PROSPECTING for 90% SILVER!!!

[ME Co.]

I probably shouldn't even bother with my monthy report, but I realize how fellow prospectors like to know how other folks are doing, so here goes. I got 4 measly 40% out of 8 boxes of halves and 1 Roosie out of ~$200 in dimes. Hope you folks are doing better than me. Good luck out there and protect yourself.

Well there's still almost a week left in this month so I'm not giving up yet (unless I go to the river for a few days like I might). Still doing 10 boxes of halves a week cause I keep finding "something" anyways. If I get lucky I may break 10oz for the month, sure do long for them glory days when a hohum month was 30oz and a good month was 50-100. HH Mark

[ME Co.]

Well here's the take from November- dismal but better than nothing.
(74) dimes, (1) Quarter, (7) 90% halves, and (18) 40% halves. HH ALL, Mark

[ME Co.]

Found my first Barber dime from a box last night (1911D), along with a Merc and (9) Roos. That came out of 6 boxes so not bad at all, every box had one and the one with the oldies had the extras. Got two more boxes from that batch so high hopes for tonight, but first gonna go dump and get some more. HH all, Mark

[newmisty]

Got a box of halves today.

[Numismatist28]

I recently discovered these amazing forums and with them CRH. My local CU where I've been a customer for 4 years has a free counting machine and my other bank's tellers are amazingly friendly. I bought some rolls of halves from them but didn't get anywhere. I was encouraged though as they were rolled by S&F and, after reading through this entire thread over the course of several days, I understood that to be a good thing.

I ordered a box from that second bank late last week and picked it up earlier today. Unfortunately, while picking it up I encountered a lot of questions from a concerned teller about what I intended to do with the coins after I went through the box. I assured them I wouldn't return it to them. Still, I was told that they couldn't order any more boxes unless they charged me for them. I ended up talking them into one free box per month.

Got home slightly discouraged by these news and the fact that as this thread has winded down, less and less silver is being found by the members. Naturally, my first box was a skunk and lot of coins had sharpie marks on them.

Going to call around some local banks tomorrow and see if any of them would be willing to order me some free Kennedy boxes. If I am at all successful, I will be relocating my bags of candy to them. HH everybody!

[silverwood]

I recently discovered these amazing forums and with them CRH. My local CU where I've been a customer for 4 years has a free counting machine and my other bank's tellers are amazingly friendly. I bought some rolls of halves from them but didn't get anywhere. I was encouraged though as they were rolled by S&F and, after reading through this entire thread over the course of several days, I understood that to be a good thing.

I ordered a box from that second bank late last week and picked it up earlier today. Unfortunately, while picking it up I encountered a lot of questions from a concerned teller about what I intended to do with the coins after I went through the box. I assured them I wouldn't return it to them. Still, I was told that they couldn't order any more boxes unless they charged me for them. I ended up talking them into one free box per month.

Got home slightly discouraged by these news and the fact that as this thread has winded down, less and less silver is being found by the members. Naturally, my first box was a skunk and lot of coins had sharpie marks on them.

Going to call around some local banks tomorrow and see if any of them would be willing to order me some free Kennedy boxes. If I am at all successful, I will be relocating my bags of candy to them. HH everybody!

Hi numismatist28, I am up late reading some posts and I see you are posting this not too long ago. I have been searching through half dollar rolls for silver since the mid 1970's. IMO you will do better to just go around town to every bank and buy all the halves the tellers have. Also ask if there are any halves in the vault. What I have found is, you are getting what a customer has brought in. The tellers basically looks at half dollars as just more work in proofing out and they will be glad to get rid of them. 95% of the tellers have no clue about silver. Don't try to educate tellers about silver but if you find one that knows what to look for offer to be the buyer and work out a fair deal for both of you. 99.9% of most people have no clue about 40% silver halves. I have taken the trouble to add up all the mintages of 40% silver halves and it is around 1 billion coins. That's why you can still find them and also the occasional 90%er. Good luck and happy hunting.

[Numismatist28]

Hi numismatist28, I am up late reading some posts and I see you are posting this not too long ago. I have been searching through half dollar rolls for silver since the mid 1970's. IMO you will do better to just go around town to every bank and buy all the halves the tellers have. Also ask if there are any halves in the vault. What I have found is, you are getting what a customer has brought in. The tellers basically looks at half dollars as just more work in proofing out and they will be glad to get rid of them. 95% of the tellers have no clue about silver. Don't try to educate tellers about silver but if you find one that knows what to look for offer to be the buyer and work out a fair deal for both of you. 99.9% of most people have no clue about 40% silver halves. I have taken the trouble to add up all the mintages of 40% silver halves and it is around 1 billion coins. That's why you can still find them and also the occasional 90%er. Good luck and happy hunting.

Thank you very much for your advice! I'll be sure to try doing just that and, hopefully, finding some silver in my neck of the woods!

[glockngold]

Well, the last couple of boxes of halves have been all skunks...

I just bought a few gold pieces at the shop on Monday. (I thought the last $100. drop was the dip)

And today the price of metals has taken a nose dive...

Frankly I needed a little pick me up.

I went to the bank to buy my weeks box of halves. (felt like it was going to be another waste of gas)
Normally I wait till the weekend to do this, but I started slicing them open & in a few rolls out comes a toned 67.
Ok, I feel a little better.

A few rolls later, something doesn't look right.
You know how some halves are worn smooth on the edges so that the copper is almost polished.
Well in the middle of the roll there was a very smooth edge that was sort of nickle colored.
"Great" I think, "someone slipped some kind of slug in there".



Upon closer inspection... it's a 109 year old Barber! A first for me to find in circulation.



A nice 1964 was just icing on the cake.



I feel a little better.

[newmisty]

Excellent! Congratulations!

[ME Co.]

Thats nice for a Barber- I've found so thin I swear I could shave with em. Congrats.
Halves have been trickling here so I switched my Tuesday pickup to dimes- well wouldn't you know Monday I got a payday on halves. 1 box skunk, next box had 2) '64 showing- wound up with (7) Walkers, (3) Bens, (9) '64 and one lowly 40%. BTW I switched Tuesday back to halves for a lil longer.
HH all, Mark

[glockngold]

Thats nice for a Barber- I've found so thin I swear I could shave with em. Congrats.
Halves have been trickling here so I switched my Tuesday pickup to dimes- well wouldn't you know Monday I got a payday on halves. 1 box skunk, next box had 2) '64 showing- wound up with (7) Walkers, (3) Bens, (9) '64 and one lowly 40%. BTW I switched Tuesday back to halves for a lil longer.
HH all, Mark

Dude,
you are the luckiest guy.... Nice box!

[PhucilliJerry]

Thats nice for a Barber- I've found so thin I swear I could shave with em. Congrats.
Halves have been trickling here so I switched my Tuesday pickup to dimes- well wouldn't you know Monday I got a payday on halves. 1 box skunk, next box had 2) '64 showing- wound up with (7) Walkers, (3) Bens, (9) '64 and one lowly 40%. BTW I switched Tuesday back to halves for a lil longer.
HH all, Mark

Damn, it is hearing about those boxes that keep me going. Of course I only get 1 box per week so it takes a while but I finally got my first 90%er last week, a '64, then (2) 40%ers from '67 and '69. Sadly, that is the best half box ever for me.

Dimes have dried up some too, was averaging 2 a box for a month or so, in the last 10 days I'm lucky to get 1 in every 3rd box. Still better than my 17 box skunk streak earlier this year.

At $2.08 p/90% dime I'm looking to stack some as close to spot as I can get as well........

[samwiii]

$1,0000 in halves and $250 in dimes last night:

[ME Co.]

Dude,
you are the luckiest guy.... Nice box!

I'd rather be lucky than good. Today I pick up at the same bank- hope lightning strikes again, I could use another pickmeup with spot dropping. HH all, Mark

[Numismatist28]

Found a big bank close to me that's willing to order me boxes if I open an account with them. Went through 2 boxes from there so far but absolutely no luck whatsoever. Went to another much smaller bank and the guy gave me his last 8 rolls. Looked on the ends before putting them away and one of the rolls had a '67 showing!

Results so far:

3,500 half dollars searched
1 1967 Kennedy yielded

It can only get better from this point on, right?

[samwiii]

Found a big bank close to me that's willing to order me boxes if I open an account with them. Went through 2 boxes from there so far but absolutely no luck whatsoever. Went to another much smaller bank and the guy gave me his last 8 rolls. Looked on the ends before putting them away and one of the rolls had a '67 showing!

Results so far:

3,500 half dollars searched
1 1967 Kennedy yielded

It can only get better from this point on, right?

Don't be discouraged! You are actually on an extremely bad streak so something has got to come your way. Though the pickin's used to be better, it's still unusual in my experience to go more than a box or two before finding something. If you want to pep up a bit, try a box of dimes with your next order. I typically get at least 2-3 per box of $250. They are just as easy to search as the halves; silver dimes stand out like a bright white light and haven't been as played out as the halves. Keep in mind that just 2 silver dimes = 1 40% half in ASW and generally sell for a better price. So for $500, I'll typically find 1-2 40% halves, 5-6 90% dimes, or 1 90% half. All have the same silver value for my $500 1-night investment.

[Numismatist28]

Don't be discouraged! You are actually on an extremely bad streak so something has got to come your way. Though the pickin's used to be better, it's still unusual in my experience to go more than a box or two before finding something. If you want to pep up a bit, try a box of dimes with your next order. I typically get at least 2-3 per box of $250. They are just as easy to search as the halves; silver dimes stand out like a bright white light and haven't been as played out as the halves. Keep in mind that just 2 silver dimes = 1 40% half in ASW and generally sell for a better price. So for $500, I'll typically find 1-2 40% halves, 5-6 90% dimes, or 1 90% half. All have the same silver value for my $500 1-night investment.

Thanks! Opened an account at my local big bank today - they've agreed to hold a box for me each Tuesday and Thursday. Then went to another much smaller bank and opened an account with them. They were the ones that sold me a roll with a 1967 showing. Told me that nobody ever orders boxes from them and that they can get like 4 boxes for me bi-weekly and then hold them. Apparently those have been sitting in the vault for 1.5 years. I also get a free 3x5 safety deposit box with them for the first year. HH everybody!

[samwiii]

Don't be discouraged!

Here's why we keep on plugging away. This box scored 1 '64 and 3 "s" proofs - my first 1970 to boot! The box was also loaded with a bunch of proofs from the 80's and 90's (not silver); I felt a bit guilty tossing them back, but no matter how pretty and shiny, I just don't care for the copper clad. Naturally, the scan doesn't do the coins justice, but not bad for a half hour of "work".

[glockngold]

This box scored 1 '64 and 3 "s" proofs - my first 1970 to boot!

Cool! I've never seen a 1970 in the year I've been doing this.

[ME Co.]

Here's why we keep on plugging away. This box scored 1 '64 and 3 "s" proofs - my first 1970 to boot! The box was also loaded with a bunch of proofs from the 80's and 90's (not silver); I felt a bit guilty tossing them back, but no matter how pretty and shiny, I just don't care for the copper clad. Naturally, the scan doesn't do the coins justice, but not bad for a half hour of "work".

Very nice. When I found my first '70 within a month I had another and another but that was back when CRH was easy. I did find one a couple weeks ago- first one this year. I trade them for 90%, hunters will gladly trade a common '64 Ken for one.
I was surprised with a good box last night as well, got (4) Walkers, (4) '64, and one 40%, almost makes ME want to switch my dime orders back but NOT.
Merry Christmas to all the hunters, may the silver Santa salt all our boxes. HH Mark

[ME Co.]

Wanna wish all you CRHs a Merry Christmas and hope you all got some silver laced boxes stocked up for the bank holiday. ME I've got $3K in dimes sitting here to get my fix on. One more week to go for the years totals so GetRdone. HH all, Mark
Heard a joke on the radio yesterday.
Whats the last thing a Redneck says before he dies?
Hey yall, watch this!

[PhucilliJerry]

Wanna wish all you CRHs a Merry Christmas and hope you all got some silver laced boxes stocked up for the bank holiday. ME I've got $3K in dimes sitting here to get my fix on. One more week to go for the years totals so GetRdone. HH all, Mark
Heard a joke on the radio yesterday.
Whats the last thing a Redneck says before he dies?
Hey yall, watch this!

Merry Christmas ME Co and everyone else....... I've got $2250 in dimes and half a box of halves left to go through this weekend. Hoping for some Christmas luck in those boxes and yours as well........

[JOE SIXPACK]

latest results:
2 $500 boxes cwi wrapped halves yielded 1 '67.


J6P

[newmisty]

Merry Christmas ME Co and everyone else....... I've got $2250 in dimes and half a box of halves left to go through this weekend. Hoping for some Christmas luck in those boxes and yours as well........

Wow, that's a lot of dimes. Whatcha end up with?

[PhucilliJerry]

Wow, that's a lot of dimes. Whatcha end up with?

I only made it through 3 boxes over the Christmas weekend, 2 Roos '57 and '61 and the best Merc I've found, a '44.

Before, my problem was finding enough coin to sort through, now I've built so many relationships with tellers that I have way too much coin and not enough time. Picked up 5 more boxes today and will probably only sort 1 tonight.

[Pyramid]

My slump is continuing and excelerating...if I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all. I was skunked on 7 of 10 half boxes for the month; of the 3 boxes that had anything, I found 1-90% and 3-40%. Also got skunked on ~$250 in dimes.

On a positive note, I did peek at a teller tray and scored a silver quarter at FV. I'm off to order some GIM rounds and a little bit of gold, as buying the damn stuff outright is more convenient route that this prospecting gig. Hope you are doing better than me and good luck out there folks.

[ME Co.]

Before, my problem was finding enough coin to sort through, now I've built so many relationships with tellers that I have way too much coin and not enough time. Picked up 5 more boxes today and will probably only sort 1 tonight.

I know what thats like- I didn't even reactivate all of my banks and I'm burried. One of my banks will sell ME all the bags off the counter, today I picked up 6. Go through the high denoms to pull the silver and recirculate the cash but them cent bags are stacking up LOL and I'm running out of bags to give back. Gonna have to suck it up and do em I guess- alls I want is the wheaties and older anyways. Got a silver proof quarter tonight, first silver out of one of her quarter bags. $1K dimes gave up a Merc and 10 Roos. HH all, Mark

[ME Co.]

Last day to add to "2011" totals, hope you all stocked up. I've got 11 dime boxes, 2 nicks and one halves- Oh and 4 bags of cents grrrrr. HH all, Mark

[ME Co.]

Well I was a trooper and searched right up to the fire works last night and was rewarded with a 1892 Columbian Exposition commemorative halves. This is the most common of the old silver commems to find because they actually circulated. The idea for all them commems was to make them and sell them for a $ apiece to pay for something, very few of these sold at the exposition and the bank that was holding a loan deposited them to cut their losses.
So December was better than November but still not oz/day good. The year was worst yet but I did go gold mining for two months and had switched mostly to dimes. Here is my yearly totals. Dimes (939), Quarters (3), 90% Halves(238), 40% Halves (1076). Almost half of the 40% came from one noteable find in Feb on page 5 (note to self, hit that bank again next week), without it my silver this year wouldn't even cover gas $$$.
Hope there is still some silva left for 2012. HH all, Mark

[glockngold]

Last's halves box was a skunk to end the year.
This week I got a 69 Kennedy & a 49 Franklin.
I'll settle for that... (course I don't have a choice in the matter)

[samwiii]

Started the year skunked on $1K in halves, but did get a Rosie and Merc in a box of dimes.

[ME Co.]

Had some fun with my dimes last night, picked up my 2K weekly dose and got (3) Mercs and (26) Roos- hated to see that end. Wished I had upped that order back up to 3K/week now but every time I think about doing that I get a bad batch that makes ME not. Guess I will bite the bullet and up it anyways even though I am burried in coin as it is. Can't win if you don't play & Go BIG or go home have been my mottos since I started this addiction. HH all, Mark

[Hi Ho Silver]

I was just wondering if there is a specific region in the USA that is proven to turn out more silver coins during the hunt?

[silverwood]

I had a nice little score today. Bought $100 in halves from the local bank, one roll, which had "silver" written on the wrapper, was all 90%ers. Another roll had half 90%. So the totals were;
19 walkers
10 franklins
1 64 kennedy
also two 40%ers in the other rolls.
I never get tired of treasure hunting!

[newmisty]

WOW! Well done sir!

[glockngold]

I had a nice little score today. Bought $100 in halves from the local bank, one roll, which had "silver" written on the wrapper, was all 90%ers. Another roll had half 90%. So the totals were;
19 walkers
10 franklins
1 64 kennedy
also two 40%ers in the other rolls.
I never get tired of treasure hunting!

Great! I see I have been going about this all wrong.
Here I have been cutting & looking through the edges of all the rolls I can get, when all you have to do is look at the rolls & see if it says silver on the outside

[ME Co.]

I remember the day I had like that, what a rush. Congrats, Mark

[newmisty]

Since we area reminiscing, my 2nd box of halves ever had something like 20 40%'s and 2 90%'s....Boy do I miss that feeling!

[samwiii]

5 boxes of halves completed so far this year - just got 2 40% from the last box and that's all so far. This year is off to a slow start

So why is this such a hard habit to kick? I just talked to a branch manager who said he shipped out a bag last week "about half full of halves other than the Kennedy ones. They had Ben Franklin, a lady's head (Barber?) and I think the Statue of Liberty (Walkers)." He said he would have bought them, but their bank doesn't allow bags off of the coin machine to be sold and that they were required to ship them out no matter what's in them. Silly policy, but unless the company that rolls the coins is sorting them out, there should be a nice supply hitting the boxed halves very soon!

[ME Co.]

5 boxes of halves completed so far this year - just got 2 40% from the last box and that's all so far. This year is off to a slow start

So why is this such a hard habit to kick? I just talked to a branch manager who said he shipped out a bag last week "about half full of halves other than the Kennedy ones. They had Ben Franklin, a lady's head (Barber?) and I think the Statue of Liberty (Walkers)." He said he would have bought them, but their bank doesn't allow bags off of the coin machine to be sold and that they were required to ship them out no matter what's in them. Silly policy, but unless the company that rolls the coins is sorting them out, there should be a nice supply hitting the boxed halves very soon!

Trying to get bags is funny, most times when a bank says they can't sell them the excuse I get is Loomis credits our account for any overages- my answer to that is that I have bought probly 1K bags and I have never had one that was over enough to worry about, majority are short due to small change and trash that winds up in there so they also debit their accounts. When I made that big score last Feb they had to recount the bag by hand before they would sell it to ME even though I insisted that I trusted the machines count. Hope your finds improve and you get some of the contents of that mixed bag soon. HH Mark

[newmisty]

My dump bank says that the bags are the property of the carrier (Loomis). Makes sense.

[ME Co.]

My dump bank says that the bags are the property of the carrier (Loomis). Makes sense.

I've heard that BS line before too- NO they belong to the vault until the bag gets full and Loomis picks them up and credits the bank. One of my old box pickups had to quit ordering or charge ME the rolling fee, they now happily sell ME all the bags off the counter except the small dollars (cause I don't want them). She did tell ME to not tell my friends cause she was kinda doing ME a favor- I told her she was my only friend right now. Bottom line policy is policy whether it makes sense or not. HH Mark

[newmisty]

And that makes more sense.

[ME Co.]

January totals. 129 dimes, 45 War Nics (which I trade silver for silver for dimes), 2 Washington Quarters, 2 Bens, and 21) 40% halves. HH all, Mark

[newmisty]

Wow, really hitting those dimes huh? How long does it take you to sort a box?

[PhucilliJerry]

January totals. 129 dimes, 45 War Nics (which I trade silver for silver for dimes), 2 Washington Quarters, 2 Bens, and 21) 40% halves. HH all, Mark

Nice totals, color me jealous.......

Wow, really hitting those dimes huh? How long does it take you to sort a box?

Depending on what I'm doing, a box can take as little as 15 minutes (only task at hand) to as much as 30 (watching TV, scanning this site or Zero Hedge for articles, watching video clips, etc).

[ME Co.]

Wow, really hitting those dimes huh? How long does it take you to sort a box?

Switched all but 2 or my half orders to dimes and then had some really good boxes come through as well (like 20 slivers from 4 boxes good). Figure a box takes 20-30 mins. HH all, Mark

[glockngold]

My last couple halve boxes have been skunks.

This week was a first for me & I felt a little pleased, but sort of ripped off at the same time.
I gave the bank 50 cents & in return they gave me a penny.

A 1921 British penny. It's cool & everything, but all it will do is sit in the foreign coin cup.
The 64 & 67 that were also in the box helped to sooth that ripped off feeling.

[newmisty]

That's a neat find. Glad you had a couple more to ease the pain. The well has been dry...

[ME Co.]

Just had the most amazing dime box ever. Have been hitting 2/box for the past week or so (which is good), so I continue. Last night when I dumped I stocked up on some more- 6 boxes, did a few last night- still 2 or 3/. Tonight I openned one and see silver on the end of an obvious short roll, cool (I save those for last- something to look forward to). Anyways getting one here and there through the box, then I got 7 in one roll (awesome), then back to one here and there, then I got 9 in a roll- by now I'm freaking estatic, got a stack of slivers 20+ tall and I know I've got one more at least right. Last roll went over the top, not only was silver on one end but one the other end too and 2/3 of the coins in between, 33 silvers and 15 clad. Total take 56 silver Roos from one box- afraid I may be spoiled now. BTW when I dump tomarrow I will be getting more. HH all, Mark