Rydale - Wheats

I believe the only thing the Rydale can sort is by composition. That would sort the copper from the zinc, but wheat cents have the same composition as a regular copper cent. The only way that I see is to hand sort the copper as it was going to spot wheat cents.
 

I believe the only thing the Rydale can sort is by composition. That would sort the copper from the zinc, but wheat cents have the same composition as a regular copper cent. The only way that I see is to hand sort the copper as it was going to spot wheat cents.

I think the early wheats and IH cents have a bit of a different composition, but yeah, you'd miss 1930?-1958 wheaties.

You just have to sort the copper and then look for wheats. I find the easiest way is to just grab a small handful, spread them across your hand, and use your other hand to flip all of them over at the same time. You could probably do it on a larger scale by using a stiff flat surface like thin wood, heavy plastic or maybe glass. No date sorting, just looking for wheat ears.
 

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When I had a ryedale I took a big handfull of cents and quickly spread them out on a towel. I sat at a certain angle from my window and I could spot most wheats very easy. I also was looking for bent coins and stuck together coins. I had to do this quickly because I would get 6-8 bags of cents at a time. I still have a penny box almost full of rolled wheats.

I quit the penny sorting for two reasons. I ran out of space to store my cents (I live in an apartment) and I literally got a hernia from carrying many thousands of coins up and down a set of stairs (and that doesn't count the 2 to 3 boxes a week of halves)
 

I think the early wheats and IH cents have a bit of a different composition, but yeah, you'd miss 1930?-1958 wheaties.

You just have to sort the copper and then look for wheats. I find the easiest way is to just grab a small handful, spread them across your hand, and use your other hand to flip all of them over at the same time. You could probably do it on a larger scale by using a stiff flat surface like thin wood, heavy plastic or maybe glass. No date sorting, just looking for wheat ears.

Cent composition chart:


Years

Material
1793–1857100% copper
1857–186488% copper, 12% nickel
1864–1942 bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1943zinc-coated steel
1944–1946brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1946–1962bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1962–1981brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1982varies, (95% copper, 5% zinc) or (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper)
1983–present97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper (core: 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper; plating: pure copper)
 

I think the early wheats and IH cents have a bit of a different composition, but yeah, you'd miss 1930?-1958 wheaties.

You just have to sort the copper and then look for wheats. I find the easiest way is to just grab a small handful, spread them across your hand, and use your other hand to flip all of them over at the same time. You could probably do it on a larger scale by using a stiff flat surface like thin wood, heavy plastic or maybe glass. No date sorting, just looking for wheat ears.

thanks!
 

Maybe you could tune it to sort out bronze, but not brass? You'd miss the 1944-46 wheaties, and get some 1959-1962s, but it would narrow things down, at least. If it's possible...
 

There is a YouTube link that shows you how to double sort for early wheats. There are diff compositions in the early dates. You have to tweak the settings on the comparotor with a screwdriver. But you will need to watch the vid as its a pretty touch adjustment. I've done it ... Back when I used to waste my time with cents.
If you do cents with a Ryedale and you don't back sort for early dates or hand search them you are throwing away your best finds with the zincolas... I was shocked when I found out. Luckily I found out early.
 

There is a YouTube link that shows you how to double sort for early wheats. There are diff compositions in the early dates. You have to tweak the settings on the comparotor with a screwdriver. But you will need to watch the vid as its a pretty touch adjustment. I've done it ... Back when I used to waste my time with cents.
If you do cents with a Ryedale and you don't back sort for early dates or hand search them you are throwing away your best finds with the zincolas... I was shocked when I found out. Luckily I found out early.

I have always just used a zincoln as my comparitor coin, then look thru the 'rejects' for wheats, indian heads and foreign.
 

I just use a zinc cent as my initial comparison coin and keep the sensitivity dialed up a third of a turn all the time. Then, whatever comes out on the left can go back to the bank immediately. The copper and rejects on the right get sorted again with a copper cent in the comparitor. Whatever gets rejected from the 2nd pass is a bronze cent, steel cent (1943 or 1997 or later Canadian), zinc cent, dime, highly corroded or mutilated coin, other foreign coin, or a 1959-82 cent rejected by mistake (not too many of these).

I asked Andy about this last month and he said he does the same thing. I found a 1907 Indian Head this way yesterday. Of course, some of the wheats still get included with the copper, but mostly the newer ones, and you can watch for that.
 

Hmm, strange. Mine takes some fiddling . I mean it will get some by just sticking a zinc in the comparitor but it still misses some unless you get it dialed in just right. I literally watch the video every time before I can get mine going the way I want. Luckily I don't see my self doing cents much in the future.
 

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Hmm, strange. Mine takes some fiddling . I mean it will get some by just sticking a zinc in the comparitor but it still misses some unless you get it dialed in just right. I literally watch the video every time before I can get mine going the way I want. Luckily I don't see my self doing cents much.

Mine did that too at first. I kept trying different zinc cents until I found one that worked. I have been using a 2005 zinc cent every since, and the 1973 copper cent that came with the Ryedale for the 2nd sort.
 

Here is my limited experience with a Ryedale.

Using a copper cent in comparitor I dumped 400 wheats in and turned it on. Any wheat post 43 came out the reject side. Put 3 Indian heads in and they all came out the reject side. I take this to mean that any old Wheats along with any Indian heads would go to the zinc return pile. Not cool.

I used a zinc cent in the comparitor thinking I could sort the early wheats and indians out that way. My 1880 and 1883 Indian head came out the accept side while the 1900 IH was rejected. Thats means that the pre 1900 IH's will still go to the return pile. Not cool. :'( I think its alot of extra wear on the machine sorting through 1000's of zincs to find a couple early wheats and possibly a 1900-1909 IH.

I just got my first Ryedale yesterday and am the new MAXX will be in today. So I have not tried fiddeling with the sensitivity on it yet. I bought the first one lightly used from a guy who owned 3 of them so it came ready to rock.

Pre sorting quickly by hand is the most reliable way I have found to not be sending the best finds back to my dump bank.

Some sort of a photo eye Ryedale that rejects anything that does not match the front or back of a common post 58 cent would ideally be the best way to auto sort all the great finds. Not sure how costly such an attachment would be but i think its a great idea.

Thanks for the great words of wisdom I find on this site!!

HH all
 

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