Silver Halves: 2023 vs. 1st Half of 2024

[Recyclersteve]

We are almost exactly halfway through 2024 so I thought I'd post my first half 2024 results vs. calendar year 2023 to show how different things can be from year to year.

Last year I searched $4,186.50 face value in halves and found a whopping 131 silver halves. Of those, 50 were 90% silver halves. It was my best year since 2010. 1.56% of my halves searched were silver. That is one of every 63.9 halves, which is really very good. Also, there were 7 different trips to the bank which yielded at least 5 silver halves from a single bank in a single visit in 2023. So the success was spread nicely throughout the year.

This year (so far) is a completely different situation.

With $2,203.50 face searched (thru 6/27/24) I have only found 3 silver halves- including a single 90%er. If you double what I've searched so far in the first half of the year, that would be roughly on par with the total amount of halves searched in 2023. Yet, if I double the 3 silvers and call it 6, that is nowhere near the 131 silvers from last year. Last year 1 of every 63.9 halves was silver- this year is is 1 of every 1,469. Ouch!

Finding silver seems like it is even more of a roller coaster than the stock market. Oh well...

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

Ouch.

Searching boxes/rolls for Ag is definitely fun and gives you something to do, but IMO not really worth the time and effort... not anymore.

[68Camaro]

Yeah ouch. I have to say that it depends. My local area has been tapped out for years. I tried, all I got were boxes that had been roll marked by other searchers. But there are local pockets of the country where silver halves still can be found. I told my wife's cousin of the practice, sharing my experience. Fortunately he ignored me and tried it anyway. He hit a silver mine of halves in his area of the midwest the likes of which I haven't seen reported on RC in my 14 years. Probably much like it was in other areas 30 years ago. He rarely had a skunk, and more than a few times had literally dozens per box. I took a trip to visit him in part so that I could experience roll searching. He got us 2 boxes each, I was ecstatic that I found 5 silver halves in my 2 boxes. He was let down by that, disappointed that there weren't more for me. I kept telling him - "You don't understand, I've *never* gotten silver before, ever! This is great!" Lol

[Recyclersteve]

To put a bow tie on the first half of the year I got $109 in halves today- no silver.

Also, not to sound morbid, but as old collectors die and those who inherit their estates get their coins I suspect there will be those who are too uninformed or lazy to go to a coin dealer and simply go to a bank instead. And, judging from the comments on this site, I will have less competition than before.

[Cu Penny Hoarder]

To put a bow tie on the first half of the year I got $109 in halves today- no silver.

Also, not to sound morbid, but as old collectors die and those who inherit their estates get their coins I suspect there will be those who are too uninformed or lazy to go to a coin dealer and simply go to a bank instead. And, judging from the comments on this site, I will have less competition than before.

I imagine there are a few ignorant ppl out there who inherit silver coins and bring them to the bank, but IMO that is rare.

I used to make 1 trip per week to every bank and credit union in a 10sq mile area. As the years went by, after I did the math, it was no longer worth the gas, time and effort. I admire your tenacity and determination though.

Even Cu penny mining is not worth it anymore. The Coinstar man is taking it all.