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First bag...

PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:25 pm
by lockespop
Just started sorting cents last week with a fairly nice homebrew contraption that my son and I made for a weekend project.

I've been reading the forums for a while now, and from what I've read I was expecting to see around 20-25% copper in my area, maybe up to 30% on a good box or bag...So far, my worst box has been 33%, my average has been almost exactly 35% so far. (Approx. $500 worth of boxes and CWR thus far)

Today, I got my first bag from a coin counter - 38% copper.

Is this normal for anyone else, or am I in a hot area?

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:20 pm
by aloneibreak
lockespop wrote:Just started sorting cents last week with a fairly nice homebrew contraption that my son and I made for a weekend project.

I've been reading the forums for a while now, and from what I've read I was expecting to see around 20-25% copper in my area, maybe up to 30% on a good box or bag...So far, my worst box has been 33%, my average has been almost exactly 35% so far. (Approx. $500 worth of boxes and CWR thus far)

Today, I got my first bag from a coin counter - 38% copper.

Is this normal for anyone else, or am I in a hot area?



sounds like a hot area

or maybe just beginners luck :P

welcome to the forum !

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:39 pm
by plus1hdcp
Welcome to the forum and stack all you can, especially at those percentages. I average about 19%

Wouldn't mind to see a picture of your sorting machine you and your son made.

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:42 pm
by RichardPenny43
Definitely sounds like a hot spot to me, or maybe your "homebrew contraption" isn't very accurate. Did you double sort them with your machine?

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:42 pm
by fb101
Hot area. Good for you.
Try some silver!

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:21 am
by lockespop
RichardPenny43 wrote:Definitely sounds like a hot spot to me, or maybe your "homebrew contraption" isn't very accurate. Did you double sort them with your machine?


It's actually been very accurate, I'm happy with it. It's really just a coin sorter with two comparitors in series. It doubles sorts on one pass through the machine, then I hand sort the copper to find the oddballs. I've never found more than 3-4 zinc in the copper after a double sort, and they typically have some deformation.

It's been hot for wheat cents as well. I can typically count on 20-25 per $25 box. My $50 bag had 64 wheats and 32 foreign, mostly Canadian.

If this percentage holds up I may have to seriously consider that new Ryedale Maxx when it becomes available.

Thanks for the welcome to the forum, I've enjoyed lurking for a while, now that I'm in the game I hope to contribute to the discussion a bit more.

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:25 am
by lockespop
fb101 wrote:Hot area. Good for you.
Try some silver!


I do silver as well, started in November and had a great start. Huge scores right from the start, all the way through Christmas. This year had been a very different story. I had more solid rolls of half dollars in November and December than I've had singular silver halves this year. Hit one nice vein on dimes for a few days, but it has since run dry.

The cents have been more fun than I expected. No skunks is nice!

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:28 am
by jacer333
Welcome to the addiction! Sounds like you are off to a nice start....mind sharing where you are located pulling in that nice %?

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:16 am
by crazypennyguy
jacer333 wrote:Welcome to the addiction! Sounds like you are off to a nice start....mind sharing where you are located pulling in that nice %?


Enquiring sorters want to know! :mrgreen:

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:49 am
by dakota1955
bag are fun and i think the only way to go if you can get them

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:01 pm
by twentybux
Nice start and welcome to the forum!!!

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:03 pm
by TheJonasCollegeFund
OK....welcome to big show. What part of the country are you hunting in?

Gotta love them bags! :D

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:58 pm
by lockespop
I'm in Bethlehem, PA. Anyone nearby???

Re: First bag...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:05 pm
by PADFH
NEPA here. Good percentages, nearly always 25%+. Last few weeks with solid 2012s being an exception.