The Experiment

[bazinga]

I only check the edges of my halves for silver. I don't look at dates, EVER.

I still have the $1,500 left from Friday's roll hunting that produced 55 silver half dollars.

Results can be seen here: http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,70936.0.html

This evening while watching TV I am going to check through all of the dates to see what I can find.

Does anyone have any predictions? Could I have missed any 40%ers? Any proofs? Anything at all?

I'll post my results when I am done.

 

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[tw656]

That was a good box, Im certain there are some 2002 + coins, possibly a proof or two and at least one 40% Silver.

 

[scotto]

I predict you'll find 4 more keepers. Just a guess, but I bet you missed a couple.

 

[Joliet Jake]

My guess is 7 2002+, 2 Clad S-Proofs, and no more silver. I suspect you have well trained "silver" eyes after this long a time. Good luck.

But really, I don't mind you leaving the 2002+, 1987s and proofs for me, otherwise my "no silver" boxes turn into "skunks"!

 

[Emperor Findus Cladius]

There is a chance you could have some 40% or even 90% in there with dark rims. I check the edges first off myself, but as I also look for the 1974's I have found SEVERAL times that I missed silver because the edge was dark. Twice on 90% and close to a dozen times with 40% over the past couple of years. One of the 90% was last month. You don't even have to look at the date, you can just tell the overall silver color looks different than the nickel color of the clad. If you don't want to mess with looking at the date just put them all in a pile and start quickly looking at each one individually as you can tell if it is silver whether it is obverse or reverse.

 

[bazinga]

I am about $500 into it so far and it just sucks. I hate checking every date.

Finding silver would be nice, but it would be bittersweet because it would make me wonder if I've ever missed silver prior to this.

 

[Jeffro]

I do both on every box as a rule of thumb, because I go back afterwards and check for double dies. So far I have found two or three 40 percenters that I would have missed, out of about $15,000 worth searched. And I would've never found my 1974D Double die at all if I didn't check the dates.

 

[scotto]

Keep us posted on this Brian.

 

[bazinga]

And the results are....


I found nothing else worth mentioning.


Oh well I guess!

 

[fiatboy]

very interesting post. I always intend to check the dates and examine the coins in detail, but I typically just check the edges for silver. I double check the worn and darker ones just to be sure. Only with halves, though. With other coins, I enjoy busting out my magnifying glass and looking closely. I'm sure some of you purists will insist I'm missing out on proofs and recent dates by not checking the halves. In fact I know I am, because I found a 2004 on the floor of my car. haha. oh well--more keepers for you all!

Happy Hunting!

 

[bazinga]

very interesting post. I always intend to check the dates and examine the coins in detail, but I typically just check the edges for silver. I double check the worn and darker ones just to be sure. Only with halves, though. With other coins, I enjoy busting out my magnifying glass and looking closely. I'm sure some of you purists will insist I'm missing out on proofs and recent dates by not checking the halves. In fact I know I am, because I found a 2004 on the floor of my car. haha. oh well--more keepers for you all!

Happy Hunting!

I'm with you there. With halves, finding a 2002+ or a worn down proof, well, that just doesn't excite me at all. I still do find proofs though just by checking the edges. They stand out like a sore thumb.

But all I really care about is the silver. Finding those other coins just doesn't seem very productive in the grand scheme of what they are worth and how much time is spent searching to *possibly* find them.

 

[Jeffro]

very interesting post. I always intend to check the dates and examine the coins in detail, but I typically just check the edges for silver. I double check the worn and darker ones just to be sure. Only with halves, though. With other coins, I enjoy busting out my magnifying glass and looking closely. I'm sure some of you purists will insist I'm missing out on proofs and recent dates by not checking the halves. In fact I know I am, because I found a 2004 on the floor of my car. haha. oh well--more keepers for you all!

Happy Hunting!

I'm with you there. With halves, finding a 2002+ or a worn down proof, well, that just doesn't excite me at all. I still do find proofs though just by checking the edges. They stand out like a sore thumb.

But all I really care about is the silver. Finding those other coins just doesn't seem very productive in the grand scheme of what they are worth and how much time is spent searching to *possibly* find them.

Thats true, it does take up time. Takes me about an hour and a half to go through a box thoroughly. Impaired proofs and the 2002 up coins don't really thrill me either. But I do like the error coins in general. I've managed to accumulate quite a few over the years in other denominations. The 1974D double was my first half dollar DD.

 

[Emperor Findus Cladius]

What you might do is as you are going thru each roll just glance thru them quickly looking at the coin surface. Looking at the date really doesn't matter if you are looking for silver only. Needless to say silver will look totally different than the nickel look of the clad half. You will get most by looking at the edges, but you could also get a few extras by a quick glance at the coin surface. Just a suggestion.

 

[scotto]

Thanks for letting us know Brian. You must be pretty good at scanning the edges I guess.

 

[bazinga]

Thanks for letting us know Brian. You must be pretty good at scanning the edges I guess.

Yeah, I check anything that is thick (proof) or doesn't have any copper tint to it.

The key is just having a good source of light.

 

[wolfmann]

I always start by checking the edges with my wife helping. Then check everything again In about 4000.00 checked have found a 1970-D, 1976-S 1988-S all would have been missed if not the double check kind of fun handling it twice LOL!!!!!!!!! wolfmann