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Nothing like setting a goal and not only reaching, but surpassing it. In April I aimed for a benchmark of 25 countries for the year and I hit that mark way ahead of schedule by finding four new nations this month for a total of 27, including 12 countries this month alone. Who knows what the final number will be at this rate. I do know this - I've got some competition. While on my Coinstar route about mid-month I saw a father and his two young sons come into Smith's and immediately check in and around the CS plus the reject slots on all the surrounding machines (claw games, etc). Their Dad congratulated them on being thorough, even though they didn't score anything (I was there first ). From that point on there was a noticable drop in finds, causing a sup-par US tally for the month, although silver dimes came roaring back with a vengeance.

September totals (2019 totals)

1¢ - .37 (4.63)
5¢ - .40 (3.30)
10¢ - 1.20 (17.00)
25¢ - 1.25 (13.50)
$1 - 0.00 (1.00)
Total - 3.22 (39.43)

Included in Sept's total --> 1947-S wheatie; 1960-D, 1964-D (x3) dimes

Australia
10 cents (2000)

Bahamas
1 cent (2015 x2)

Canada
25 cents (2008)

China Rep (Taiwan)
10 new dollars (1981)

Egypt
5 milliemes (1938) <--New oldest for the year!

Great Britain
20 pence (1993)

Hong Kong
10 cents (1950) <--King George VI!

Mexico
50 centavos (2007)
1 peso (1998)

Philippines
10 sentimo (2014, 2015, 2017)

South Korea
10 won (2008)

Sweden
1 krona (2016)

Venezuela
1 bolivar (1989)

Bourbon Street tokens (x2)

2019 Countries (27)
Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Canada, China Rep (Taiwan), Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Venezuela

Sept Constar and found on the ground finds

$.66 USD

.01 - 11
.05 -
.10 - 3
.25 - 1
.50 -
$ -

Canada $.10
Mexico $1

Obsolete

Heard the clinkity-clinking of the Coinstar when I walked into Winn-Dixie earlier, looked over and saw a couple with a 5-gal bottle slowly emptying it into the machine. I can't imagine what the total fee is they paid today at 11.9%. After buying my groceries, I slid by the machine to check the return bin - NADA, but stacked on the shelf were:

Canadian:
Pennies: 1958, 1973x2, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1998, 2003, 2010
Nickels: 1965, 1971, 1999, 2003
Quarters: 1991, 2005

Bahamas:
Penny: 2010

and weirdly enough - a Susan B. Anthony - 1979 with a wicked gash in it. The gash must have kicked it out and they didn't know quite what it was. Bonus for me.

agmoose wrote: Canadian:

Nickels: 1965, 1971

If I was in the store I would have likely been way back in the dairy section. I would have shouted at the top of my lungs, "I SMELL .999" Then, as if I was a bloodhound, I would have locked onto the front of the store with the speed of a Ferrari, saying "Excuse Me" about a half dozen times as I knocked over shopping carts and elderly people. Imagine that visual! We could have a B-movie called "Nicked to Death."

Recyclersteve wrote:

agmoose wrote: Canadian:

Nickels: 1965, 1971

If I was in the store I would have likely been way back in the dairy section. I would have shouted at the top of my lungs, "I SMELL .999" Then, as if I was a bloodhound, I would have locked onto the front of the store with the speed of a Ferrari, saying "Excuse Me" about a half dozen times as I knocked over shopping carts and elderly people. Imagine that visual! We could have a B-movie called "Nicked to Death."

Haha......I lingered around longer than I needed to hoping the reject tray would have silver!

Slightly off topic but not really. A popular book from 10 years ago called Stargirl has been made into a early 2020 Disney streaming release. In it a character named Stargirl (played by teenage singer Grace Vanderwaal) does random acts of kindness including leaving extra change in coinstar machines. When the movie comes out early next year expect coinstar finds to increase. I highly recommend the 13 year olds singer's renditions of "A beautiful thing" or "Darkness keeps chasing me".

Schenecteman wrote:Slightly off topic but not really. A popular book from 10 years ago called Stargirl has been made into a early 2020 Disney streaming release. In it a character named Stargirl (played by teenage singer Grace Vanderwaal) does random acts of kindness including leaving extra change in coinstar machines. When the movie comes out early next year expect coinstar finds to increase. I highly recommend the 13 year olds singer's renditions of "A beautiful thing" or "Darkness keeps chasing me".

This sounds like something I want to watch!

One 2019-P dime. Thought it was a silver dime from afar. Bummer!

1936-P wheatie.

not Coinstar, but my dump bank coin counter. 2016 Canada 5C, 1998 Canada 10C, 1982 Canada 25C, 2003 Canada 1C, 1980 Australia 1C, 2 US 1C zinc, small color Mary medal.

Once again my perception is that CS finds have been less lucrative since I noticed competition last month. It may not show in the US total, which was fortunately above average, but it definitely does with the falloff in foreigns. I'll really have to step things up in the last two months if I'm gonna reach $60 in US coinage. The wheatie/silver dime battle is certainly turning into a horse race, with dimes leading by a nose 12 to 11. No matter the winner, it's the most I've found for either. November awaits!

October totals (2019 totals)

1¢ - .50 (5.13)
5¢ - .30 (3.60)
10¢ - 2.30 (19.30)
25¢ - 2.25 (15.75)
$1 - 0.00 (1.00)
Total - 5.35 (44.78)

Included in the Oct total is a 1952-D dime

Canada
25 cents (2007)

Philippines
1 piso (2018)

Thailand
1 baht (2014)

Carwash token
One cent plastic play money

Oct Constar and found on the ground finds

$2.49 USD

.01 - 34
.05 - 1
.10 - 1
.25 -
.50 -
$ - 2 1$ bills

Mexico $1

Obsolete

1974 quarter from Canada

Looked like a SILVER dime!

Ghana 10 Pesewas (2016)

Never had one of these.

Country wrote:Looked like a SILVER dime!

Ghana 10 Pesewas (2016)

Never had one of these.

And almost 2 US cents in exchange value . Cool find!

Country wrote:Looked like a SILVER dime!

Ghana 10 Pesewas (2016)

Never had one of these.

And almost 2 US cents in exchange value . Cool find!

Went to dump halves today at my credit union. They have the newer Cummins Allison counters with the holes under the cover, and magnets under the holes. I checked the reject tray, cleaned the magnets, and even found some change left that didn't fall through.

10¢ US unknown (counted with coins)
25¢ US unknown (counted with coins)
25¢ US 1985,1994
5¢ US 2017
1¢ Canada 2008
1¢ Bahamas 2015
1 colon Costa Rica 1984
5¢ Canada 1961
10¢ Canada 1974,1983

Kinda made up for the coin I was shorted.

Two CS finds on back to back days (different stores)...

TUESDAY'S FIND: 1939-D Mercury dime (XF or so)- from a grocery store

WEDNESDAY'S FIND: I saw the change return at a different Coinstar machine the day before Thanksgiving and could see there were more than a couple of coins in there...

27 coins total from the local Walmart including:

Canadian coins-
(2) .25- .50
(4) .10- .40 (incl. 1988)
(2) .05- .10
(2) .01- .02 (incl. 1984)
Total Canadian = $1.02

U.S. coins-
(2) .25- .50
(4) .10- .40
(2) .05- .10
(9) .01- .09
Total US = $1.09

A couple of interesting things about the Walmart find. Notice how there were the exact same number of US & Canadian quarters, dimes and nickels. Was that a coincidence or did someone plant those coins? The penny totals were different.

Now for the really interesting part. While checking out there was someone next to me but I didn't look to see if the person was male, female, young or old. I heard the automated machine say "Your change has been dispensed." I looked over and saw the person/people was/were gone very quickly and I looked to see if I could see them going toward the door. They moved so quickly that I couldn't see anything. Then I noticed a $20 bill sticking out of the change return and pulled it out to look again for the rightful owner. Nobody was anywhere close- they must have been in a real hurry, which probably means it wasn't an elderly person (I can't imagine an elderly person moving that fast). Nobody was saying a thing so I put the bill in one of my grocery bags. It has been a rough couple of years for me, so that extra $20 will go to good use.

I had the $20 thing happen to me several years ago. Went to the store with my kids who were young at the time, I was not working the kids always looked for Constar change. As we were walking into the store there was a bell ringer outside, my kids wanted to donate money I had none, so I tell them any money we find we will donate. They find eighteen cents in and around the Constar. We walk up to pay at the new self checkout machine and there is a twenty dollar bill sticking out! As we leave my daughter says we need to donate the $20.18 and we did.....

With 2019 drawing to a close, let's check the status of the goals/races for the year.

• $60/face in US coinage - For that to happen I'll have to scrounge $9.15 in Dec. That's not impossible (Oct 2017's total was $16+) but it'll take work.
• Silver dimes vs wheat pennies - Dimes are ahead by one as they enter the home stretch! But what do I do in case of a tie?
• $10/face Canadian - Unlikely, unless I nab a cache of quarters. Current total stands at C$8.24
• 25 foreign countries - Achieved and then some! Currently at 30 (thx Peru). What will be the final total/record?

November totals (2019 totals)
1¢ - .62 (5.75)
5¢ - .70 (4.30)
10¢ - 2.50 (21.80)
25¢ - 2.25 (18.00)
$1 - 0.00 (1.00)
Total - 6.07 (50.85)

Included in Nov total: 1918 wheatie; 1964-P dime

Australia
5 cents (1968, 1988)

Canada
5 cents (1983)
25 cents (2005-P, 2006-P)

China
1 yuan (1998)

Germany
2 euro cents (2011-J)
10 euro cents (2002-J)

Great Britain
10 pence (1992)

Japan
1 yen (1972/Shōwa Year 47)
5 yen (1949/Shōwa Year 24)

Mexico
5 pesos (2013)

Peru <--30th country!
5 nuevos soles (2005)

Philippines
5 sentimo (2018)

Spain
1 euro cent (1999)

Tokens
French coin replica (1908)
Chuck E Cheese (2010)
Funworks (no date)
Superior Games Vending (2010)
Angel (no date)


2019 Countries (30)
Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Canada, China, China Rep (Taiwan), Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Venezuela

Nov Constar and found on the ground finds

$2.13 USD

.01 - 43 including 1943 d & 1915 p
.05 -
.10 - 12 including 1964 d & 1952 s
.25 - 2
.50 -
$ - bills

Mexico $.60 (.10 & .50)

Tokens
1 Fun For All

Obsolete

Misc
plastic cent

Pocket Change find
1961 d dime

35 cents in a coke machine (I know, it's not a coinstar). The quarter was a bicentennial.

Keep stacking!

7 cents stuck ,soda?. Once dissolved, there was a dime too.
Today got another 2 cents.

I work at a place that is the functional equivalent of air traffic control for electricity. Near the end of my work day I drive over to the out of my way backup control center to drop off some things. I stop at two supermarket branch banks on my way and get 4 rolls of nickels 4 rolls of pennies at each. The 1st grocery special coinstar find is a Nepal coin. The 2nd grocery coinstar had a Bosnia coin and some Canadian coins. After I finish work, one more stop at the grocery store next to the backup control center that I rarely go to and just one silver dime in the coinstar.
The odd thing about the out of my way silver dime coinstar is I have found silver there before on the rare occasions I go there. By the way, I am salaried and already work too many hours per week, so no I am not being paid to check coinstars.

Even though I didn't hit the $60 mark for US coins, 2019 was a great year! In an odd turnout which I didn't notice until just recently, smaller-sized coins outpaced larger - pennies tallied higher than nickels, and dimes beat quarters. The wheatie/silver dime competish ended up a tie so next year will decide the winner. Foreigns totaled 31 countries, the new annual benchmark, which represented over 100 new additions to the worldwide collection.

On to a new decade of CS discoveries!

December totals (2019 GRAND TOTALS)

1¢ - .52 (6.27)
5¢ - .15 (4.45)
10¢ - .80 (22.60)
25¢ - .75 (18.75)
$1 - 0.00 (1.00)
Total - 2.22 (53.07)

1957-D wheatie included in the Dec totals.

Canada
1 cent (1996)
5 cents (1994)

Germany
5 euro cents (2002-G)

Singapore
20 cents (1986)

Mr Car Wash token

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2019 stats

Oldest
US - 1918 wheatie
Foreign - 1938 Egypt 5 milliemes

Face
Canada - 8.30
Euro - 3.10
Great Britain - 68½p

Biggest Coinstar hauls
19 coins - 6/23 - ($2.01 clad/zinc & PP Pizza token)
16 coins - 5/21 - (.70 US & Elaut token)
16 coins - 7/16 - (.50 US [wheats: 34, 41, 41-S], Canada, Germany 10 euro cent, Nik-o-lok token)
16 coins - 8/7 - ($1.82 clad/zinc & Brit penny)

Wheaties (13) - 1918, 1923, 1934, 1937, 1939, 1939-S, 1940-S, 1941, 1941-S, 1947-S, 1955, 1956-D, 1957-D
Silver dimes (13) - 1952-D, 1954-D, 1958-D, 1959, 1960-D, 1962-D, 1963-D, 1964 (x2), 1964-D (x4)
Silver quarter - 1964-D

Silver tally - $1.55/face = $20.02/melt (at current $17.85/oz)

...and various tokens, flattened pennies, etc.

Five countries that have always appeared since I began tracking each month (2016-2019)

Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico

2019 Countries (31)
Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Canada, China, China Rep (Taiwan), Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Venezuela

All countries 2014-19 (56)
Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, China Rep (Taiwan), Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Macao, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Is., Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela

Coinstar/ground searching 2009-2019 ---> $321.77


And finally, some of the non-coin stuff found in and around Coinstars this year.