To error or not to error?

[Customx_12]

How can you know for sure if you have a coin that has an error? It seems a lot of people fish for errors that aren't actually there and then overvalue the coin. How do you know if an error is legit or not? Especially if it's something such as just being slightly off center? How do you know the value of errors?

Lastly, I find coin roll hunting to be very time consuming and that the juice is not worth the squeeze lately. Is there a better way of doing it other than just going through each one by one looking for silvers and errors?

Also, do you wear latex gloves or do something else to help avoid the grime?

 

[FormerTeller]

1. How can you know for sure if you have a coin that has an error? It seems a lot of people fish for errors that aren't actually there and then overvalue the coin.
2. How do you know if an error is legit or not?
3. Especially if it's something such as just being slightly off center?
4. How do you know the value of errors?
5. Lastly, I find coin roll hunting to be very time consuming and that the juice is not worth the squeeze lately. Is there a better way of doing it other than just going through each one by one looking for silvers and errors?
6. Also, do you wear latex gloves or do something else to help avoid the grime?

1-3. Upload photos to your posts and ask members for their opinions. Purchase or obtain the Cherry Picker's Guide if you haven't already, and do extensive research online. You can join CONECA and get a lot of good information from them.
4. I find Ebay is a good source, at least if you check sold listings. Again, CONECA can help.
5. It wasn't "lastly", but I agree, the juice definitely isn't worth the squeeze for many these days. I've played around with an idea using a conveyor belt and photo recognition software, but neither my mechanical skills nor my programming skills are up to the task. You could buy a Ryedale sorting machine and in theory have it sort out silver from clad, but I suspect you'll spend more on the machine than you'd make, and have mixed results at best. If you don't enjoy CRH'ing, it probably isn't for you.
5.b You could speed up the process by not looking for errors, and search only dimes and halves for silver by edge checking. More monotonous, but you'd find more silver per time searched. Also have more dumps to dispose of.
6. Some do, some don't. I wear nitrile gloves when I'm searching nickels, as I apparently have a nickel allergy. Halves don't seem to set it off too badly. When I don't use the gloves, I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby, as it cuts down on the grime pretty good.

 

[IceePirate]

I just wash my hands whenever I do something else. I know from experience with dirty metal that gloves can get very dirty very fast. As for the fruits of your labor. If you are wondering if something is worth it or not, it probably isn't.

 

[mxh5891]

How can you know for sure if you have a coin that has an error? It seems a lot of people fish for errors that aren't actually there and then overvalue the coin. How do you know if an error is legit or not? Especially if it's something such as just being slightly off center? How do you know the value of errors?

Lastly, I find coin roll hunting to be very time consuming and that the juice is not worth the squeeze lately. Is there a better way of doing it other than just going through each one by one looking for silvers and errors?

Also, do you wear latex gloves or do something else to help avoid the grime?

You never truly know if it's an error until you learn enough on what to look for. If you see something off set it aside then post it on here or in the coin section. After awhile you will start to get good at spotting an error from just a coin that has Post Mint damage. A coin. That is slightly loft center isn't really that big of a deal and isn't worth anything unless you can find a sucker to buy it. The off centers that are worth money are the ones that have missing dates or letters.

If you find it to be to time consuming then I suggest you quit, take a break, or lower the amount you search. There is no magic formula or machine to help speed it up. It's a time consuming hobby. I find myself go through cycles of time where I search alot and then there are times when I search very little if not at all.