Why Buy Rolls Or Bags?

In hopes of scoring errors or varieties that no one else has ever seen.

The only way an S mint is at a bank is if someone has purchased it from the mint in a roll or bag and then later spent it. I buy five mint sets each year, one for each of my three children and two for me. Since the mint doesn't include the -S quarters on the mint set, I buy one roll of each. I then fish out the best five quarters to go along with the mint sets. I then keep the rest rolled up for future trade bait. It looks like the new innovation dollars are going to play out the same way.

Buying direct from the mint in rolls and bags technically has less wear and tear on the coins.

When they ship them out in bulk, they go in the monster bags of $50K coins on steel pallets. They ship to the armored carriers. The carriers dump them and roll them and box them, ship them to the banks, and you get what you get from the bank if they get them.

The mint direct shipping of rolls and bags are pretty much from the bin, not with 200K coins on them, shipping across country. And shipping again to banks. Less travel wear.
Personal preference between which is better, a bag or roll from the mint. Some will think the rolling machine will add damage, some will think the coins loose in a canvas bag will cause damage, which is worse when it comes to the condition of the coins? I don't know.

The bulk pallets and that process of distribution is worse for the coins condition than buying direct from the mint in either case though. Some also think there's a chance at error coins from the bags that would get sorted out by the rolling machine, like misshapen coins, broadstrikes, clips, serious off centers ect.

As far as P+D mint marked coins I do think the mint direct ship is better than boxes from the bank to get what you want and in better condition, and there's no other option for the S mint circulation quality strikes.

I prefer to hunt rolls from banks and get what I get though rather than pay the extra from the mint.

And you won't get W mint mark quarters this year from the mint direct ship offerings. They were only distributed through the monster bags on the pallets shipped out to armored carriers for distribution through banks. Another main reason I don't buy bags or rolls from the mint this year.

If you are hoping for a high grade P or D coins, probably bags or rolls would be the go. Other option I guess would be like buying the P+D circulating quarters set from the mint rather than buy rolls or bags if quarters are your thing. I'd think that set would have the best handled, least contact marks of any of the ways to get them.