Did my first box of pennies today...

[ThatCopperSound]

I picked up a box of pennies at my bank today. I got about $4.50 face value of copper as well as 19 wheats. My oldest wheat was a 1918. For those who do pennies, whats the average number of coppers you can expect from a box? And what about wheats/box?

HH,
ThatSilverSound

 

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[SilverFace]

I seem to find about the same amount of copper (maybe slightly more) & maybe slightly fewer wheats as you did - on avg. But I don't keep precise figures like a lot of others do.

I found a '31 wheat last night and at first I thought it had a mint mark but it is just some sort of slight discolorization underneath the date but still a '31 is a pretty good find (mintage 19,396,000).

Anyway I'd say you did pretty good with your 1st cent box

HH & HH

 

[ThatCopperSound]

Is 1982 copper or is it everything before 1982?

Also, is there any value in very good condition coins?
I got a 1959 and a 1960 that are very shiny.

The pennies were fun to go through, I will probably try a few more boxes tomorrow.

 

[SilverFace]

some '82's are zinc & some are copper. I just keep all the '82's separate to be sorted out later.

Generally speaking I want all the coins I find and save to be in the best cond. possible and I like finding red shinny early date memorials too but they don't really have any extra numis. value in cir. cond. - unless you find an error coin or something - but I still usually still keep the nicer red shinny ones separate anyway.

I also keep all the pre - '97 Canadian's because they are copper too.

HH

 

[Dinero2005]

I'm fairly new but I'm getting a consistent 22% copper from bags (5 total). I get a few wheats but I think I'm missing some because I bought a cheap coin comparitor and putting them through by hand.

1982 is a mix of copper and zinc. That's a big reason I got the comparitor. The drop test just isn't reliable enough for me.

 

[BuffaloBoy]

18-20 wheats per box, but lately i have been having real nice penny boxes containing 20+, last box had 39.

 

[ThatCopperSound]

I did another three boxes today. I think I am going to become addicted to copper. I did not keep exact results per box, but I have my totals for the four boxes combined. Let me know if I have any key dates.

Total: approx. $15.50 in face value copper
Canadians: 1961, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1998
Wheats:
1916
1918
1922 (there is a dot under the date, I am unsure if it has a mint mark or not)
1927
1930
1936
1937
1939
1941
1942S x4
1944D
1945 x3
1945D x3
1946
1946S
1947D
1948
1948S
1949S
1950
1950D
1950S
1951
1951D x3
1951S
1952
1952D x2
1953
1953D x4
1953S x2
1954D
1954S
1955D
1956D x3
1956S
1957D x3
1958
1958D

 

[SilverFace]

that '22 with the dot under the date should be a '22D and that is a great find (mintage 7,160,000) and might be worth @ least a few dollars depending on condition.

if it doesn't have a mm then it could be worth @ least a couple of hundred dollars because those coins are error coins that don't have mint marks because of die flaws - but that would be a very rare unlikely find.

I did another three boxes today. I think I am going to become addicted to copper.

Maybe you might consider changing your name to ThatCopperSound

I like searching cent boxes too because you can often find so many keepers.

HH & HH

 

[ThatCopperSound]

that '22 with the dot under the date should be a '22D and that is a great find (mintage 7,160,000) and might be worth @ least a few dollars depending on condition.

if it doesn't have a mm then it could be worth @ least a couple of hundred dollars because those coins are error coins that don't have mint marks because of die flaws - but that would be a very rare unlikely find.

I did another three boxes today. I think I am going to become addicted to copper.

Maybe you might consider changing your name to ThatCopperSound

I like searching cent boxes too because you can often find so many keepers.

HH & HH

There appears to be a VERY faded D. The condition is decent. It is much darker than the others.


I changed my name by the way

 

[BuffaloBoy]

ahh, I was wondering , thinking there was a member on here called
thatsilversound

Looks like you moved on to copper, hope that is good for ya!

 

[ThatCopperSound]

ahh, I was wondering , thinking there was a member on here called
thatsilversound

Looks like you moved on to copper, hope that is good for ya!

I hope so too! I will still be asking tellers for half dollars, but after being skunked on three boxes of dimes and a box of halfs I decided to move on to a denomination which always yields keepers. I know most will say persistence is key, but my reasoning is that I will always be able to walk into a bank and pick up a box of cents which will yield about 20% keepers. It is only $25 a box, which means a small investment with the potential of high reward. Plus its fun to find the wheats!

 

[BuffaloBoy]

ahh, I was wondering , thinking there was a member on here called
thatsilversound

Looks like you moved on to copper, hope that is good for ya!

I hope so too! I will still be asking tellers for half dollars, but after being skunked on three boxes of dimes and a box of halfs I decided to move on to a denomination which always yields keepers. I know most will say persistence is key, but my reasoning is that I will always be able to walk into a bank and pick up a box of cents which will yield about 20% keepers. It is only $25 a box, which means a small investment with the potential of high reward. Plus its fun to find the wheats!

Im with ya. I picked up a box of pennies while dumping today, will open it tomorrow. Will see. I do not save coppers, but I keep wheats. 18-20 per box is what I am averaging. Good luck!