How damaged is too damaged?

[mikeymetal]

Hi, I just started detecting and I'm finding lots of pennies that look to have been chewed by a lawnmower. I'm wondering how mutilated they can get before a bank will no longer accept them. For example see the lower left in the attached photo.

I read that the US Mint had a mutilated coin program but it seems they halted it mid-2019. Thanks for any feedback you have.

 

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[Fossils]

If you fill up a roll and turn it into the bank, I think any condition will work

 

[smokeythecat]

My bank rejected a bunch in their opinion they could not identify as cents.

 

[cudamark]

Our cents starting in late 1982 were made of zinc with a thin copper plating. Once moisture and chemicals (especially salt) get under that copper layer, they start to dissolve. Most tellers won't accept coins with chunks missing. Sometimes you can get away with putting them in the middle of a roll. Sometimes businesses will accept them, but, not often. I tumble all my crusty ones first and then run everything through a Coinstar to weed out the culls. I generally toss the worst ones.

 

[mikeymetal]

Thanks all for the feedback.

 

[enamel7]

Just mix that one in a roll of good coins and you'll be ok.

 

[kingskid1611]

I just use the crap like that when out and about in convenience stores

 

[fistfulladirt]

I toss mine.

 

[xr7ator]

Yep. I'm done trying to clean up nasty zincolns and just toss them in the trash. I keep the nice ones to spend and a few years back I was tumbling them and found one that is a blank planchet. It cleaned up really nice for a dug zinc.
Some of my best finds were penny signals so don't pass them up, imo.

 

[MidMoTreasure]

I save all of my bent and mutilated coins with the hopes that the Mint will re-up its mutilated coin redemption program. It's really not feasible for one person to send in their damaged change because the postage alone would eat up the redemption value. My goal is for my digging club to combine all of our damaged change and send them in for redemption, and then use the proceeds to donate to a local charity.

 

[creskol]

When I have a dispute with a credit card issuer, I send my crap in to them as a payment. It costs a bit to send it, but they will not pay return shipping, and if they keep it, it is considered a valid payment.

 

[cudamark]

IIRC, there is a limit to how many cents can be used to satisfy a debt. I think that number is 25. That doesn't mean someone can't accept more if they want to, but, they're not required to take more than 25, unless that law has been changed or repealed.

 

[creskol]

IIRC, there is a limit to how many cents can be used to satisfy a debt. I think that number is 25. That doesn't mean someone can't accept more if they want to, but, they're not required to take more than 25, unless that law has been changed or repealed.

That is true, I think, but, if they fail to return them, then they are accepting them.

 

[Dozer D]

Put them in a donations box, or at the gas stations "put a penny - take a penny" cup.