Saving coins

[HOUSTON RICK]

What US coins are worth saving? Kennedy half dollars, Franklin Dollars, Susan B Anthony? Sacagawea, Dimes from the 1970's, a few buffalo nickels, wheat pennies, 1800 pennies? WWII era coins. In her ongoing unhinged quest to continually do irritating things under the guise of organization my modest coin collection has now come under attack by my better half for the miniscule amount of space that it occupies. What US coins are worth keeping?

 

[Faulkner]

Wow, that's a pretty open ended question. Numismatist are a lot like gun collectors, different people are attracted to different aspects of the hobby. I have a more than passing interest in USGI M1 carbines but I have passed on numerous German Lugers simply because Lugers don't interest me.

As for US coins, obviously pre-1964 silver coins have more value because they were around 90% silver. Most post 1964 US coins are worth face value. Some folks collect pennies some nickels and or dimes because they're relatively inexpensive. Then there are the steel pennies from the WWII era, and of course Buffalo nickels seem to have an attraction to some. I think the most attractive US coins are from the first half of the 20th century. Many volumes of books and a lot of internet bandwidth is devoted to US coins.

I have a humble collection of Morgan and Peace silver dollars, and a more than passing interest in Walking Liberty half dollars and Liberty quarters.

My youngest son and I spent several years collecting State Quarters from both mints and it was great fun, but they were only worth face value.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I also like the 90% Silver Coins.
Hate it when its called Junk Silver.
When you buy some and pay a pretty high premium, yes indeed!
That's junk all right.

 

[ladder13]

Pre 82 penny for copper content, wheat pennies are a bonus. They are still out there.

Pre 64 dimes, quarters, etc for silver content. They are very hard to find nowadays in change.

You can buy bulk silver coins on the Bay and the usual online sources like the bulk bullion sellers. Commonly referred to as junk silver.

US Mint produces some limited runs of coin sets. My cousin buys those.

 

[mojave30cal]

Keep the pre-1965 dimes, quarters and half dollars.
They are referred to as " Junk" silver, but right now the premiums
are very high on those due to supply and demand. Because
of this, " junk" silver is now " premium" silver, like the
American Silver Eagles. If you have any of the "war nickels"
made during WW II, keep them too. They contain 35%
silver. Twenty of them contain 1.125 oz. of silver.

As mentioned above, the pre-1982 pennies are 90% copper
and are worth 2 to 3 cents each. Take the rest of the coins
you have and look for " key" dates. You might have some
valuable ones.

 

[Laketime]

Last week I paid for my lunch at a Royal Farms using the self checkout. I received a 1979 proof nickel in perfect condition in my change.

 

[Inusuit]

I have to work hard to spend coins or I end up with jars of them.

 

[Golddollar]

My parents were coin collectors and I started some coin collecting on a small time basis. The big things about the value of coins beyond the face value and /or metallic content are rarity and condition. A worn silver dollar has minimal collector value but it worth at least $16 just for the silver.

The Golden Dollars that I currently spread around were made in such quantity to have minimal collector value (except for the proof coins), but to me coins are works of art. Hopefully when I leave a stack of them that the serving staff remember that I left a good tip.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The OP said saving coins, not collecting coins. I used to save all my pocket change for some unknown occasion. Pennys run about $60 per gallon, and by volume run about 45 to 50% volume of a jar of unpicked over coins.

As I see a coin on the ground I pick it up. Picking up a single penny is a pay rate of about $35 per hour. Outside convenance marts, the parking lot is often covered with coins, because teens these days don't want to be bothered with change!

In the days of owning apartments, when some people moved out, there would often be several dollars in change on the floor. And when I had a crew, they would get in fights over left behind couches or over stuffed chairs. Most I ever saw in a single couch was over $50! In the 70's and 80's, left behind couches paid for many Friday crew pizza lunches!

In early 2004, I took my first vacation since 1984. I was a cruise in the Caribbean, after the phone call reservations, I cashed in the jars of coins and took my wife "Cruising." Completely paid for with change!

All coins are worth saving!

Ivan

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I save the Bicentennial Quarters, suprising how many still show up after all these years.

 

[pawngal]

Like others have said, the pre-64 coins for the silver value.
If you collect for the value of a specific older coins, condition, condition, condition.

 

[steelslaver]

Nickels are now worth right at 5 cents . Nickel is 27,833 a ton or about $13.91 a lb and copper is over $4. There are 91 nickels to a lb. They are 75% copper and 25% nickle. So, 364 of them weigh 4# for 1# of nickle and 3# of copper, worth $13.91 for the nickle and $4 for the copper for almost $18.00 .05x364=$18.25. $18/364= $.0495. But, nickle can really soar it has been as high as 100,000 per ton making a nickle worth 14 cents.

I never spend change. I sometimes give kids a rolls of quarters though. If you filled a 55 gallon drum with pennies it would be worth over $2500. and over 1,300# I have a ways to go.

 

[Puller]

I save the Bicentennial Quarters, suprising how many still show up after all these years.

I hang on to those as well. I've got several Mason jars full of them.

 

[Liftrat]

I keep nickles and pre-1982 pennies. Haven't seen any pre-1964 silver coins in ages. Unless you're looking for numismatic value, or the vary rare oddball, I'd spend them.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Not enough space in your house for your gold coins?
Sell the coins and use the proceeds to buy a bigger house

 

[Skeet 028]

I never spend coins. Put all change i a basket at home. separate them into denominations and take quarters dimes and nickels to the bank in ammo boxes. Pay the propertytaxes with the money deposited to my account. Usually save a couple thousand a year. I save dollars and halves. Pennies get separated into copper and later zinc coins. I also separate the copper pennies saving the S mint marks. Over the years I have found 3 double dies in pennies and 4- 2 over 1 dimes. BTW a 50 cal ammo can pretty full will hold almost a 1000 dollars. Have some gold in coins and about a 1000 Morgan and Peace dollars

 

[mtgianni]

Rent a safety deposit box and keep your collection where she cannot see it.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

Collecting coins is why I stated metal detecting many years back. Sure paid for many new ones. The Items I found were passe around to family & friends. The oddesy thing I found was a Irrar coin dated 1950, a very small coin. Took a trip to my library to find the country of origin.?........Iceland.

 

[cougar14]

Several posts note "pre 64". It's actually 64 and earlier. Don't throw away those 64 silver dimes and quarters.

 

[DesertFox]

Nickels are now worth right at 5 cents . Nickel is 27,833 a ton or about $13.91 a lb and copper is over $4. There are 91 nickels to a lb. They are 75% copper and 25% nickle. So, 364 of them weigh 4# for 1# of nickle and 3# of copper, worth $13.91 for the nickle and $4 for the copper for almost $18.00 .05x364=$18.25. $18/364= $.0495. But, nickle can really soar it has been as high as 100,000 per ton making a nickle worth 14 cents.

I never spend change. I sometimes give kids a rolls of quarters though. If you filled a 55 gallon drum with pennies it would be worth over $2500. and over 1,300# I have a ways to go.

There's a guy up around Dallas that has a couple of conex full of nickles just because of this.

Spot on post.