Fastest way for searching nickels?

[Pennybug]

This has probably come up before... so sorry in advance. I've been searching pennies and halves for a while now. I like pennies and halves the most because the payout is so much better when you find them, or in the case of pennies... your just about garanteed a payback. Anyhow... I stack nickels... but I don't search them. Just for kicks... I pulled out some rolls and searched a few tonight. BINGO! First war nick! Anyhow... it was pretty dirty so I can't really tell if it appears that different from the others. Anyone got any tricks for searching for war nicks quicker than a date check?

[avidbrandy]

I've started searching recently and what I do is I drop the nickels in a pile as I go through them. The sound is significantly different.

The other way would be just check all dates. look for mroe than just silver. I bought a couple whitman folders and am having fun with that.

[bman]

no need to check the dates, just look for the large mint mark above the dome of the Monticello on the reverse.

[texcollex]

The manganese in the war nickels tends to make them turn black and sticky. A quick scan and pull out all the dark looking ones and then check for the mint mark.

[Pennybug]

The manganese in the war nickels tends to make them turn black and sticky. A quick scan and pull out all the dark looking ones and then check for the mint mark.

Interesting! This goes along quite nicely with the one I found! THANKS!

[NHsorter]

The manganese in the war nickels tends to make them turn black and sticky. A quick scan and pull out all the dark looking ones and then check for the mint mark.

Interesting! This goes along quite nicely with the one I found! THANKS!

Most of the silver ones will stand out as a different color, but I still look at each coin to make sure that I am not missing any buffalo's or v's. For speed, I don't flip them when I am searching. I read the date if that side is facing up and if the reverse is facing up, I check for the mark above the dome.

[reddirtcoins]

The only reason I flip them is the hope for a really cool error coin... but to date-nothing... I can burn through nickels like no other.. easy, easy.... and for some reason I find it relaxing.

[theo]

The manganese in the war nickels tends to make them turn black and sticky. A quick scan and pull out all the dark looking ones and then check for the mint mark.

Interesting! This goes along quite nicely with the one I found! THANKS!

Most of the silver ones will stand out as a different color, but I still look at each coin to make sure that I am not missing any buffalo's or v's. For speed, I don't flip them when I am searching. I read the date if that side is facing up and if the reverse is facing up, I check for the mark above the dome.

Yes. The silver war nickels have some manganese (8% I think) which makes them a little darker. The SW nickels are perhaps the ugliest silver coins ever made.

[twentybux]

Yes. The silver war nickels have some manganese (8% I think) which makes them a little darker. The SW nickels are perhaps the ugliest silver coins ever made.[/quote]
I completely agree. But...like the saying goes...silver is silver, right?

[rainsonme]

I can do $100 in nickels in about 1.5 hours, date sorting all of them. I jsut finished a bag last night, and found 61 war nickels, the best bag I ever sorted. I also got quite a few 1938 and 1939 nickels, along with a good assortment of other pre-1959 nickels. I would not have found all of those war nickels by edge sorting; many of them were quite bright.

The modern face of the nickel makes it easier; I scan for the mint mark on the front of the coin, and toss all of them. If the picture of Jeferson is the newer large face, I don't need to even look for the mint mark. I keep all pre-1960 nickels, with war nickels and buffalo's kept separate. I find date sorting nickels rewarding, and I can go thru $100 in nickels a heck of a lot faster than I can date sort $50 in pennies.

[knibloe]

Dont forget to keep your 2008's

[fb101]

I read dates because I decided to fill in a set. In 4 years + the only one I'm missing is the 39d (or is that the 38d?) - I've got great AUs for most of the nickels even the 38 and 39, but can;t get the last d nickel.
I've picked up several off center strikes and such that I'll put on feebay when I get around to it.
I can do $100 box in about 1-1/2 hours also, so no big deal time.

[rainsonme]

2008's? I have been keeping my 2009 nickels, but I did not know that 2008 was a key year.

I hoard copper pennies, and the nickels that I hoard are all pre-1960. When the content of the nciel finally changes, I would like to have the older coins, instead of unsearched nickels.

[Pennysaved]

I look at them for dates.

I have found a 50D

I also found an early Buffalo nickel that was in XF that a dealer told me was worth in the 50 dollar range.

[knibloe]

2008's? I have been keeping my 2009 nickels, but I did not know that 2008 was a key year.

I hoard copper pennies, and the nickels that I hoard are all pre-1960. When the content of the nciel finally changes, I would like to have the older coins, instead of unsearched nickels.

Someone help us here. Is it the 2008 or 0's that are low mintage??

[Numis Pam]

Interesting older thread but still unclear about if there is some value to saving the 2008....
Anybody care to weigh in on this?

[Doctor Steuss]

2007 P - 571,680,000
2007 D - 626,160,000
2008 P - 279,840,000
2008 D - 345,600,000
2009 P - 39,840,000
2009 D - 46,800,000
2010 P - 260,640,000
2010 D - 229,920,000


I'm guessing it was a typo on knibloe's part (if one were to keep 2008's, it would almost make more sense to keep 2010's).

[Numis Pam]

Thanks so very much for the fast reply Doctor Steuss !

[Engineer]

The newer reverses are also markedly different than the pre-2000 nickels. I don't even bother to flip those when date checking for pre-60's.

Nice bag, rainsonme! Make sure to hit them up for their bag of halves when it drops.

[scyther]

Yeah, you can search for silver pretty quickly by looking for the mintmarks. I don't though, since I'm filling out a book.

Do you think it's possible to edge search for war nickels?

[JadeDragon]

Yeah, you can search for silver pretty quickly by looking for the mintmarks. I don't though, since I'm filling out a book.

Do you think it's possible to edge search for war nickels?

No, and a Ryedale can't find them either. The real prizes are any pure Ni Canuck nicks you find.

[johnbrickner]

Since '09, when I sort nickels I've pulled the BU from the current year in anticipation of debasement. This way I have a number of high condition of the last year of the last "real" money minted. And yes, that means for the last four year. I'm very patient and determined when I need to be.

[Cold-Silver]

you can edge sort, for the silver nickels but the effectiveness is questionable. I have been edge sorting nickels at work for some time now and based on the return ratio's of other members i collect around 25% less than most. If you have to go the the bank anyhow to get your source you should just look for mint marks, but the best reason to look for the mint marks than to edge sort is you will miss out on buffalo's.

I have gotten a few rolls edge sorting for war nickels so far, but to date I have only found a lonely pair of buffalo's.