Discolored Coins: What to do?

[apush]

What do you do with coins that are severely discolored due to the elements/buried? Will the banks take them? Yeap, you can tell I am a newby, but gosh-dog, I am really learning a great deal from this sight. Several pro's have answered my questions and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

apush

 

[mumszie]

If you have a lot you will need a rock tumbler. The gng's on here will give you lots of info on anything you want to know.

 

[sniffer]

as long as they don't have a lot of dirt and crud, I just take them to the bank. they count them and hand me cash

 

[Gulf Hunter]

I sold my rocktumbler, don't bother anymore. I wash the coins off in the sink. The silver/copper pennies and non-corroded pennies get dumped into the coin machine at my credit union and it is free, cuz I'm a member. The machine then gives me a coupon, which I can either deposit OR cash. The Corroded pennies get a tap 'er 2 with a ballpene hammer. I scrape the remaining corrosion off on the planter box outside, but a concrete sidewalk'll do fine. Some are even holed, but I just roll them up and deposit them into my account at the credit union. They told me that all clad goes to the mint to evaluate it's worthiness to be recirculated. Why should I tumble it for them? If they want it tumbled, they can do it their selves. Who are we to say if the coins are worthy or not worthy to be recirculated? It is government property and I'm just returning it, doing them a favor most times. I let the mint decide and I get my fee, .25 for .25, .10 for .10, .05 for .05 and .01 for .01 and BELIEVE me it adds up, even if the clad pennies are a hassle, you will FIND TONS OF THEM, GET PAID!

 

[JCinNJ]

Some banks have free coin counting machines. In New Jersey, Commerce bank has them and you don't need to have an account there. And no commission taken out like Coinstar.

HH!

JCin NJ

 

[John (west central FL)]

I can't understand you people who get rid of your cruddy coins by feeding them into those Coinstar machines. Just because you can get away with it doesn't make it okay. Do the right thing and tumble your coins first! If you think someone else is going to clean them for you then you are just plain wrong. Put yourself in the shoes of the person on the receiving end of your corroded coins. It cost them money to deal with your problem coins. They will pass this cost on in the form of higher fees.

Tumbling coins is not a big deal. I use a large tumbler that can handle a lot of coins. I also have a set of plastic coin sorting trays that separates out the different denominations and a set of tubes for counting and rolling.