For Roll Hunters Only

Haha fistfull..I was trying to calculate the minimum age you had to be to have roll hunted in the late 70's..I was going to say 42! Afclassic, man I can relate to you, I'm 21 and a college student so I'd rather find the coins for face value than buy them because of financial issues.

Obviously it's awesome when you get a cool find but I really like the "treasure hunt" aspect of it too. I can see people who sell the coins they find getting mad that a lot of people are getting in to roll hunting, especially with halves (my favorite), but in my case, I am just in it for the coins, not the money. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to sell them, but to me, unless I was down to my last dollar, I wouldn't sell any of my coins.

Sorry for the rant (well, kind of) but I think that this would be an interesting topic to discuss.

Jr, I was into roll hunting big time for the last couple years. I made some great finds and some quantity, but, the last year or two has been lousy because of competition in my area. I'm a coin lover first, hoarder second. I've pretty much given it up, it occured to me last year that it's cheaper to buy the coins I like, than to roll hunt. The time spent, gas, and inconvenience of dumping really turned me off, as the rewards just aren't there. Now my dirtfishing hobby, on the other hand.....

Jr if you sell your silver locally it probably won't make it to the smelter. All it does is change hands. Your best bet is to sell at the coin show, shop for best price.
Dirt detecting has opened a new world for me as a collector. You should be able to buy a quality used detector for a couple hundred bucks. I've dug hundreds of nice silvers in the last 3 years, my oldest being a 1758 Spanish. Nice semi-key IH's, Barber, Walking and Franklin halves, the list goes on....the possibilities are endless.

Ob, research is the key. You know that ballfield in town? It's been used for over 130 years. Looks can be deceiving. That soccer field? 120 years ago it was a fairground....silver and old coins aren't exactly littering the ground, you have to hunt to find them. I hunt the trashiest, most iron infested areas that would send the normal detectorists to the loony bin. And that's where I get the oldies. I also hunt private farm and city property if it's at least 100 years old. It's just a blast if you love old coins and relics, and history.

no tensense...

must...get...more