A question about your clad and zincolns

[cti4sw]

I just got back from cashing in my clad pocket change at a CoinStar machine. The machine rejected almost every single Zincoln I've ever found due to damage. Question #1: What do y'all do with your eroded Zincolns? I'm tempted to just throw them away, or drop them in a pile on the asphalt at the local elementary school for the grade school kids to find. I'm sure they'd have a fit about it

Is there any value in 1940s and 1950s wheat cents beyond their face value? I forgot to bring them to the CoinStar, but I was wondering if recirculating the hundred or so I have would be more worth the $1 than trying to sell them for their numismatic value, which might be $0.011 due to the hundred trillion of them that were made in that 20-year period. Thoughts?

 

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[freddy williams]

put them in wrapper and cash at the bank, not much value in the 40-50 wheats though I collect them will buy 'm from ya

 

[Erik in NJ]

I remember hearing that the US Govt (Mint?) will take them back if they are greater in number than some amount. Someone here should know.

 

[testing123]

keep the wheats, if purely for memory sake. They contain two cents of copper or maybe a little more.

There is a mutilated coin division at the mint, but I don't know if there's any minimum. Not sure it'd be worth it either with the cost of shipping these days.

 

[cti4sw]

put them in wrapper and cash at the bank, not much value in the 40-50 wheats though I collect them will buy 'm from ya

I've got $1.21 in 1940s-1950s wheats. What would you offer for them? And would you pay shipping?

 

[WHADIFIND]

I don't know what I'll do with these. I never had this problem when I was first in this hobby. A penny was at least a penny and recognizably so!
But, now, these zincolns!!! To tell the truth, I am ASHAMED! That my country would make it's currency out of play money! Somebodies need a good, swift kick in the ....

 

[Gunrunner61]

There are a few wheaty's worth some money, 1922 plain (no mint mark or a very weak mint mark) comes to mind, Get you thee red book of American coinage It will tell you all you need to know. of course being dug they are worth a lot less.

 

[cti4sw]

I don't know what I'll do with these. I never had this problem when I was first in this hobby. A penny was at least a penny and recognizably so!
But, now, these zincolns!!! To tell the truth, I am ASHAMED! That my country would make its currency out of play money! Somebodies need a good, swift kick in the ....

I know, right? Says a lot about the state of the American economy that our coinage won't last a decade buried in the dirt anymore. I might add that the CoinStar even rejected 6 dimes from the 70s and 80s that were red. (They did take them at the register, though, so it's cool.) Is zinc scrap worth anything? Maybe I'll ask when I go to the scrapyard tomorrow to cash in my copper and brass...

There are a few wheaty's worth some money, 1922 plain (no mint mark or a very weak mint mark) comes to mind, Get you thee red book of American coinage It will tell you all you need to know. of course being dug they are worth a lot less.

Actually, none of these are dug. They are just normal wheats I've gathered through the years of coin collecting. None of the ones I'm looking to unload are pre-1940, I do have enough sense to save those. 1909-S, 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, any teens and 1920s from San Fran, 1922 weak/plain, 1931-S are the keys from that series. I'm only short the 1909-S, 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 plain, and 1931-S for my collection.

EDIT: I have the 2012 Red Book already. Here's the link to the US Mint's policy on mutilated coinage. Damaged currency goes to the Treasury Dept.

 

[dsinsc]

I'll tell you what I did with my zincolns. I had a cellar hole site in the woods that I had hunted to death but it was close to my house so I would go there when time was limited. One day I stopped and saw a bunch of huge unfilled holes and all kinds of bits of sheet iron and other iron junk left laying next to the holes. I repaired the damage and the next day I stopped again with about a half gallon of rotten zinc pennies and threw them as far as I could in every direction saying "Here, you want something to dig I'll give you something to dig" and laughing my butt off while I did it

 

[pl8man]

My bank told me they would not take my zinc pennies due to damage . I asked what I should do with them , they said throw them away . I still have them , I just couldn't throw money away .
Glen

 

[Fixitdave]

Why not just roll them

 

[JimDon]

I say we all mail them to the American Digger TV show producer. I am sure they can get $1 per penny for them.

 

[testing123]

I heard the mint will begin a review for alternative metals to today's nickels and cents. Can you imagine some kind of plated steel cents in the future? At least we can detect fouled up zincolns. We could have rusted cents nulling all over the place, blocking signals. Just do away with the cent like Canada.

Found a coin world article about the mutilated coin division at the mint: "The U.S. Mint redeems mutilated coins at the rate of $3.21 per kilogram, or $1.46 per pound for cents; $9.99 per kilogram, or $4.54 per pound, for 5-cent coins; $44.09 per kilogram or $20 per pound, for copper-nickel clad coins (dimes, quarter dollars and half dollars); and $123.46 per kilogram, or $56 per pound, for dollar coins."

If anyone's bored, see what face value that equates to.

 

[Beercanman]

I saw some show about the mint. Turns out it cost like a cent and a half to make a cent. Can't even make money making money these days. I say get rid of the cent and bring in the dollar coin.

 

[Fixitdave]

Just weighted up pound of pennies takes 150 pennies to make a pound seems we go in the hole selling to them

 

[dfxdude]

I put about $2.50 worth of zincoln's in the Salvation Army bucket for Christmas and let them figure it out.

 

[materdigger1]

That's funny right there

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

The other posters are correct, the mint buys them today at $1.45 / lb. You ship to them, and they will mail you a check. Some of the detecting clubs collect them from members and send them to the mint to help fund club hunts.

Wayne

Metal Detector Sales and Rentals | Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, Lesche and DetectorPro

 

[Erik in NJ]

Just weighted up pound of pennies takes 150 pennies to make a pound seems we go in the hole selling to them

Yeah, and those are whole zincolns....when they rot away so does part of the weight (value) The post office will (or used to) redeem torn stamps as long as the price was still on the fragment for full face value. I guess the Mint didn't want to go through the trouble of counting the darn zincolns. It's a shame really that we have gone to coins that disintegrate in the ground.

 

[gypsybandit]

spend them at the store trips a few cents at a time... it will add up ..