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I have hand sorted about 65 boxes of pennies and still no indian, I have found a decent amount of 1909 and early teen wheats but no Indians. How rare is and Indian in the wild?

lol 65 boxes? I was at about a yr or yr and a half before I found my first one had to be well over 200 if not 300 boxes. Then since then I even found two in the same night once lol.
they are out they be patient and they will arrive

Hang in there buddy, you'll get one.

NHsorter wrote:Hang in there buddy, you'll get one.

Yep. I once thought they were a myth.

your turn will come.

Patience grasshopper. Keep seeking and ye shall find. Like the doc, I once said felt the same. I've found over five but it's taken many many many boxes.

I found my first Indian at about 100 boxes.

I've found two Indians, and it probably averaged out to just over $1,200 sorted per Indian. I have yet to find any 1909s, and have only found 3 early teens.

Hang in there; IMO, you're finding more goodies (to compensate for the lack of Natives) than you realize.

Thanks, I was just wondering how often they are found. I was off on how many boxs I have sorted, I have sorted more like 100.00 boxs. That is just an estimate based on how many pounds of copper I have and the average amount per box

It took me about 3 years of searching boxes and then I found 3 in 1 year. The Indians are out there--keep lookin. Good luck.

I found my first in the second week of searching, then went a year and half before I found the next. Thats always the fun. Will one be here this time? Keep searching!

Yes you will, it does take time...I think we did a study sometime back and the average was 1 in 250,000 cents search. I found my first in box number 10. Wow was I lucky. Keep it up and they will come.

dude.. 65 boxes and no indians? you should definitely stop and give up the search!

Good Luck. At one time I sorted about 2 boxes a week, but now only sort about $5 a week because I concentrate on halves. Currently have about $1200 face in copper and figure that I sorted roughly $5000 in pennies to get that. Never did find that IH. The main reason I still pick up the $5 in pennies a week now is because it just sort of sticks in my craw that I never found that sucker and am still looking. Never give up.

I feel lucky, I found my first one after only going through about $200, and that happened because it was in a CWR that the teller asked me if I wanted to take along with my $50 in boxes...

Its ugly, almost worn down to just being a flat copper disk, but I did find a unicorn in the wild.

Hi there-

I estimate I've sorted at least 3 million individual cents since I started in around 2007. I think I've found about 10-12 Indians. Good coins do seem to come in bunches, it's weird.

wags

I know it sounds cliche, but keep sorting. You will find one. I found my first within my first $800 or so. Also found 2 after that within 9 months ($100-150/week).
When you do find one, you must shout and jump around to celebrate a bit. Good things come to those who wait. They will come...

I've found 3 since I began this hobby last month. 2 were in one insanely lucky box (somebody just threw the kitchen sink in one box, and I had over 15 1943 steel wheats, foreign currency of every kind, 2 Indians, and a way above average haul of regular wheats), and one was tonight.

Just hang in there, it all depends upon your ability to find a lucky box (i.e. one filled with customer wrapped rolls that were rolled at home by some old lady or guy desperate for cash to pay his rent).

I've been sorting for about 6 months now. The first Indian showed up before I hit 20,000 sorted. The first George V showed up before 50,000. I'm coming up on 200,000 now and I haven't found a second one of either. Sounds like these long dry spells are pretty common around here.

I have been sorting for about 3 months and I found my first and only Indian, a 1902, in my 12th box less than a month after I started. I was excited when I found it, but I had no idea at that time how rare it is or how fortunate I was to have found one so soon. There are people who sorted 1000 times the amount I have before they found one. They are out there, just keep going back to the well. You never know when one will show up. Thrill of the hunt!!

What a good question and what a difference 60 years make. I started sorting pennies with my grandfather in1952 when I was 5. On fridays he would bring back a number of rolls when he got his railroad check cashed, we lived in Norfolk VA. Got a lot of Indians then, but we were looking for Flying Eagles. About as many of those then as there as Indians then. This went on with my grandfather for 2 years until my mother moved to S.C. Really never knew what happened to the F.E. until he retired in 1965 and I was going to college. Those 10 rolls of Flying Eagles paid for 4 years of my education. So I had an expensive education by today's value.

You can wait, or you can go to them. Get from a community bank that wraps their own, that's where I find most of my old canadians and wheats lately. Also, I'm waiting to find one in circulation as well, and I did two boxes a week last year and I'm three boxes a week this year so far. Still, you can go to E-bay and buy Indians in mint state condition, and the big bump in indian vs. wheat price, it makes me wonder what year IH hoarding started taking off, since many of us, we um .. hoard LMC's.

Edit: That is a really cool story Elcid.

When I thought it would never happen, BOOM 1906 IHC and 1909 VDB in the same box. It's like playing the lotto with no downside.

It took me about a year and a hundred-some boxes. I was very excited when I found that very nice 1906.

Took me 2 months. But I was sorting 24 boxes a week. ended up finding 3 in the same day, 2 of which were in the same box. They're waiting out there.

I think I did about $2,000fv and then, BANG!! a 1905... It will happen...