FINALLY- results from searching $100,000 in halves!

[Recyclersteve]

Ok everyone, today I finished what has quietly been a mini bucket list item for me. I first started carefully tracking my searches of half dollars for silver in 2006. I figured that when I searched a total of $100,000 face value in halves (200,000 coins total) that I would write about it on this site. Well, it finally happened today!

Here is some additional info...

Total in face value searched (over 19 years): $100,023 (200,046 halves) ($5,264 in halves per year)
Number of banks where I got half dollars: 2,141 (112 banks per year)
Number of banks where I didn't get halves: Not tracked

90% halves found (Before 1964): 170
90% halves found (only 1964): 359
40% halves found (1965-9): 2,479
Total silver halves found: 3,008

Silver halves as a percent of total halves searched: 1.5% (so 1 of every 66.5 coins searched was silver)

TIMES WHEN I FOUND 10+ SILVERS (WHEN THAT WAS AT LEAST 5% OF WHAT I SEARCHED):
34 occurrences (a/o 1/21/11)
2 more (1 in 2014 and 1 in 2019)
3 more in 2023
2 more in 2025 (including TODAY!)
41 occurrences total a/o 8/28/25

Today I searched $408.50 face and found 22 of the 40%ers. With silver at$38.77 an ounce that was like finding $104.57 on the ground. Not too shabby.

If someone asked what would be the total value of all the silvers found, that would be incredibly complicated to calculate. Why? The price of silver has changed daily for the last 19 years and it would take a ridiculous amount of time to calculate what all that would be worth.

So I just wanted to share the details of what, for me anyway, was a pretty big accomplishment.

[knibloe]

Wow, what an accomplishment. I'm amazed that you are still finding silver. I gave up about 10 years ago. Do you have any data on how the percentage has changed over time?

[68Camaro]

It doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time at all to calculate the current value of it - a few moments will tell you it is worth $7800 at current prices. That's not bad, given that it is a hobby and more for fun.

[Recyclersteve]

It doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time at all to calculate the current value of it - a few moments will tell you it is worth $7800 at current prices. That's not bad, given that it is a hobby and more for fun.

That’s the CURRENT value, but to adjust for all the different prices silver has had for 19 years would be quite a chore.

[Recyclersteve]

Wow, what an accomplishment. I'm amazed that you are still finding silver. I gave up about 10 years ago. Do you have any data on how the percentage has changed over time?

I’ll see if I can find something over the holiday weekend.

[Recyclersteve]

I’d love to hear an analysis like this from saabman. He goes through SO MANY BOXES of halves that it boggles my mind.

[Recyclersteve]

Ok, as requested, here is a little more in depth analysis showing some years...

MY 2006-2010 BONANZA:
$67,307.50 face value searched
126 pre-64 halves
328 of the 1964's
2189 of the 40%ers
2643 total silvers found (1.9% of coins searched- 1 of every 50.9 coins)

2011-2022 SLUMP:
$24,431.50 face value searched
2 pre-1964 halves
21 of the 1964's
164 of the 40%ers
187 total silvers found (0.3% of coins searched- 1 of every 261.3 coins)

2023 BONANZA:
$4,186.50 face value searched
41 pre-1964 halves
9 of the 1964's
81 of the 40%ers
131 total silvers found (1.56% of coins searched- 1 of every 63.9 coins)

2024 SLUMP:
$3,235.50 face value searched
1 pre 1964 half
0 of the 1964's
2 of the 40%ers
3 total silvers found (0.05% of coins searched- 1 of every 2,157 coins)

2025 BONANZA:
$865.50 face value searched (a/o 8/29/25)
43 of the 40%ers
43 total silvers found (2.5% of coins searched- 1 of every 40.3 coins)

[Recyclersteve]

I want to add a few comments to this analysis...

That is, it seems like only one of every 3-1/2 or so banks in recent years has any half dollars at all for me to buy. That's just a guesstimate- I have no proof to back it up.

During the 2006-2010 bonanza years it was more like one of every 2 banks that had half dollars.

My guesstimate of an explanation is that silver got up to almost $50 an ounce in 2011, the first year of my slump. This price spike likely led to more attention being paid to silver and it making silver a LOT harder to find.

Also, if I see rolls that are obviously uncirculated rolls from the mint, I don't take them and I don't count them in my totals since I'm not physically going through them. So I'm only documenting coins I actually go through.

Another point and this is very important to me. Sometimes when we engage in hobbies such as this, we get lots of enjoyment out of the hobby and don't really feel like we need to be paid for our time. For me, if I'm 10-20 miles from home for an appointment of some kind that isn't coin related, I feel fine with stopping at banks on the way home as I'm not really going out of my way. But to drive 10-20 miles each way just to go to banks to try and find silver is ALMOST ALWAYS not going to be worth someone's time and effort in my opinion.

Now, if I'm out of state traveling somewhere, I purposely look for banks in my travels. There have been at least 10 other states (from Hawaii to Florida) where I have found silver coins over the years. That does give me pleasure, I have to admit.

P.S. Whether it is coins or the stock market, I totally believe in paying it forward. It is hard to quantify the satisfaction that I get from it.

[Recyclersteve]

It doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time at all to calculate the current value of it - a few moments will tell you it is worth $7800 at current prices. That's not bad, given that it is a hobby and more for fun.

I calculated a MUCH HIGHER figure and I have a buyer at that figure…

(40%ers) $4.75 profit x 2,479 = $11,775.25
(90%ers) $12.64 profit x 529 = $6,686.56
Total: $18,461.81

NOTE: The figures above are gross PROFIT, so after subtracting face value. In other words, for the 40%ers I can sell for $5.25 each, which is $4.75 above the 50 cents I paid for the coins.

[theshoenlebens]

VERY IMPRESSIVE !! When I searched my longest was about $5000-$6000 without finding any silver.
Unfortunately all my banks went to rolled or nothing to return them so I stopped silver searching and copper searching.

[68Camaro]

It doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time at all to calculate the current value of it - a few moments will tell you it is worth $7800 at current prices. That's not bad, given that it is a hobby and more for fun.

I calculated a MUCH HIGHER figure and I have a buyer at that figure…

(40%ers) $4.75 profit x 2,479 = $11,775.25
(90%ers) $12.64 profit x 529 = $6,686.56
Total: $18,461.81

NOTE: The figures above are gross PROFIT, so after subtracting face value. In other words, for the 40%ers I can sell for $5.25 each, which is $4.75 above the 50 cents I paid for the coins.

Yeah, I did it mostly in my head and clearly dropped something in the calc. Your number is a better assessment. Good for you! Now I wonder if you look at the return per year, if your returns are dropping, or steady.

[Recyclersteve]

It doesn't take a ridiculous amount of time at all to calculate the current value of it - a few moments will tell you it is worth $7800 at current prices. That's not bad, given that it is a hobby and more for fun.

I calculated a MUCH HIGHER figure and I have a buyer at that figure…

(40%ers) $4.75 profit x 2,479 = $11,775.25
(90%ers) $12.64 profit x 529 = $6,686.56
Total: $18,461.81

NOTE: The figures above are gross PROFIT, so after subtracting face value. In other words, for the 40%ers I can sell for $5.25 each, which is $4.75 above the 50 cents I paid for the coins.

Yeah, I did it mostly in my head and clearly dropped something in the calc. Your number is a better assessment. Good for you! Now I wonder if you look at the return per year, if your returns are dropping, or steady.

Returns are far from steady- see above where I separated bonanza years from slump years. In just the last 3 years, for instance, ‘23 was really good, ‘24 sucked, and this year has been really good. The hard part is finding banks with half dollars.

I’m getting more banks that either won’t give halves to non-customers or they have a limit of, say, $100. I remind them that I’m doing them a service by taking something off their hands that otherwise might sit around for a while. Sometimes that does the trick.