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As I'm new not only to this site, but the joyous silver hunt I was wondering if any would care to share simple helpful hints that may be overlooked by those newly bitten by the silver bug? My branch of bank I have accounts at won't order boxes for me. And the closest one I now know is a dump site for someone else searching. I just picked up the 5 rolls they had at a bank near work, and no luck on first roll, not sure if the red x and black vertical lines are meaning I won't have luck and these were dumped too. Also, is there anything worthwhile to the bicentennials? Thank you for any and all help!

Get accounts at any other banks or credit unions around to see if you an get coin there. Bicentennials are generally worth 50 cents each.

Thank you. Will definitely start searching other banks. The one by home and work I just tried today both were already searched.

Hi Goof,

Some clad examples do have a premium, but generally most do not. Normally, I would not hold Bicentennials or any other non-NIFC, non-proof, non-1987.

Clad halfs dating 2002 - present are considered NIFC (not intended for circulation), there is niche market for these. But the coins generally need to be very nice looking, and the premium isn't always that great.

Aside from these years, I hold the proofs (s-mints) and any 1987's because they are a low mintage year.

I did also hold 2 rolls of AU - BU clads ranging from 1970's - 2000, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the 40 coins now that I have them. Since halfs were really popular you're going to find lots of BU dates. I suggest you limit what dates you keep. The more common the subtype you choose the more you'll end up finding which will eat into your searching funds.

You should also think about an exit strategy for these before you spend the time hoarding them and tie up funds. Are you collecting them for long term or would you want to sell them as you go. Bottom line it's a waste of your resources to stack them, work your funds around them, only to return them to the bank at a later date.

~JobIII

Currently I'm just searching for silver and then returning to the bank. If there are easy to turn around others of those years you mentioned I'd be happy to hold them for a bit and then sell them off.

+1 on the 1987's. They are the only non-silvers that I keep. I guess I keep Magic Halves also. Best of luck out there!

If it already wasnt noted Halves from 2003 to current are rarer as the Mint stopped most 'business strikes' and solely made halves for collectors.

These halves tend to only have 2 million mintages (even dipping under 2 million) which makes them rare in comparison to the BILLIONS of pennies they make.

Are the 1987's and 2003-current Easy to turn around? ie. If I set them aside as I sort, can I get more than 50cents per either here or at my local LCS? While I'm having fun hunting down how to sort them (still yet to find a bank or cu willing to order the $500 boxes in even if I have an account) I currently only want to sit on the silver ones for inherent PM value and SHTF 'cash' on hand.

I've sold some of the 1987's on ebay for a little profit, not much. Never messed with selling the NIFC's or Proofs.

Thanks. Once I finally manage to GET some halves, i'll set aside 1987's as well.

When I first started, like you, I would find and hoard my silver finds.

I would also put aside any coins that I found interesting or caught my eye for one reason or another.

There are many different types of collectors here. Some sort for silver only. Some sort for dates that are important in their lives. Some sort for errors. Some sort to piss off their spouses!

Bottom line.. its YOUR collection! If you want to sort for your birth year.. go for it! If you want to sort for low mintages.. go for it! If you want to sort so you have one coin of every year & mint.. be my guest!

Obviously, the silver coins in the series are the most valueable in the lowest grades. Proofs and cameos will generally command a higher price. Bottom line is, you can personalize your collection any way you want.

And, in the future, you want to liquidate the collection, you know that all of the non-silver will be worth at least .50!

Thank you again. For those of you that buy boxes... how? where? so far i've asked 3 or more diff banks and one cu and ll say they don't order boxes in for people. Although I did have a fun chat with a nice gal at the cu today because her folks used to work for usps. Talked about the stupidity and how they can't do anything right.

I can't buy boxes anymore. All of my banks cut me off. Lol, now it's hard to just return even normal change I accumulate into rolls at some of these locations.

Goof wrote:Thank you again. For those of you that buy boxes... how? where? so far i've asked 3 or more diff banks and one cu and ll say they don't order boxes in for people.

I have never tried ordering boxes of halves and I'm beginning to wonder if it is worth the trouble. I picked up my first box last week at a branch that just happened to have a box in the vault which they were happy to get rid of. I went in hoping to get a few customer wrapped rolls and walked out with the $500 box. The box had only one 40% silver half in it and five of the rolls were each short by one coin. Some of the other branches I went to actually had a few CWRs which I found to be a better source of silver. I wound up with one roll with a combined total of nine 40% and 90% halves in it.