I Found Some Pennies - About Two Pounds Of Them.

I use a desk that my father gave me when I was a kid. I never really poked around in the back of the bottom drawer. Recently, circumstances forced me to move it and examine the contents, (I am now 81.) Money! Unfortunately, not big bills, but lots of change. And a couple of $2.00 silver certificates.

I should say that, as a kid, I was for a few years an avid coin collector. My wife dug out my old blue coin albums, and I was back into it. So I have looked at the date and mint mark on all of these pennies. The bag I am putting them in does not contain any 1931 coins or early pennies with an S mint mark.

My question: What should I do with them? I'm not much interested in selling them. Would anyone want them? Or should I take them to a bank and have them converted into paper money? Do banks still do that? Oh, they are about 98% wheat backed, the majority being from the 1940's and early 50's. I also have 30 or 40 Mercury dimes. These, I suspect, might be worth something.

Thanks for your help.