Wheat Penny question…..

[ModernMiner]

Ok Folks,
I’m sure there may be a link already here on Tnet, but I didn’t find it.

Question:
What do all of you do with your Wheat Pennie’s that you dig up?

When I get them home , I clean off enough crud with a toothpick to see if I have any key dates. Most of the ones I’ve dug show a value of about 10-35 cents in the Red Book in crappy condition. And that’s probably high for a dug coin.

So do you mass clean them, roll them up, and take them to the bank?
My mass cleaning method for clad is using a rock tumbler BTW.

Or do you do something else with them?
Something that will get you more than a penny a piece for them?

Just curious. I’ve just been tossing mine into a jar dirty after I check the dates.

The wheat penny gets no respect. 😭
Thanks for any input,
MM

 

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[Mackaydon]

I 'salt' the beach with them for others to find in areas where I have cleared out for years.
Don in SoCal

 

[ModernMiner]

I 'salt' the beach with them for others to find in areas where I have cleared out for years.
Don in SoCal

lol. Now that’s a good one. 👍

 

[camichael]

personnaly I think the idea sucks...who wants to dig stinkin Lincolns?

 

[cajundetector]

Ok Folks,
I’m sure there may be a link already here on Tnet, but I didn’t find it.

Question:
What do all of you do with your Wheat Pennie’s that you dig up?

When I get them home , I clean off enough crud with a toothpick to see if I have any key dates. Most of the ones I’ve dug show a value of about 10-35 cents in the Red Book in crappy condition. And that’s probably high for a dug coin.

So do you mass clean them, roll them up, and take them to the bank?
My mass cleaning method for clad is using a rock tumbler BTW.

Or do you do something else with them?
Something that will get you more than a penny a piece for them?

Just curious. I’ve just been tossing mine into a jar dirty after I check the dates.

The wheat penny gets no respect. 😭
Thanks for any input,
MM

I clean hold on to mine. I still get excited when I dig them for some reason. I kind of imagine the time period and what was going on at that time the penny, what cars looked like etc. that’s just me lol.

 

[bc5391]

once they go through the tumbler, they look pretty nice, make a coffee table, lay out the pennies and cover with epoxy

 

[fistfulladirt]

I’m seeing average circulated wheat rolls selling for $5-$6 on eBay, with shipping (included) paid for by the buyer. Ten years ago my local shop was paying two cents each. Dug wheats appear to be less desirable unless in good condition. The older, the more valuable (1909-1930’s). I tend to tumble mine and have at least 1,000+ that I’ve dug the last 15 years. I roll them up and put them away, I’m a packrat by nature and have never sold any finds yet.

Copper cents before 1983 contain 2.5 cents worth in copper each, and sell on eBay for roughly 2 cents, buyer paying extra for shipping in most cases.

 

[EnvoyToTheMolePeople]

I 'salt' the beach with them for others to find in areas where I have cleared out for years.
Don in SoCal

I'm not sure if this is nice or evil.
Nice to find wheat pennies.
Evil for false hope.
Definitely funny either way.

 

[ModernMiner]

I clean hold on to mine. I still get excited when I dig them for some reason. I kind of imagine the time period and what was going on at that time the penny, what cars looked like etc. that’s just me lol.

I also like them because they are a good sign if a place has been detected before or not.

 

[ModernMiner]

I’m seeing average circulated wheat rolls selling for $5-$6 on eBay, with shipping (included) paid for by the buyer. Ten years ago my local shop was paying two cents each. Dug wheats appear to be less desirable unless in good condition. The older, the more valuable (1909-1930’s). I tend to tumble mine and have at least 1,000+ that I’ve dug the last 15 years. I roll them up and put them away, I’m a packrat by nature and have never sold any finds yet.

Copper cents before 1983 contain 2.5 cents worth in copper each, and sell on eBay for roughly 2 cents, buyer paying extra for shipping in most cases.

“Copper cents before 1983 contain 2.5 cents worth in copper each”

Great info. I didn’t know that.
I’m disgusted with how cheaply modern Zincolns are made. All corroded. I just toss them in the metal recycle bucket.

 

[ModernMiner]

I'm not sure if this is nice or evil.
Nice to find wheat pennies.
Evil for false hope.
Definitely funny either way.

IMO, I would rather find a wheat on the beach than a pull tab. For some folks that are just getting started I’m sure a wheat would be a great find. Heck I still love finding them.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I put pre-1940 wheaties into a cardboard flip and put 1940 to 1958 wheaties in a box. I attempt to clean the ones going into a flip, but don't bother with the 1940 and up wheaties.

I do this because most of the wheatie mintages from 1940 and up are ridiculously high, so they have no real value. Plus, I find a ton of those years and it would cost too much to put them all in flips.

 

[ModernMiner]

I put pre-1940 wheaties into a cardboard flip and put 1940 to 1958 wheaties in a box. I attempt to clean the ones going into a flip, but don't bother with the 1940 and up wheaties.

I do this because most of the wheatie mintages from 1940 and up are ridiculously high, so they have no real value. Plus, I find a ton of those years and it would cost too much to put them all in flips.

Smart idea.👍 It sucks when you find them and the dates are corroded. I love the green patina ones for putting into shadow boxes to display.

 

[sprailroad]

I also like them because they are a good sign if a place has been detected before or not.

Also they give me hope that, where there are "Wheaties" there might also be Silver.

 

[Mackaydon]

With or without the dad's knowledge, I'll also 'salt' the beach in front of a kid learning how to use the MD.
Don in SoCal.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Coins are so rare here I’d be happy to find a few wheats. The old homesteads I hunt are full of relics but have so few coins I imagine the people bartered more than they bought.

 

[ModernMiner]

So I tried soaking the dirty dug Pennie’s in warm hydrogen peroxide for about 3 hours but that didn’t seem to do much.
I then took the 62 wheats I had and put them in the tumbler with water, a squirt of dish soap, an aquarium gravel.
That did a far better job. There were some stubborn ones that the green wouldn’t come off even after tumbling.
Here’s the before and after.
Thanks everyone for the input.
I think at this point I’m just going to clean and hoard them for now. 👍
-MM-

 

[TORRERO]

personnaly I think the idea sucks...who wants to dig stinkin Lincolns?

wheat pennies

 

[TORRERO]

I also like them because they are a good sign if a place has been detected before or not.

That's right !! When I find them on the beach I assume the beach has not been hunted before 🤣

 

[TORRERO]

You have given me an idea !! When I go hunting with my friend from now on, I'm going to take a few and throw them in front of him, just for the hell of it... Much better than trying to sell them for $0.35 cents ha ha ha