Results from Searching Over $1,700 in Pennies Since 2012

[Recyclersteve]

I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the totals on my Excel spreadsheet and discuss the totals of items found since I first started tracking my penny searches in 2012. Here we go...

TOTAL SEARCHED $1,706.00 face (170,600 coins)
1959-1981 CPRS. 26,514 (visually this is approximately 9 coffee cans)
1982 COPPERS 2,299 ('82 zincs found was 998) (so 69.7% of the 1982's were copper)
WHEATS 648
CANADIAN 194
OTHER FOREIGN 12
DIMES FOUND 26 (so over 38% of the 68+ boxes searched had dimes) (never did find a silver dime in a penny roll though)
PERCENT OF COPPER 17.26% (doesn't include Canadian and foreign copper coins)

I see that the Indian Head cents found were 1891, 1901, 1902 and 1907.

Twice I got over 50% coppers. An interesting point- it never happened back near 2012 when I started keeping track and there were more copper cents in circulation. One of the two times was in 2021 and the other was last month. So maybe collectors are dying off and relatives are taking their coins to the bank!

What types of things have you guys found?

[Silver4face]

I have searched approximately $20,000 (twenty thousand) in 12 years, all by hand! I didn't have time to keep records; however , I have pulled at least 14 thousand wheats (140 dollar face). My record for wheats in one day was 1000 (twenty rolls) I obviously hit the right bank! My record for Indian heads in one day is FOUR, which is amazing because I average only one or two a year.

[Recyclersteve]

Your sample size of 2 million pennies is really outstanding.

And to think that you got one out of every 142 being a wheatie is really something since I’m at 1 of 263. Even adjusting for 1,000 wheaties in a day that one day, you still have quite the track record.

[cwgii]

I'm half way between you guys..in that I keep my records in a paper note book.
It will take a while to compute figures.

Since I do, $10-$100-$1000.
A quick look says ,this book started in 2014.
14...$2000
15...$1200
16...$0400
17...$0300
18...$0400
19...$0700
20...$0600
21...$0300
22...$1200
23...$2300 so far..note.as of April I turned 63 and,,,retired..

$9400.
But I started sorting back in ???2008. I joined here. Hmm, I do believe I used the old records to start a fire.bummer.

[cwgii]

Back in the day, I would sort $100 a day.

I once bought 20 boxes from one bank.when I was traveling in my trailer. Somehow the person ordering messed up.getting 20 instead of 2..they were very glad to get rid of them and free up that amount of space in the vault.

[cwgii]

IH..7

Wow, memories...moons ago, country had a topic of..silver coins found in pennies.
I think I got something like an English 3 pencs. And never again.

[cwgii]

Lol
I found one sorting, result. My travel trailer is a hoardering nightmare.I searched the ,logical, places, like the file vabnit, drawers of the desk.

So an additional 2k. No idea what year.omg I was so niave to think I would remember.

[Recyclersteve]

Back in the day, I would sort $100 a day.

If I looked at 10,000 coins in a day, I’d be concerned that my eyeballs would fall out!

[cwgii]

And that was 13 years ago,.when I could still see. And it was sitting in the az sunshine, all day.

Fast forward, now I need a magnifying glass half the time. Just watering the yard for 2 hours ,has me running a cold shower and sitting in the AC
. sorting also requires a 100 watt led light. No more 13 watt, OTT light.

Hell to get old

[cwgii]

Plus attention deficit... Noe I do $2.50 then pick up the phone. 250 more.read a bit. 250,, eBay..250... Eat.

I do $20.00 ,then ,,tally up, resort to year, kick out the uglies.

$100 gets the 1982 weighed, sometimes.

[cwgii]

Hmm. The loose paper I have, does not give the year. But does show it is the 5k,6.7.8 second loose sheet has 1800

2014..23 is 9 k.

Hence $18,200 +- to date.

In looking at these, old, numbers. There is a % cu decrease from 16+% down to 12.1%

[Silver4face]

There is a cu decrease everywhere. The govt. has the ability to make it zero percent CU (ie Canada) , hopefully it will be awhile before that happens. In the meantime, buy rolls and stash them away ON TOP OF THE STUFF THAT YOU OPEN AND SORT.

[cwgii]

Fine for you youngsters. But for me, my eyesight is a rollercoaster. One day fine, next almost blind. Due to my diabetes.

That said I got$2200 coins today.
At 111 I only go outside from like 5-8 am. Makes for a long day,,,trapped,, indoors.

Happy sorting.

[chris6084]

I haven't sorted much in years. From my records from 2009-2012 I sorted roughly $21,000. I found about 15% coppers, 9 Indian Heads, and 1 foreign silver coin. I did not track how many wheats, but I did sell one box of $100 face value in wheats, so I got at least more than that.

[Recyclersteve]

I haven't sorted much in years. From my records from 2009-2012 I sorted roughly $21,000. I found about 15% coppers, 9 Indian Heads, and 1 foreign silver coin. I did not track how many wheats, but I did sell one box of $100 face value in wheats, so I got at least more than that.

Wow, slightly more than silver4face and in much less time! Even if you went from the very beginning of ‘09 to the end of ‘12, that is over $14 face (1,400 pennies) EVERY SINGLE DAY. Whew!

[cwgii]

I haven't sorted much in years. From my records from 2009-2012 I sorted roughly $21,000. I found about 15% coppers, 9 Indian Heads, and 1 foreign silver coin. I did not track how many wheats, but I did sell one box of $100 face value in wheats, so I got at least more than that.

Hand sorted or rydale.

[chris6084]

I haven't sorted much in years. From my records from 2009-2012 I sorted roughly $21,000. I found about 15% coppers, 9 Indian Heads, and 1 foreign silver coin. I did not track how many wheats, but I did sell one box of $100 face value in wheats, so I got at least more than that.

Hand sorted or rydale.

Ryedale. Also had a scan coin coin counter to count out $99 bags of zincs to return to Wells Fargo because they counted up to $100 for free.

[fasteddy]

I need to do this one day.

[JerrySpringer]

No more 13 watt, OTT light.

Hell to get old

Heh, we still have our OTT light w/ original bulb we got probably 20 years ago. And yeah, I've used it many hours for coin roll sorting.

[68Camaro]

You can learn something new every day (or several times a day). I had never heard of an OttLight. Googled it, it's a thing. Guess I'd seen them but didn't know they had a name. Good to know!

[thecrazyone]

I'm still in Amish mode, sorting by hand.

[JerrySpringer]

You can learn something new every day (or several times a day). I had never heard of an OttLight. Googled it, it's a thing. Guess I'd seen them but didn't know they had a name. Good to know!

One sold on Ebay the other week for $20:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145296630004?h ... R5iQ_qbaYg


I don't think the bulb will ever burn out on our model. Very useful lightsource. Takes up no space.