How do you salvage copper?

[Coppergames]

Hiya Forum!- Well, I know most of you guys buy boxes of pennies and sort them by hand or machine, scrap, or buy copper but, I was wondering if you had a unique way of sorting, buying to salvaging all together. I always thought that it was interesting to see what you guys do differently so post away!

-Cgames

[appjoe]

I sit in a nice comfortable recliner with a 10 compartment plastic box on my lap and a scale next to me and a 16x magnifier. As i sort the box i separate into the compartments. 1 for copper pennies, 1 for 82 copper, 1 for 82 zinc, 1 for wheats, 1 for copper ugly abes, 1 for s mint, 1 for foreign, 1 for anything else like wide am's ect. The zinc pennies go back into the roll box. I just sit back relax take my time and most of all ENJOY.

[Joogaler]

I sit in a nice comfortable recliner with a 10 compartment plastic box on my lap and a scale next to me and a 16x magnifier. As i sort the box i separate into the compartments. 1 for copper pennies, 1 for 82 copper, 1 for 82 zinc, 1 for wheats, 1 for copper ugly abes, 1 for s mint, 1 for foreign, 1 for anything else like wide am's ect. The zinc pennies go back into the roll box. I just sit back relax take my time and most of all ENJOY.

And I thought I was insane for using 4 boxes when I was handsorting!

[Rosco]

When sorting Rolls I use a paper to go tray to hold a roll as pick small numbers to sort in to containers

I use a small end nipper to rip ends off Shot gun rolls The ends go in trash an the larger piece goes to recycling

I Know but the Recycle Gestapo will rap my knuckles if i don't

[appjoe]

When sorting Rolls I use a paper to go tray to hold a roll as pick small numbers to sort in to containers

I use a small end nipper to rip ends off Shot gun rolls The ends go in trash an the larger piece goes to recycling

I Know but the Recycle Gestapo will rap my knuckles if i don't

All my wrappers go into the compost barrel next year they will be turned into veggies.

[PreservingThePast]

I sort sitting in my chair using a lighted stand magnifier plus my 20x loupe, I have two other power loupes as backups plus a hand held microscope too. I sort with a lid from a plastic shoe box on my lap. I open the roll in such a way as to reuse it, if possible. I count the roll out in five piles of ten, making note of any shortages or overages. Then I look through the coins. The 1959 - 1981 go into a jar lid that sits on the shoe box lid and the 1982s have their own little spot on the lid where they stay until I weigh them about every four rolls. I have a small container that any wheats are placed in after making note of them in my search notebook. I have a two liter bottle for nasty 1985s, a two liter bottle for nasty 1987s, a small Powerade bottle for nasty 2009s. I have a pretty glass container for nice 1985s, another glass container for nice 1987s, yet a different glass container (pictures shown on this forum) for the nice 2009s. After going through the coins, making my notes in the notebook, I count to see how many pennies I need to replace those that I have pulled. Take those replacement pennies out of their little plastic container where they stay until I need them and then I reroll the pennies counting to 10 five times as I make certain there are fifty pennies back in the roll that will go back to the bank with my mark on the wrapper that I have searched that roll. I also have a larger plastic tub where I toss any Canadian pennies that I find. I have a glass canning jar that I place the other foreign coins that I find.

A simple system that works for me with my limitations. And, something that I enjoy. It is great fun to be able to look back at my notes and see what I found, when, etc.

Enjoy your coin searches, everyone.

[PreservingThePast]

Forgot to add that I also have a small jar that I put my "S" mint marks in for safe keeping.

Enjoy your coin searches, everyone.

[jasmatk]

i put about 10 bucks worth in a tray and grab a fist full. coppers go in a bucket ,82s in a pile to be checked later and all others get either thrown in the zinc bucket or depending on the box i end up with little piles next to me on the couch s mints,canadians,foreign,ect

[appjoe]

I sort sitting in my chair using a lighted stand magnifier plus my 20x loupe, I have two other power loupes as backups plus a hand held microscope too. I sort with a lid from a plastic shoe box on my lap. I open the roll in such a way as to reuse it, if possible. I count the roll out in five piles of ten, making note of any shortages or overages. Then I look through the coins. The 1959 - 1981 go into a jar lid that sits on the shoe box lid and the 1982s have their own little spot on the lid where they stay until I weigh them about every four rolls. I have a small container that any wheats are placed in after making note of them in my search notebook. I have a two liter bottle for nasty 1985s, a two liter bottle for nasty 1987s, a small Powerade bottle for nasty 2009s. I have a pretty glass container for nice 1985s, another glass container for nice 1987s, yet a different glass container (pictures shown on this forum) for the nice 2009s. After going through the coins, making my notes in the notebook, I count to see how many pennies I need to replace those that I have pulled. Take those replacement pennies out of their little plastic container where they stay until I need them and then I reroll the pennies counting to 10 five times as I make certain there are fifty pennies back in the roll that will go back to the bank with my mark on the wrapper that I have searched that roll. I also have a larger plastic tub where I toss any Canadian pennies that I find. I have a glass canning jar that I place the other foreign coins that I find.

A simple system that works for me with my limitations. And, something that I enjoy. It is great fun to be able to look back at my notes and see what I found, when, etc.

Enjoy your coin searches, everyone.

Why save the 1985'sand the 1987's ??

[PreservingThePast]

I sort sitting in my chair using a lighted stand magnifier plus my 20x loupe, I have two other power loupes as backups plus a hand held microscope too. I sort with a lid from a plastic shoe box on my lap. I open the roll in such a way as to reuse it, if possible. I count the roll out in five piles of ten, making note of any shortages or overages. Then I look through the coins. The 1959 - 1981 go into a jar lid that sits on the shoe box lid and the 1982s have their own little spot on the lid where they stay until I weigh them about every four rolls. I have a small container that any wheats are placed in after making note of them in my search notebook. I have a two liter bottle for nasty 1985s, a two liter bottle for nasty 1987s, a small Powerade bottle for nasty 2009s. I have a pretty glass container for nice 1985s, another glass container for nice 1987s, yet a different glass container (pictures shown on this forum) for the nice 2009s. After going through the coins, making my notes in the notebook, I count to see how many pennies I need to replace those that I have pulled. Take those replacement pennies out of their little plastic container where they stay until I need them and then I reroll the pennies counting to 10 five times as I make certain there are fifty pennies back in the roll that will go back to the bank with my mark on the wrapper that I have searched that roll. I also have a larger plastic tub where I toss any Canadian pennies that I find. I have a glass canning jar that I place the other foreign coins that I find.

A simple system that works for me with my limitations. And, something that I enjoy. It is great fun to be able to look back at my notes and see what I found, when, etc.

Enjoy your coin searches, everyone.

Why save the 1985'sand the 1987's ??

The 1985s are the birth year for the DIL. She received a decorated quart canning jar filled with all 1985 pennies this past June on her 25th birthday from me with a litle note telling her how many pennies I had searched and how much time I spent searching them to fill that jar. My son will turn 25 in less than two years, so he is the 1987. For him, which I started the birth year coin project for first back in 2008 when he turned 21 and I couldn't just waltz into my local bank and get 21 large dollar coins (Ikes) for his 21st birthday, I am doing 25 of the nicest I can pull from circulation from each coin denomination for his birth year. I keep track of the amount I search, the time spent searching=love for them. It gives me something fun to do, plus I have gotten into numistmatics because of this. In 2009, they each had even numbered birthdays so they got their age divided by $2.00 bills. Something different and something I hope will be a life long loving memory. I also search foreign junk bins at coin shows and pull their birth years and that is part of their 25th birthday gift. Plus at the FUN Show, 2010, there was a booth where I was able to get two $25.00 bags of shredded currency--another tie-in to 25th.

They were married in 2009 so I keep all 2009 coins for them for anniversary coin jars for whatever anniversary when I can eventually fill them. One large nice jar for the nicer 2009 pennies (and a smaller pretty shaped jar for non-penny 2009 coins). I am keeping the nastier ones too separate and may give those to them sooner. I have two larger identical glass jars that are for each of them for their 30th birthdays and I hope to be able to fill each of those with their respective birth year pennies.

I can't control the years they were born, or married for that fact as 2009 has been tough for finding coins!!!, and I can't afford to spend a lot for their gifts. This gives me something to do that I enjoy and I hope they will know the amount of time and love I put into it for each of them.