Inside The World of Coin Roll Hunting
When my father was young, like many schoolboys, he started a coin collection. Diligently going through pocket change, he meticulously searched for and cataloged pennies and nickels going back as far as the early 1900s. As I was growing up, I never paid much attention to these collections until recently when I realized just how old and rare some of the pennies were.
Collecting coins is fun and pretty easy, and it’s a relatively inexpensive hobby. And thanks to the concept of Coin Roll Hunting, it couldn’t be easier to get started.
Why Collect Coins?
For many numismatics, people who collect coins, they pride themselves on building collections of rare coins or coins that hold particular value to them. Some, depending on the condition, may be worth many times the face value of the actual coin. Half dollars minted before 1970, for example, contained silver, giving them value far higher than just 50 cents.
Others may collect coins just for fun. For myself, as I looked through this existing collection, I was amazed at seeing pennies stamped with dates like 1909. That penny is 110 years old this year. Many of these older coins are out of general circulation, but you’d still be surprised to find quarters from the 60s or nickels from the 40s in general circulation.
Some build collections of only foreign coins, while, like my father, some just focus on a particular denomination like pennies. Others, like myself, aim to build a mint and date set, which is merely collecting one coin from each mint for every year it was produced.
Getting Started With Coin Roll Hunting
You can search your pocket change for coins, or you can collect on a bigger scale by buying your coins directly from the bank. Coin Roll Hunting is the name given to the activity of buying rolls of coins at the bank and sorting through them. Afterward, you can roll your extra coins and deposit them and build your collection very inexpensively.
To get started, first decide what type of coins you want to collect. Most banks will carry rolled coins of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar coins. If you’re interested in half dollars, some banks will order those for you. While you’re at the bank, don’t forget to pick up some empty coin wrappers to wrap up your excess coins.
Pro Tip: It’s just an etiquette thing, but I prefer to buy my coins from one bank, and get my wrappers and handle my deposits at a different bank. There’s nothing wrong per se by withdrawing and depositing coins at the same bank, but it does cost your bank money to process those transactions, so I feel better “spreading the love” to different banks.
Once you’ve decided what type of coin to collect, give some thought to how you want to organize your collection. There are countless options available, from heavy-duty coin albums to inexpensive coin folders to plastic coin tubes. For my collection, I chose coin folders by H.E. Harris & Co. You can find them on Amazon, or at hobby stores like Hobby Lobby for a few dollars each.
Now, with your coins and coin folders in hand, the fun begins. You merely sort through all of your coins looking for the particular coins that you need to complete your collection.
Besides a standard mint and date collection, some also like to look for common misprints which sometimes can be worth a lot of money. I’ll recommend some good sources for finding these by denomination below.
Once you’re done sorting your coins, you wrap up the remainder and deposit them back to your account! Other than your time and energy, the “cost” of this hobby merely is the coins you kept.
Coin Roll Hunting is an enjoyable hobby, and it’s always fun to explain to others. Some give me puzzled looks like “Are you sure that’s…. legal?” and the answer is, yes, it entirely is. It’s basically like cheap treasure hunting, and you never know what surprises you may find inside.
Circulated or Uncirculated Coins
Before you begin your collection, one thing you’ll need to decide on is if you want circulated or uncirculated coins. Circulated coins are ones you’ll find in your everyday pocket change. They won’t look pristine, but they’ll develop a nice finish over time.
Uncirculated coins are ones that have not been put into general circulation. They’ll look pretty much brand new. These are much harder to find, and are signficantly more expensive.
Tips For Coin Roll Hunting
- Start with one denomination of coin first. Many people like to focus on pennies or nickels. It doesn’t matter, but by focusing on one at a time, you’ll become more comfortable with the nuances of that denomination, including rarities and unique variations that you may want to collect.
- Coins, for the most part, will be stamped with a letter to indicate the mint that produced them. Though there are exceptions, most coins will feature a P for Philadelphia (though some coins that are blank are minted in Philadelphia) or a D for Denver. Some coins may have been minted in San Francisco and will feature an S to indicate this. If you’re collecting your coins in a coin folder, there’s usually information included about which years were minted where, and of course, they’re often labeled in the book as well.
- As mentioned above, I prefer to deposit my coins to a different bank than where I withdrew them. All of those transactions cost the bank behind the scenes, and while they never pass them on to the customer, I prefer building a strong relationship with the bankers at my local branch and like to share the love.
- Coins are dirty! Like incredibly dirty. Be prepared to scrub your hands afterward, or if you’re concerned, wear gloves.
- Speaking of dirty coins, resist the urge to clean your coins before adding them to your collection. Over time, coins develop a patina which is the natural surface color change that happens over time. If you want your coins, you’ll wash off the outer surface, and it’ll reduce the value of your coin. I know, it sounds counterintuitive but trust me — do not wash your coins.
- When its time to wrap up your remaining coins, you can ask your bank for wrappers. Many of them will give them to you for free.
Consideration for Pennies
The Lincoln Cent is one of the easiest, and of course, cheapest, coins to start your collection.
Besides a date and mint collection, many people also like to collect the “wheat pennies,” so named for the two wheat stalks that adorn the back of the coin. These coins, minted from 1909 through 1958, are predominantly made of copper. In the 1940s, due to copper being reallocated for war efforts, the 1943 pennies were made from steel, making them a unique addition to your collection.
Many wheat pennies today are worth more than their face value (1 cent), and some can be worth significantly more. Here’s an overview of the key dates, rarities, and varieties of the Lincoln Wheat Penny.
In 1982, pennies shifted from being made predominantly of copper to being made mostly of zinc, clad with a copper outer layer. 1982 can be tricky because you can find several variations. If you drop a penny, and it’s made mostly of copper, you’ll hear a ring that doesn’t exist with the copper-clad zinc pennies that are mainstream today.
Finally, here are the Top 15 Most Valuable Pennies.
Coin Folders (Available on Amazon)
- Lincoln Cent (1909–1940)
- Lincoln Cent (1941–1974)
- Lincoln Cent (1975–2013)
- Lincoln Cent (Starting 2014)
Remember, when rolling your extra pennies, the rolls are 50 cents or 50 pennies.
Consideration for Nickels
Nickels are a great collection to start with, and you can still find many of them in circulation today. With little effort, you can pretty quickly find every nickel minted since 1960.
It’s possible to find older ones in circulation, but they’ll likely still be the Jefferson nickels which started production in 1938. If you see ones from before that, they’re likely Buffalo nickels (minted 1913–1938) or Liberty Head (1883–1913). Also, be on the lookout for nickels minted 1942–1945. Like pennies, because of the war effort, these were minted out of silver.
Here are the Top 15 Most Valuable Nickels. Spoiler alert: It’s the really old ones. Also, here’s an overview of key dates, rarities, and varieties of Jefferson nickels.
Coin Folders (Available on Amazon)
Remember, when rolling your extra nickels, the rolls are $2 or 40 nickels.
Consideration for Dimes
The dime you’re most likely to find in circulation is the classic Roosevelt Dime, minted from 1946 onward. Those minted from 1946–1964 are 90% silver, drastically increasing their face value. If you happen to find dimes before this date, referred to as the Mercury dimes, they are also predominantly silver. Roosevelt Dimes minted from 1965 to today are referred to as Roosevelt Clad Dimes.
Here’s an overview of the modern Roosevelt dime’s history and rarities. For the über collector, here are the Top 15 Most Valuable Dimes.
Coin Folders (Available on Amazon)
Remember, when rolling your extra dimes, the rolls are $5 or 50 dimes.
Consideration for Quarters
Quarters are where you’ll likely see the most variation. Everyone is familiar with the Mint’s 50 States program, which minted commemorative quarters celebrating the statehood of each state in our Union, and US territories like Guam and Puerto Rico. And while this collection is worth face value, it’s still a fun, but challenging, collection to complete.
Since the success of the 50 States quarters, the Mint has started another unique collection celebrating our National Parks. This collection, running from 2010 to 2021 introduces even more detailed quarters.
When you’re sorting quarters, you’ll likely run into coins from these two collections, or the traditional Washington Clad quarter that was minted from 1965 to 1998. There’s also a special Bicentennial quarter that was released in 1976, celebrating the 200th anniversary of our country. For the most part, these quarters are still around their face value (though some in uncirculated condition are worth more). Washington Quarters minted from 1932 to 1964 are much like the dimes mentioned above, and are predominantly silver. Because of this, they’re worth more than face value, and many collectors have already snatched these out of circulation.
When I sort quarters, I begin by grouping them into three broad buckets: the Washington Clad quarters (1965–1998), the Statehood quarters (notable because it just looks different on the back), and the National Park quarters which stand out because they all feature a smooth border around the back. Grouping into these three sections makes it much easier to see which coins I need for my collection.
Coin Folders (Available on Amazon)
- Washington Quarters (1965–1987)
- Washington Quarters (1988–1998)
- Washington Quarters State Collection Volume 1 (1999–2003)
- Washington Quarters State Collection Volume 2 (2004–2008)
- Washington Quarters District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Collection (2009)
- Washington Quarters National Park Collection Volume 1 (2010–2015)
- Washington Quarters National Park Collection Volume 2 (2016–2021)
Remember, when rolling your extra quarters, the rolls are $10 or 40 quarters.
Consideration for Half Dollars
Half dollars, one of the strangest and unpopular of coin denominations, are a great idea to collect. Most banks do not carry these regularly but will be able to order them for you if you’re interested. A “box” of half dollars typically comes in a $500 denomination, which is an excellent place to start for building your collection.
Like the other coins you’ve read about, there are several varieties of half dollars. Half dollars minted from 1916 to 1947 are referred to as Walking Liberty, and 1948 to 1963 are Franklin half dollars. These are also 90% silver, which means they’re worth more than face value.
The half dollar most everyone is familiar with though, are the ones produced from 1964 to today, featuring former President John F. Kennedy. The half dollars minted in 1964 are silver, 1965 to 1970 are silver clad, and 1971 to date are made of a copper/nickel clad.
Here’s some more information on the key dates, rarities, and varieties of the Kennedy Half Dollar.
Coin Folders (Available on Amazon)
- Franklin Half Dollar (1948–1963)
- Kennedy Half Dollar (1964–1984)
- Kennedy Half Dollar (1985–1999)
- Kennedy Half Dollar (Starting 2000)
Remember, when rolling your extra half dollars, the rolls are $10 or 20 half dollars. Also, the thinness of the half dollar means these don’t feel as “solid” in their wrappers. Be careful!
Consideration for Dollars
Last, but certainly not least is the ubiquitous dollar coin. This coin has gone through many variations over time, and while there have been attempts to have it replace the $1 bill, it just generally hasn’t caught on. You can find these coins at your bank (more common than the half dollars), and I’ve heard stories that some change machines will return these as well.
The dollar coin that many are most familiar with are the Susan B Anthony dollars, minted from 1979 to 1981, with additional ones minted in 1999. These are relatively common and aren’t worth more than face value (some exceptions apply), but I still find it interesting to collect these unique coins.
Younger generations may associate the dollar coin with Sacagawea, the Native American who assisted Lewis and Clark in their exploration of America. These coins entered circulation in 2000 and, while they can be difficult to find at times, they are still being produced today.
Beginning in 2007, another dollar coin entered circulation, celebrating our nation’s presidents. The Presidential $1 coin program released four different coins per year, each honoring a different president. This collection is unique, in that, it ends with President Reagan which was produced in 2016. A president must have been deceased for at least two years before they can be honored on currency, which means that Carter, Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump are ineligible. Though George Bush is now deceased, the collection has ended, and it would require an Act of Congress to mint a new coin in his honor.
There are some unique varieties to this collection, between Sacagawea and the Presidential Coins making them fun to collect. Unfortunately, these coins are all mixed in coin rolls, and you can’t specify which ones you want at the bank.
Coin Folders (Available on Amazon)
- Sacagawea Dollar (2000–2004)
- Sacagawea Dollar (2005–2008)
- Presidential Dollars Volume 1 (2007–2011)
- Presidential Dollars Volume 2 (2012–2016)
Remember, when rolling your extra dollar coins, the rolls are $25 or 25 dollar coins.
Coin Roll Hunting is a fun hobby for all ages, and as you can see, you can go as little or as deep as you want into the experience. While many of these coins may not increase in value, there’s still something significant about having a complete collection of historical coins from decades or even a century old.
