's your time...not theirs.

BTW - That closed loop thing mentioned earlier........not in my area. You know how I learned that......by marking some coins.....

 

[SnakemanBill]

Thanks LJ

 

[SnakemanBill]

Bill... Bill... Bill

I'm sorry that you can't handle a few different lines of text on an online forum. Jeeze... you would think we showed up at your front door throwing punches at you or something with the way you just over-reacted.

You come here and ask for advice and people's opinions and when you get JUST WHAT YOU ASKED FOR, you complain and yell at US just because you don't like what you are hearing?

No one called YOU disgusting for wanting to mark halves... that comment was about the HALVES looking disgusting.

You should be grateful that people told you it is a closed loop system... hell they just saved you a lot of time since you KNOW the answer to your question and don't need to mark coins yourself.

As far as someone calling you poor? I didn't see that ANYWHERE. Sure, someone mentioned 50k in halves, but didn't say anything about going through that much or less making the CHR'er "poor". So nice job twisting THAT reply around and into knots to suit your own needs as well.

If ANYONE has their "panties" in a bunch, I would have to say that it is YOU.

~Dave

Dave perhaps you missed this part of Jeweler Daves post

"Most marking is done by poorer CHR that dont do the volume others do and cant wrap there head around these concepts, there dumps get snatched up by the bigger players, searched just the same, any mixed silver gets pulled and taken, and its on to the next batch."

 

[cyberdan]

Should I decide to mark some coins to test how long before I start getting them back makes me disgusting?

Whats disgusting and poor are those of you who take such a crappy elitist attitude to those of us who are new to the hobby and trying to learn the ins and outs of it.

SnakemanBill, don't worry about what a few here say about marking coins. One response was expected and is his opinion (which we have all heard many times) If you want to test your area you are free to do it. But (now my opinion) do it discretly. Someday you will start getting your own coins back and probably right next to a 90%er.

By the way, like your avitar. Here is my daughter several years ago
with one of my sister's many reptiles. I don't think my girl (17) would touch a snake now though.

 

[SnakemanBill]

Thanks Dan.

I got the information I was looking for and much more! I don't see the need to mark any coins. I didn't realize it was such a touchy subject. As a scientist I just felt the need to test my hypothesis! Glad you like the Avatar. They're another one of my hobbies. I breed different color morphs of corn snakes. Currently I'm incubating about 40-50 eggs.

 

[Scott (Mich)]

For example I did a test back in march, putting a sticker with a date and serial number on the coin. I made one per $1000 of halves dumped.

Ohhh....My....Gosh... Knock me over with a feather. Dave, did you just admit to marking a coin? Heh heh

Anyone remember the Silver Surfer/Quarter sticker thing that was in the news a while back? The movie company wanted to promote their movie by putting stickers on a whole slew of quarters but they were stopped by the US Mint complaining I believe. It is illegal to advertise on circulating US currency.

I myself know the coins have probably been searched when there is not a keeper in the whole box. The usual 1-5 marked ones in some boxes confirms that at least those have been searched.

Happy Hunting,

Scott (MI)

 

[jim4silver]

Bill... Bill... Bill

I'm sorry that you can't handle a few different lines of text on an online forum. Jeeze... you would think we showed up at your front door throwing punches at you or something with the way you just over-reacted.

You come here and ask for advice and people's opinions and when you get JUST WHAT YOU ASKED FOR, you complain and yell at US just because you don't like what you are hearing?

No one called YOU disgusting for wanting to mark halves... that comment was about the HALVES looking disgusting.

You should be grateful that people told you it is a closed loop system... hell they just saved you a lot of time since you KNOW the answer to your question and don't need to mark coins yourself.

As far as someone calling you poor? I didn't see that ANYWHERE. Sure, someone mentioned 50k in halves, but didn't say anything about going through that much or less making the CHR'er "poor". So nice job twisting THAT reply around and into knots to suit your own needs as well.

If ANYONE has their "panties" in a bunch, I would have to say that it is YOU.

~Dave

When BB cards says your name three times in a row ......you know the gloves are coming off. LOL!

Jim

 

[Ifyndit]

I've marked certain dates on halves with a mark I would recognize. In the past several months I have seen several of my marked coins. In some cases the sharpie marks were almost worn off! I have now used a different technique by applying a small hole on the half. So far I have yet to see one of my newly marked halves. Below is a picture of the small hole on the obverse of the half.

 

[GPURS]

Snakeman, do what you want with the halves. You paid for them, so you get to mark them in any way you find necessary. There are some sick people on here who feel that their way is the ONLY way. Screw' em!! Oh and by the way, don't buy any cheap jewelry from anyone hawking their crap on this site Good luck to you! Gpurs....