Marking your half-dollar rolls when dumping

[HPMBTT]

For those that do serious volume (usually more than six $500 boxes/week), I'd like to know other's opinions on marking (or not marking) their half dollar coin rolls when dumping....sorry if this has come up before, although I don't remember reading about it in the short time that I have been a member of RC.

Here is my situation and what I currently do...although I'm beginning to 'halve' mixed feelings about marking them. Sorry for the long explanation (I tend to get a bit too detailed sometimes).

I travel out-of-state a lot when working, so here is what I currently do when dumping half-dollars:
1. If the area has free coin counters, I usually dump 100% via this option, since the halves will be moved out of my area (even if only temporarily). Spreading it around to other branches over different days also helps.
2. If the area has no coin counters, I then dump pre-counted coinlok bags (ie BofA is helpful in this case).

I usually don't like to roll them, although I'm now having to start doing this with multiple banks, since I'm now doing serious volume and have upped the number of boxes per week. The reason, of course, is that I don't want a particular branch that has a coin counter to notice me too much; this happened recently at one particular branch, as I had been there 3 times in 10 business days; they have now told me that they will charge me 5%, even though I have an account there. I try to keep it under $700.00 when dumping at any coin counter.

For dumping rolls, I try and keep it under $400 or so per bank visit. I usually mark my rolls somehow, so that I never buy the same roll etc. Then I started thinking about it; is that such a good idea after all? Let's look at it realistically. In my area, I have noticed a big change in the last 12 months with regards to even more people buying halves, more tellers disclosing verbally about their own silver finds when working (bummer for me) and so on....so a lot more people are searching from an already limited pool. Bank boxes are now yielding me more than simply finding loose rolls on my own (except for visiting the occasional small town, of course).

For the casual seeker that asks for halves, they will move them probably to a different bank or just spend them. For the regular hardcore seeker (like us here) that attempts to buy my searched halves (or if the teller informs them about me), won't they notice that they are all the same initial/marking and just avoid them, especially since they are not finding anything? At some point, as more regular searchers become smarter, wouldn't they just avoid them and then that particular branch simply gets backed up with halves, thus causing them to eventually ship them out or them telling me to stop bringing in so many rolls since they are getting stuck with them? Shipping them out is OK, as long as I am able to buy halves that are not my own.

I've got an idea. Perhaps I should just spend them loosely wherever I can (especially unwrapped). Many clueless people (that are not like us) that find halves take them home because they think they are cool, rare and so on. Those people procrastinate and keep them out of circulation for awhile, as they sit in a jar/box for several weeks/months etc until they need the money. For me, that's beneficial, as they are keeping clad halves out of circulation just a little bit longer, so that I can increase my chances of finding the silver etc.

What say you?? For those that wrap their halves, do you mark them or not and why? Any thoughts either way? Am I over-analyzing this? Thanks for listening.

[cesariojpn]

I've got an idea. Perhaps I should just spend them loosely wherever I can (especially unwrapped). Many clueless people (that are not like us) that find halves take them home because they think they are cool, rare and so on. Those people procrastinate and keep them out of circulation for awhile, as they sit in a jar/box for several weeks/months etc until they need the money. For me, that's beneficial, as they are keeping clad halves out of circulation just a little bit longer, so that I can increase my chances of finding the silver etc.

I think this is a good idea. Any actions that prevent the coins you don't want entering the system again is any benefit. Probably what you can do is spend amounts under $10 per transaction. If people offer to buy halves from you while in line or ordering anything, take it. This might mean you have to lug around an extra roll or two, but a little weight discomfort is a noble sacrifice for the cause.

Find places with little old ladies (Thrift Stores and other volunteer run places). Offering up a roll of halves will send the old ladies clamoring to save coins for grandchildren.

[reddirtcoins]

Don't waste your time marking... Very few will come back and only if you dump so much it gets rerolled for your next order.

[spjegues]

I do mark but only for helping me track the coin flow and date I turned them in. This was one way I was able to figure out what coin system to buy from and where / when to dump

[JobIII]

I opened 10 boxes one week, and the rolls were littered with markings. three black strikes ( | | | ) on the edge, and for the 76's the building on the reverse was blacked in. I found these markings in each roll from all of the 10 boxes.

First time i've gotten sealed boxes that basically amounted to someone elses sort and marked session. Pretty frustrating to see when you are starting the search, but you have to search each roll to be sure.

I wouldn't waste the time marking them but that's just my 2 cents.

~JobIII

[HPMBTT]

Perhaps I wasn't more clear in my initial post. I don't actually mark the coins themselves. I mark only the paper rolls themselves with my first initial. Sorry, everyone, for the confusion.

I have often thought about marking the actual coins and to see how long it is before they come back in a new unopened $500 box. For example, I would love to be able to pick up from one carrier (ie Brinks) and dump my coins to another (ie Garda). If I could somehow verify what carrier the banks have, maybe this would help? Still, most banks wouldn't even disclose the name of the carrier, in the few times that I've asked. If someone else cares to chime in on how to determine this, though, I'm all ears.

[reddirtcoins]

So you're not getting brinks rolls? Are you saying you are "re-rolling" the coins before you dump? Is so dont do that... Bulk dump in a bag... Heck I take 5 or 6+ bags back at a time.. Takes me all of 10 minutes to dump $6000... You just have to wait three or four days for it to hit your account.

[wbeck]

Well, I'll tell you what would be useful... Is if EVERYONE made a consistent mark. Everyone could save a ton of time by not fiddling with coins that had already been gone through. Especially if it were done on all types of coins.