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Today I searched a box of halves and found no silver. For all the time I've been searching, I've never yet had a box or bag with no silver for nickels/dimes/halves, or copper for pennies (other than those solid 2012 boxes, but those don't really count). Oh well, had to happen some time.

That's impressive! Might I ask how many boxes you've been through and where you're located?

creshka46 wrote::shock:

That's impressive! Might I ask how many boxes you've been through and where you're located?

Only did 3 nickel boxes, 2 dime boxes, and 2 half boxes. So not as impressive as it sounds there. Pennies... I've done maybe 80% bags and 20% boxes. See my sig for how much.

Northern Illinois.

I had to stop for a bit after 40 boxes of brand new pennies in a row back in '11.

avidbrandy wrote:I had to stop for a bit after 40 boxes of brand new pennies in a row back in '11.

OUCH!!

I had 9 skunk boxes of halves this week before I found anything. Halves tend to be hit or miss. Best of luck sorting!

I live in TX. This past summer I ended up with 12 boxes of shields. I sent a CTU, or in this case a ZTU, to my son in Wisconsin, another ZTU to my daughter in Idaho, and another to my grandson in Utah. Gotta get those babies out of my dump zone!

Been reading the adventures of you people that sort boxes of coins looking for low cost silver and I do say there is some what of a science to it. I bet finding silver while roll searching must be like waking up on Christmas and finding that "Red Rider BB Gun" you always wanted. It must be just a thrill. Everybody please keep posting there finds and methods it makes for good reading.

I've been getting some bags full of holiday dumps.

Skunks happen.. get used to it. The trick is to keep at it.. despite the many discouraging pickups that are in your future. There was even a time when many of us were getting multiple boxes of circulated zinc cents. Imagine taking home one of your regular orders of 24 boxes of pennies and getting all ugly zincolns. Sorting was fast though.. you just pulled each box off the stack and slid it across the scale.. then you placed the sealed box in the return stack. You just have to persevere.. and maybe someday you will get a visit from the Silver Santa. Then you can buy a whole stack of those BB guns!

Ordered a box of halves from Soverign last week and got skunked. I know this is common but I was disappointed because I found my first silver Kennedy the week before when the teller gave me a couple handfuls full of halves from his drawer and so I expected better results from the box.

It is true that there's a higher probability of finding silver among halves vs. quarters or dimes? I heard quarters have very little silver in circulation so would dimes be a better choice in terms of box searching?

93_Confirmed wrote:It is true that there's a higher probability of finding silver among halves vs. quarters or dimes? I heard quarters have very little silver in circulation so would dimes be a better choice in terms of box searching?

Yes and no. Half boxes are hit and miss, so you're more likely to get skunked on a box...but you'll still find more silver searching halves than dimes.

Dimes are more consistent, but have a slightly lower yield along with a tendency to get shorted when you dump them.

How do you guys go about dumping searched coins? Do you bag them and hand them, re-roll them, or dump in a coin machine. My plan was to take a few hundred worth (at a time) to TD Bank and dump for free in their Penny Arcade coin counter. The machine takes halves so I don't anticipate any problems.

93_Confirmed wrote:How do you guys go about dumping searched coins? Do you bag them and hand them, re-roll them, or dump in a coin machine. My plan was to take a few hundred worth (at a time) to TD Bank and dump for free in their Penny Arcade coin counter. The machine takes halves so I don't anticipate any problems.

Personally, and I think this speaks for a good portion of silver sorters, I bring my searched coin in to one of my two dump banks (Credit Unions in my case) and dump them there. The main reason I don't think rolling is a swell idea is the fact that it takes so long and is just not worth the time. Yes it's true that you have the opportunity to put some kind of special labeling on them in case they channel their way back to you one day, but if you sort in bulk it's not worth the time to get the wrappers and then re-roll the coins accurately and efficiently.

I tend to find silver in dime boxes pretty consistently. Usually a couple of dimes a box minimum. Half dollars are very inconsistent, but tend to do better in December and January when money is short.

It doesn't take any time at all to roll 'em. Just drop them in the machine and push the button.

But if you can dump directly into a lobby machine, that is even easier.

I just got back from my bank and asked them for some halves. I wanted to start small, only get 10 rolls or so. When I asked for how many they had, the teller asked all of the others and responded by holding up 1 solitary half, 1987, and that is all they had.

They said that they don't get many and they would have to special order them to come in next week. I have until Friday to call them to let them know if I want to go through with a whole box. My question is wouldn't the folks at Brinks or wherever have sorting machines where they could first filter out the silver before sending rolls/a box to a bank?

I want to at least try some halves, but based on the experiences of you folks here searching for silver, would I be better off getting a whole box ordered from my bank down the street, going to several different branches, or going to one of my credit unions getting a few rolls at a time to equal a whole box? I think my chances of getting a skunk box are higher if they order it, but on the other end it would be much faster than driving all afternoon from branch to branch picking up rolls that could have already been searched through. I don't want my first box of halves to be my first skunk box, but overall, it's the thrill of the hunt that is exciting.

I know its always a gamble, but some of you must be biased one way or the other?

LooseChange wrote:I know its always a gamble, but some of you must be biased one way or the other?

If you don't play, you can't win...so the biggest skunk of all is the box you never bought. Even if you don't find silver in it, you can have a little happy time thinking "what if".

As for the CWR, they do have a higher percentage, but the time and money you'll spend finding them tends to cancel out the extra gains. With that being said, it never hurts to ask if you're already there.

LooseChange wrote:My question is wouldn't the folks at Brinks or wherever have sorting machines where they could first filter out the silver before sending rolls/a box to a bank?

I was just thinking about this earlier. It would seem not, since people find them in boxes. I don't understand why, though. I also don't get why the government doesn't do it. I mean, they go through the federal reserve, right? I would think due to economics of scale or whatever, if individuals like us can profit from sorting, governments and banks easily could. So why don't they? Does anyone have any idea?