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 Replies: 15 / Views: 2,235 |
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Moderator
 United States
15386 Posts |
I'm sitting here on a Saturday night going through more nickel rolls ..... and am writing to share with you the reasons why finding old circulated coins from rolls stir my spirit ........ perhaps some of you can relate and share your own stories.
The biggest driver for my passion is the history of the coins ..... every well-worn pre-war Jefferson I find conjures imaginations of what that coin has 'seen' ..... perhaps the pocket of my Dad in WWII Europe ..... part of a down payment stash for a post-war house .... spent at a five and dime in the '60's .... and it shows up on my desk today in 2009. I find that potential link amazing and inspiring.
Same for all the coins I find ..... my imagination looks at them and compares them to the history they have maybe 'seen' .... for me that is a great thrill.
The worn nickels I find may only be worth 5 cents to collectors .... but to me the stories I imagine they might tell keep me inspired to keep on looking.
I admit to holding each 'find' in my hands and letting my mind be free to imagine a story behind it ..... some of them can be true but never proved!
I also collect with a passion for COMPLETING the collection ..... so every roll searched is a hopeful treasure of 1 more coin needed to meet the goal.
I'm a treasure hunter at heart ..... and roll searching is a great proxy for my inability to go prowl the pyramids .... every new roll houses a potential treasure ....... reality is that most are boring ..... but you never know ... the next roll might have the next needed coin.
Lastly .... I am somewhat motivated by the potential for finding a valuable coin ...... not likely with nickels!
My recent 9 rolls of BU '62 to '64 Jefferson's might have something of value when I learn enough to look for the right things ..... but for now 'making money' is low on the list of why I roll search.
Soooo ... that's my story ..... tell us please ...
Why do you roll search?
Best
David
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2520 Posts |
Cheap Silver!! Last 2 days of roll searching yielded 13.48 oz of silver for only $42.00! That's about $3.12 oz!  But seriously, I still get a thrill finding a worn out Buffalo or War Nickel! Just last week I found my first V nickel (1908) from a roll and got an even bigger smile when I realized I didn't have that one!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1450 Posts |
I think treasure hunting is the primary motivation. Understand,that does not necessarily mean finding"valuable" coins so much as finding old coins that are in great shape. Last night I found a 1960 Lincoln Cent that looked fresh from the mint after 49 years of life, wish I could say the same. It really is all about finding something surprising,that is the adventure. Roll searching is also theraputic for me, it makes me slow down and relax. P.S.:I just wanted to let you guys know that I quit keeping statistics on my finds because it was making it seem too much like work. I appreciate what the statistics are showing us but it was taking the fun out of it for me. I hope those of you that are hooked on the stats keep letting us know what the numbers say but it was having a negative impact on my enjoyment so I quit. I will NOT quit roll searching any time soon though! Edited by hockingzig
09/27/2009 01:47 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2224 Posts |
I search different denominations for different reasons. Cents: for the thrill of possibly finding something huge (for example, fellow CCF member Bullnuke and his 1992 CAM) and for making extra money off of the varieties; Nickels: because I started the goal of searching 25,000 rolls back in February of 2008 thinking I could get it done in under a year (and I was at a point in my life that I was REALLY bored!), but now I am hooked and I will admit I probably won't stop at 25,000! Halves: simple - PURE PROFIT! The worst week ever searching halves netted me just over $100 profit, and I have done over $1000 in a week twice! It is my part time job!
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New Member
United States
10 Posts |
I love the hunt! My collection is smal but I enjoy the researching history associated with any old coins I might find.
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Valued Member
United States
314 Posts |
Why I roll search is example my nickel set or penny set needed an 1950 d or some date. I feel like those guys are ebay or coin shops try rip you off on completing sets. Insane prices on the 1950d 1939d, 1939s, 1938 d or s. 27 to 100 dollers or more finish sets. Its not worth it since intire circulated set from 1938 to 1964 is worth about 24 bucks greysheat. Pennys I love geting bu coins or pre 1982 coppers. Halfs I love those geting silver and building 1964 thru 2001 books with super nice halfs . |
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Valued Member
136 Posts |
Halves: simple - PURE PROFIT! The worst week ever searching halves netted me just over $100 profit, and I have done over $1000 in a week twice! It is my part time job!
-CopperNickelDaddy
Profit? please explain as I'm a typical noob.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4867 Posts |
If I ever find no date Buffalo nickels I just spend them as they have no value to me other than being 5 cents. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19930 Posts |
I like to search because it's fun. My main goal these days is finding nice, high-grade BU Lincolns for my roll set. For example, it's quite exciting to crack a roll and find a ultra-nice 1986-D. Almost every night I either find a coin I need or an upgrade to one of my completed rolls. Then along the way I find an occassional WAM and lots of copper for my bucket. My best find is probably my 1999 WAM. It's at NGC, I should have it back soon. The bottomline....hey, it's a helluv a lot better than sitting around watching TV or doing something meaningless. Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2541 Posts |
I love the history behind the coins, thinking about who handled them. Also, I just think it's neat to be able to find coins that are 50, 60 or 70 years old still in circulation. I grew up in Great Britain, and since decimalisation was in 1971, there were no coins older than that (even though shillings and 2 shilling coins circulated as 5 pence and 10 pence when I was younger). Now you can't find anything pre-1971 unless it is by complete accident that someone put it in there.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1547 Posts |
Good question, nickelsearcher. Check out this picture. That's me, what I feel like, whenever I walk into a bank, these days.  |
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Valued Member
United States
187 Posts |
So true Eddiespin! Goes for me too!  I truly enjoy collecting and have a real appreciation for coins,the artistry and history. What better way to treasure hunt! Getting to search for basically free all the coins in circulation for AU's, errors, etc., whatever you are into and paying face value for what you want to keep, no matter what you find! The intrigue of "what could be in the next roll?" is something that keeps me going! Maybe something unusual? A find like that is priceless because you found it and it becomes a proud addition to your collection! An added plus is that if you find silver, you may chose to keep it for your bullion or sell some to buy your dream coin! Can't lose!  |
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Valued Member
United States
429 Posts |
Fun would have to be my main reason and then the collector in me for the rest of it.
I do not have a lot of money and just getting a few rolls now and then makes me feel like I am not giving up on my hobby. You can spend a small amount of time and usually find something new for your collection.
When I first started searching my goal was to find a high grade circulated set in Lincoln Memorials and a great starter set for dimes and nickels. As I got into it more I started to wonder also about who owned these before me and why they would let them go. Most of them you could tell were just daily pocket change with nothing exciting but then you hit an entire roll that is a solid date and in high MS condition. The first time this happened to me I became more hooked and could not wait to get more. After a while it also hit a point where I wanted to make a goal and keep with it. My wife was working in a Credit Union at the time and had a huge stock pile of cent rolls, so I made the goal to go through them all. It took me less time than I thought it would and now I can say that I looked through every cent in that vault.
Over the last year it has become more of an activity to share with my kids. My two oldest ones tire out quickly and get bored (but have no problem of me filling in their empty spots) where as my 5 year old son looks at it as an adventure. I have bought a few different books for him to put his collection into and every time he finds a new cent he has to check and see if he has it or not. Hopefully he keeps the excitement and sticks with it as one of his hobbies because I did not have someone to do it with me when I was younger and I know that I am not giving up on it at all.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
I love to roll hunt mainly because there is the thrill of what could be found, but there is also something very therapeutic about it. In some ways it is like popping bubble wrap: you seem to get excited and release tension all at once. I love just sitting there going through rolls as I watch/listen to a move I popped into my DVD player. And of course once you do find something notable, you feel that it was not all in vein.
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Valued Member
United States
297 Posts |
i fill bokks and like finding silver ones
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1042 Posts |
Why do I do it?... 8 reasons... (that's the # of grandchildren my father left behind) When he passed in Feb., I inherited his collection. I've decided to do my best to fill some Whitman folders to give to all his grandkids. I started, searching for strictly wheaties and older coins...  Then, I found this forum...and became corrupted by the forces within it...I started saving more than just "wheaties"...  (this tub is filled with 80's, 90's, and 2k's that I haven't had the time to properly search...) I can't tell you how many 1970-S I've set aside...   in fear of letting a "small-date" get past, and rolled up in my discards...  Not to mention some of the Canadian stuff I've enjoyed finding....along with the occasional 1/2 penny. :) The way I see it...I've done crazier things with my $ in the past... |
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Replies: 15 / Views: 2,235 |
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Posted 09/27/2009 01:36 am
