Vending Coin Hunting

[PhattyB]

I run a vending machine route that goes to schools where students can purchase (secondary public schools and a large university). I also hit other machines here and there accessed by the general public.

I found a 1964 Washington Quarter is what got me into this hobby. I found it in a coin jam inside a mall caused by somebody trying to use some oversized foreign junk coin. I was no coin expert, but I noticed it sticking out like a sore thumb and investigated why it was different. Anyways, I'm really starting to get into coins. I'm reading and learning more everyday.

Most machines I service are newish, or at least new enough that they probably reject silver quarters from what I've learned. They maybe take silver dimes, and will definitely take silver war nickles. I probably have access to hundreds of dollars in coinage everyday that would normally just get bagged and picked up by Brinks. When I come off my vacation, I'm going to take some silver coins and experiment. (Mentally flag machines that will accept them)

I get paid by the day but I'm not allowed to come back until a certain time. The earlier I start, the less hassles I see in my day due to traffic, people, etc. So, I've been thinking with the hour or two I have spare caused by my choice to work more hassle-free, I'm wanting to sort some coins for hobby.

I'm thinking of getting a sorter. Then I can rim check quarters and dimes. The simplest and least time consuming. Then if I have more time, I can check nickels looking for Pre-1959, and especially 1942-1945. If I have even more time, I can look for collectable state quarters? (I need to educate myself more here, I know)

Any sorter recommendations? Any other ideas I should consider?

 

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[Generic_Lad]

I don't think that you are going to be able to get a sorter to distinguish between war nickels and standard alloy nickels, one of the reasons they went for such a strange alloy in the wartime nickels was that it would have the same electronic signature as standard alloy nickels, and they have the same weight too. If you only want to look for silver nickels and don't have much time, you can always edge check them, the alloy in war nickels made them turn an unattractive greenish black color in circulation, although mint state examples will look exactly like a standard alloy nickel so it is by no means foolproof, but if you don't have time to do anything else it might be worth a shot.

There are a few state quarter die varieties/errors that are worth a good amount of money such as the extra leaf Wisconsin quarter, but in all honesty unless you have a lot of time to look through them it most likely isn't worth it.

Pretty much the thing that you'd want to get a sorter for is pennies, but all a sorter can really sort for you is the copper (1982 and before) and the zinc (1982 and after), which is great if you are doing boxes and boxes of pennies and hoarding the copper (or selling it on eBay for a premium) but if you are just looking through vending machines it probably wouldn't be worth the time.

 

[PhattyB]

I meant a sorter to get them separated from each other, and into clear plastic containers to edge check them. When you feed a coin into a vending machine, and it's accepted, it goes into the mech or it gets dumped into an overflow bin if the mech is full.

I think if I edge check the quarters and dimes, then I'll have time to date check the nickles. I don't really get as many nickels in the overflow as I would quarters and dimes. I don't have to worry about pennies, they are not accepted. (but I did know to sort them pre-82). Probably wouldn't have time to check quarters, beyond maybe spotting proofs in a pile.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[FreedomUIC]

I meant a sorter to get them separated from each other, and into clear plastic containers to edge check them. When you feed a coin into a vending machine, and it's accepted, it goes into the mech or it gets dumped into an overflow bin if the mech is full.

I think if I edge check the quarters and dimes, then I'll have time to date check the nickles. I don't really get as many nickels in the overflow as I would quarters and dimes. I don't have to worry about pennies, they are not accepted. (but I did know to sort them pre-82). Probably wouldn't have time to check quarters, beyond maybe spotting proofs in a pile.

Thanks for your reply.

If memory serves me correctly, in 1982, half of the penny run was copper, the rest of the year was the first year of issue for the new penny.

 

[Dok Holliday]

PhattyB:

I think you have a solid and well thought out plan. I wish you luck and hope that you keep us updated. I dream of being in a position like yours with access to so much easy coin!