PROSPECTING for 90% SILVER!!!

[dmaddox]

NICE!!! Wish I had $1200 face...

Good Job. Working on the face right now. Up to say $12 face. I now have a goal.

[beastie]

I tried my hand about a month ago when I was in my Wife's bank making a deposit for her. I remembered this thread and asked if the had any Halves. They pulled out some loose ones and some rolled ones. Total of about 160 bucks worth. Funny thing was when they were putting the loose ones into an envelope for me I heard that distinctive ring
Long story short picked up 10 40% silver coins. Not bad.
On a whim I went to my bank (BOA) today and ordered 2000 bucks worth and then went to my Wife's bank and opened an account and ordered 2000 bucks from them as well.
I'll let you guys know how I make out on those.

[ME Co.]

I tried my hand about a month ago when I was in my Wife's bank making a deposit for her. I remembered this thread and asked if the had any Halves. They pulled out some loose ones and some rolled ones. Total of about 160 bucks worth. Funny thing was when they were putting the loose ones into an envelope for me I heard that distinctive ring
Long story short picked up 10 40% silver coins. Not bad.
On a whim I went to my bank (BOA) today and ordered 2000 bucks worth and then went to my Wife's bank and opened an account and ordered 2000 bucks from them as well.
I'll let you guys know how I make out on those.

Welcome to the game, can't win if you don't play. Hope you got a sturdy lil cart, a box of halves ($500) weighs roughly 25 lbs, X 4 = 100. HH Mark
BTW here's my lil HotRod "Harbor Freight Special". Small movers dollie ($10), handle ($10), have to find your own pop crate.

[newmisty]

Two boxes tonight from the same place as my last. 0

You can't win if you don't play.

[dmaddox]

Got a box the othere day.

I picked up one of the proofs with a mint mark S. That coin is in teribble condition.

Asked the bank to order another $1,000. I need to check the loose ones all the time.

[dmaddox]

Another $1000 down and only one of the Proofs with the Mint mark S.

I have a feeling that some of the boxes I am getting are the same as the ones I have already gone through. I am going to cash them in across town and see if that helps.

Should get another 2 boxes on Friday.

[gilmoujr]

I found $100 yesterday at a local bank. All marked with an "X" on the roll. I knew I was doomed. I looked anyway and - SKUNK. I also sort cents and found 12 rolls that were skunks also. Looks like there are TWO of us in town now. Damnit, I was doing pretty good in this small town, too. Gotta go elsewhere now (and use the local banks as dumping grounds. Let the other sucker sift through my leftovers.

[Pyramid]

The month of May started out with a bang and fizzled down the stretch for me. I did inch up my silver keeper rate to 1.35 per box, so it was an above-average month overall.

Boxes: 8
90%: 2 Bens + 3 Kens
40%: 16
Mephitis mephitis: 3
Clad Proofs: 2

Good luck folks!

[newmisty]

2 ben's is pretty good.

[Precious Gollum]

Finished off the month with a bomb. $3K gave up nuttin. Still got 75oz in April according to spreadsheet.
Pick up $4K today- here's hoping for a good start to May HH Mark

Newbie to this forum and this is my 1st post. This Prospecting section of the forum is great, and I only wish I stumbled across it much earlier.

HH Mark, you are yielding great numbers of ounces, and it's inspiring to hear the numbers that you're pulling out of circulation today in 2010, decades after silver has been produced in the U.S. for circulation. I can only hope that I can yield close to your average of ounces that you have been recovering. If you don't mind my asking, approximately how much fiat do you search through in an average month to produce your numbers? And what sort percentages do you split between the different denominations of coin?

[ME Co.]

Newbie to this forum and this is my 1st post. This Prospecting section of the forum is great, and I only wish I stumbled across it much earlier.

HH Mark, you are yielding great numbers of ounces, and it's inspiring to hear the numbers that you're pulling out of circulation today in 2010, decades after silver has been produced in the U.S. for circulation. I can only hope that I can yield close to your average of ounces that you have been recovering. If you don't mind my asking, approximately how much fiat do you search through in an average month to produce your numbers? And what sort percentages do you split between the different denominations of coin?

PG, Right now I am doing 30-35 boxes of halves a week, still doing dimes and quarters on the weekends, dimes about 2-3K/ wk cause I still need 1 to fill my silver Roosevelt book, and quarters 1-2K just because I love finding them and a couple months ago I found alot of them ($30fv). So as you can see I'm not a casual sorter, takes alot of time to get what I get but I enjoy it- finally found a hobby that pays for itself and then some. If I just wasn't such an addictive personallity haha. BTW only got 55 oz in May.
Did 4 boxes tonight. Total score was 10) 40%ers but was able to upgrade a spot in my Kennedy book with a very nice '70S, this one has a nice deep cameo that the other was missing. I have to wonder if my competition here are finding any '70 halves, strange that this is my 6th this year and I have found about 20 in 3 years. Anyways happy hunting all, Mark

[newmisty]

Wow that's a lot of sorting. 55oz in May is a good chunk my man!

[Precious Gollum]

Mark, thanks for your reply. I knew that you must have been going through much more than the average casual sorter, but I had no idea you've been going through THAT many rolls. I know that you have to work hard for what you find, but the end result must feel very rewarding. I have always enjoyed searching through a bunch of coins and picking out wheat pennies, old nickels, and the very occasional silver dime, quarter or half, which always reminds me of when I was a young kid going through a bunch of change because that was all I could afford to do. Because of the tens of thousands of coins that I went through when I was younger, I have managed to become pretty quick at searching though a bunch of coins & weeding out the good stuff. Although I will always look through the change that I receive day to day, it has been many, many years since I have bought rolls from the bank to search through, largely because I thought that finding (particularly) silver in change is like finding a needle in a haystack. But after seeing what others have been finding in change today, I'm actually a bit excited & hopeful that I can replicate some of the success that I have seen here.

In the past 10 years I have purchased many rolls and boxes of coins, but it has been uncirculated rolls of the statehood quarters, which have largely just been tucked away. Since I didn't have to search through them, and re-roll the coins, the most of my time spent was driving around to several banks picking up whatever I could get. I know that what you are doing entails much more time & effort. Do you have any tips or strategies that you can share to streamline the process of acquiring & returning your coins? How many different banks or branches do you get your supply from? I know that I will not be going through as many coins & rolls as you, largely due to time constraints, but I hope to work up numbers so that I can average a somewhat consistent number over the course of time.

I apologize for asking so many questions but I do have one more... what general area are you located in? I'm in SoCal and I just want to know if I need to move out of state if I want to get some rolls from the bank that you haven't already searched through.

[ME Co.]

For 11 mos in 2008 I did 42/wk, week in/week out so I have slowed down a bit, not by choice mind you, this is all I can get now without fear of losing another bank. A big part of this for ME is I can't spend this money and still hunt with it, and it keeps ME out of mischief- the $1K+/mo in silver is a big help in this economy as well. Sent you a PM. HH Mark

[Precious Gollum]

Wow, that's awesome! I know it's a lot of work, but to yield $1K+/month in silver is really amazing & inspiring!

Thanks for the PM! I would send you a Thanks, but I cannot seem to locate the button... possibly because I'm new?

[GOLDZILLA]

I just look in whatever change I get. I do not actively buy rolls to search, although I have in the past when I was unemployed and had time on my hands. I would rather prospect for silver with my metal detector- too bad I have no time for that now either.

[dmaddox]

Any one recommend a good metal detector? I might have to pick up that hobby with my daughter.

[GOLDZILLA]

I have a bounty hunter el cheapo, but I have been told and shown that Whites is the best.

[ME Co.]

Had a good day today. Got (2) Walkers, (5) Bens, (3) '64, and (14) 40%ers- too bad it took 9 boxes to get them but 5oz for $12 is good.
HH all, Mark

[dmaddox]

I might have to start with el cheapo. Costco has the Bounty Hunter. If I enjoy the adventure, then I might have to look into a Whites. $1,000 is pretty steep in my opinion for a metal detector, but I guess I could be wrong.

[dmaddox]

Congrats ME. That is a ton of boxes you are going through. 2 a week is enough for me.

[ME Co.]

Congrats ME. That is a ton of boxes you are going through. 2 a week is enough for me.

Can't win if you don't play. Its what I do for fun so its not that bad, and it keeps ME out of mischief. I got my first Barber quarter last night, was just about to give up on them as the last dozen boxes had had nuttin, now I want to find some more haha. HH Mark

[dmaddox]

Do you seem to find more in the halves, or do quarters and dimes do well. I get a lot of the quarters and dimes with just loose change and have never found one, but the halves I get a couple of boxes a week, and usually find 1 or more.

[Precious Gollum]

Had a good day today. Got (2) Walkers, (5) Bens, (3) '64, and (14) 40%ers- too bad it took 9 boxes to get them but 5oz for $12 is good.
HH all, Mark

Hats off to you, Mark! Finding your 1st Barber quarter is also incredible. What are the oldest coins you have found in dimes & halves? What about the rarest coins you have found from circulation?

[rodzm]

This may be a dumb question but how often do banks carry $1,000 dollar bags of $1 coins. My dad just told me today his local bank has 7 bags in their vaults that have been sitting there for a while. My best guess is that the chances of him getting Peace and Morgans may be slim to none.

Is it even worth the trouble to shell out $1,000 per bag. I guess there is no losses to be had but Im just curious if there is good chances in getting Peace or Morgans from those bags

[Pyramid]

rodzm:
Be sure to ask if they are the "big dollars" or the modern small yellow dollar coins.

If they are the big dollars, chances are probably pretty slim as you mentioned. The bigger problem is getting rid of them, as no coin counters accept them anymore. That's probably the reason they've been sitting there so long with no where to go. Might be worth a try, but a disposal plan would be imperative beforehand so you don't get stuck with them.

[Precious Gollum]

I fully agree with Pyramid. Depending on how long they've been sitting there, you may have a slightly better chance of finding something (if they are the big dollars), but the main problem is that with the Ike dollars, there were never silver coins produced for circulation, so the chance of finding the special 40% silver collector versions are slim to begin with, let alone finding Morgan or Peace dollars. However, if you have a relatively easy disposal plan (not being charged anything), it very well might be something I would try.

[Precious Gollum]

rodzm,

BTW, does your father live in the U.S.? I noticed that your profile indicates you are in Germany.

[ME Co.]

Hats off to you, Mark! Finding your 1st Barber quarter is also incredible. What are the oldest coins you have found in dimes & halves? What about the rarest coins you have found from circulation?

The rarest for most people would be them '70 half dollars but I seem to have it made with those (6 so far this year). Oldest would be 1854 Seated Liberty half. HH all, Mark

[ME Co.]

This may be a dumb question but how often do banks carry $1,000 dollar bags of $1 coins. My dad just told me today his local bank has 7 bags in their vaults that have been sitting there for a while. My best guess is that the chances of him getting Peace and Morgans may be slim to none.

Is it even worth the trouble to shell out $1,000 per bag. I guess there is no losses to be had but Im just curious if there is good chances in getting Peace or Morgans from those bags

I would buy a bag a week. HH Mark

[rodzm]

rodzm,

BTW, does your father live in the U.S.? I noticed that your profile indicates you are in Germany.

Actually he lives in one of the territories. He's had lots of success searching half dollar rolls so Im thinking that he may have some luck with the big dollar bags. He's already asked the bank if they are big dollars and they are. I want to say that the reason he doesnt know what is in it is because the bags are sealed and because they are in the vault.

I told him that there is no loss to be had but he needs to have a plan to dump them somewhere other than his pick up place.

[Precious Gollum]

An 1854 Seated Liberty? OMG, that is absolutely nuts!

[argentos]

I HATE these threads. The UK decimalised in 1971 and the old coins vanished.

[ME Co.]

An 1854 Seated Liberty? OMG, that is absolutely nuts!

Not even a slick. HH Mark

[Precious Gollum]

Not even a slick. HH Mark

Bravo, ME Co! I would have imagined exactly that (slick), but it is in great shape... a whole century & a half later! I am nothing short of truly amazed at the success of your finds!

[Pyramid]

Ditto what Precious Gollum said, that's a beauty ME Co.

[JOE SIXPACK]

today's results:

2 $500 boxes of c.w.i.wrapped halves yielded:

nothing
another trip to skunkytown

J6P

[Precious Gollum]

Results of my search through my first (3) half dollar boxes:

Box # 1: 1988S Proof
Box # 2: (3) 40%, 1980S Proof
Box # 3: Skunker

I'm keeping my 1st "official" 40% find... kinda like keeping the 1st dollar bill of a new business. Gonna be picking up more boxes this coming week & hoping to have some better luck.

[newmisty]

Hey at least you got a good taste. GL with the next ones.

[ME Co.]

Results of my search through my first (3) half dollar boxes:

Box # 1: 1988S Proof
Box # 2: (3) 40%, 1980S Proof
Box # 3: Skunker

I'm keeping my 1st "official" 40% find... kinda like keeping the 1st dollar bill of a new business. Gonna be picking up more boxes this coming week & hoping to have some better luck.

Congrats on the silvers, at least you know there's some floatin around.
My hunt today consisted of 7 boxes of halves- got (13) 40% and one Ben. One box of quarters- got one Washington. 2 boxes of dimes gave up (3) Roos. Not a bad day, also just passed 400 oz YTD. HH Mark

[SongSungAU]

dmaddox:
The "cold calling" thing doesn't really work for halves, as there are very, very few banks that have them regularly due to the fact that they are virtually nonexistent in circulation. Extra legwork will probably not help much either. You pretty much have to cozy up to a friendly branch and/or teller that will order them for you every week. This is an invaluable relationship, so if you can get it going keep it that way with small gifts (e.g. leftover Halloween candy) every so often. Good luck.

After you have finished looking through the box of half dollars, what do you do with all the halves you don't want? Do you have to buy coin wrappers and roll them or what? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I was just wondering.

[Precious Gollum]

Thanks Mark, for all. Not a bad start and like you said, gives me some hope to find more in the future. But your numbers & finds truly rock!

Gives me more hope knowing what is possible.

[Precious Gollum]

After you have finished looking through the box of half dollars, what do you do with all the halves you don't want? Do you have to buy coin wrappers and roll them or what? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I was just wondering.

No dumb question. Depending on the bank or credit union you use, you may need to roll the unwanted coins back up, unless the facility has a coin counting machine or service. Most banks provide coin wrappers free of charge, but from what I've gathered from others here, some banks or credit unions have limits on the number of rolls that you return (per visit), upon which they charge a modest (yet ridiculous) fee beyond their number limit. Some banks have no limit, but I think it just depends on where you live and the bank/branch you deal with. Hope that helps.

[Jimmie]

Cool thread!

Going through my fathers old coin collection I found a pretty nice stash of 90% Silver coins.

Barber Dimes - 2
Mercury Head Dimes - 42
Roosevelt Head Dimes - 53
Washington Head Quarter - 59
Kennedy Head Half-Dollar - 2

Being the PM's beginner that I am, it felt as though I was given a little bit of a head start.

[Pyramid]

After you have finished looking through the box of half dollars, what do you do with all the halves you don't want? Do you have to buy coin wrappers and roll them or what? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I was just wondering.

As PG said above, it may depend on the banks and branches you are dealings with. However, nearly all banks have coin counters that are free of charge, if not, you need to find a new bank.

Two important rules:
1. There are SOURCE banks where you get your coins, be extremely nice and friendly b/c they are helping you. Your source bank will order for you weekly once you get a good relationship going. NEVER dump on them, ever, not even the randaom jar of change sitting on your dresser. Pick up, smile, say thank you very much and repeat next week, no more, no less.
2. There are DUMP banks where you deposit the rejects; again be friendly so they keep taking them. Generally, if a particular branch will not give up the booty, then they become a dump bank by default. Try not to bother the same dump bank more than every 3-4 weeks, they will remember you and possibly cut you off.

[newmisty]

That's an awesome start! Congrads on the inheritance. Do your father proud!!

Cool thread!

Going through my fathers old coin collection I found a pretty nice stash of 90% Silver coins.

Barber Dimes - 2
Mercury Head Dimes - 42
Roosevelt Head Dimes - 53
Washington Head Quarter - 59
Kennedy Head Half-Dollar - 2

Being the PM's beginner that I am, it felt as though I was given a little bit of a head start.

[ME Co.]

I'm in mourning today, just picked up the last 6 boxes I will get from a branch of my CU- find out Wednesday if the other branch is going to be a nix too. Excuse was their vault at Loomis isn't big enough to hold all the special coin orders, I guess if they can't help everyone they won't help anyone. I'm also pissed cause there's a newbie in town that I seen on another board pestering my CU for cents and nickels so......... Hopefully the other small branch can continue to get my 2/week as they don't go through much coin at all other than ME. HH Mark

[dmaddox]

I'm in mourning today, just picked up the last 6 boxes I will get from a branch of my CU- find out Wednesday if the other branch is going to be a nix too. Excuse was their vault at Loomis isn't big enough to hold all the special coin orders, I guess if they can't help everyone they won't help anyone. I'm also pissed cause there's a newbie in town that I seen on another board pestering my CU for cents and nickels so......... Hopefully the other small branch can continue to get my 2/week as they don't go through much coin at all other than ME. HH Mark

That sucks man. Hopefully your next box has a bunch of silver.

[ME Co.]

I did 4.5 boxes of them, 1 box gave up a Ben and (5) 40%ers. So in answer to the ladies querry at the bank if I still find anything in them- yep sometimes. HH all, Mark

[gilmoujr]

This is "kind of" prospecting... I was at an arcade the other day with my kids. There was one of those prize machines where if you line up the dots, you get the next prize in that slot. THe one at the bottom of one of the slots was a 1952 Franklin Half... I told my kids that if I spent less that $5 getting it, I would make a profit. I watched the dots for a little bit for timing and went for it. Cost me $1.50 to get it. Tickled pink to get one from an amusement game. There was a Mercury dime three levels up in one of the slots but even if I prized out every time, I wouldn't ahve gotten for less than melt, so I let it go.