| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Hirbonzig
Penny Collector Member
USA
451 Posts |
 Posted - 08/18/2007 : 09:02:32
|
In the past 2 weeks I received 2 silver war nickels in change. When I would search rolls of nickels I would find about 1 or 2 silver nickels per $80 face. Is this low,high or average for finding silver nickels? Out of the common circulating coins (nickel,dime,quarter), the nickel is the only one that I find with silver fairly often. I hav'nt found a silver quarter in change in over 25 years and a silver dime pops up about every 3-4 years.
It would be nice if the silver content in these nickels were higher, then it might be worth the time to sort thru $1000. One positive is that nickels are wanted more so than halves at banks when getting them cashed in.
|
|
|
horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2007 : 07:24:52
|
There was a thread about silver nickels a while back. The conclusion was the odds were too low to make it worthwhile. Something like 1 in $500 (1 in 10,000).
I think the consensus is that if you want to hunt for silver half-dollars are the way to go. They have hot seen as much circulation as the other coins and most people don't realize that even 1965-1970 halfs are 40% silver.
The funniest place that I found silver at was in the reject slot of a Coinstar machine. Whoever used the machine before me left it there. I guess the Coinstar machine didn't recognize a silver dime as being real...talk about ironic.
Hey maybe I stumbled upon a fast potentially free way to search for silver. If my credit union with the free coin counter also rejects silver, I could start dumping dimes, nickels, quarters, and halves into and see what gets rejected. Should I sacrifice a silver dime and war nickel to test it out? |
Edited by - horgad on 08/20/2007 07:28:29 |
 |
|
|
HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2007 : 14:37:19
|
I think your percentage on the nickels is above average Hirbonzig. I think I normally average about 1 silver nickel per 3-4 boxes of nickels. I just got a good batch the other day though. I got 5 silver nickels out of $400 in nickels. Got a Buffalo too. Still, these percentanges don't quite make boxes of nickels hardly worth sorting. If you have a Ryedale machine with the nickel chute and a high speed counter to bag up the rejects to take back to the bank like I do, it still probably isn't worth the effort, but I do it anyway. I much prefer sorting pennies, the yield is much better and you never get a dud box. Heck, I even like the shiny new 2007 pennies, so those are not duds to me. I agree that if you are trying to find silver that half dollars are the best way to go if you can find them. I got 2 40% halves out of $80 worth of half dollars I got the other day. Halves are fast and easy to sort too.
"Preserving REAL coinage.. 2 tons at a time"
HoardCode0.1:M49/15USCA:US1Cu669000(150000 Reserved):US5Ni6700:CA5Ni1150 |
|
|
|
Hirbonzig
Penny Collector Member
USA
451 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2007 : 15:43:36
|
| Searched thru 3 boxes of nickels and found 2 silver nickles. Still not enough of a silver return to "splurge" and sort thru $1000. Also my wife would "kill" me if I came home with 20,000 nickels,hard to convert the non-believers to my metal religion. I got an earfull just with 3 boxes. |
|
|
|
HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2007 : 20:12:58
|
LOL.. I get that earfull all the time. "When I want to buy something we never have any money, but you can buy $700 worth of coins?" .. "I didn't "buy" $700 worth of coins, I just converted a bunch of zinc pennies into half dollars and Ike dollars"
Even with my Ryedale machine that will sort the nickels much faster than I can by hand, the nickels are not a big play for me. I still get a few, but mostly I focus on the pennies.. much more rewarding, and you can buy more of them for less money.
If you want to do the nickels, just do them a box or 2 at a time so you don't get into trouble at home. You will only have to come up with a couple of nickels to replace the silver ones you take out. You can go through $1000 (10 boxes) in no time if you just cycle your capital that way. I just got another Glory counting machine on eBay the other day. It counts out $100 in nickels into a bag in just over 1 minute. This makes it easy to return to my dump bank and I never have to reroll them after looking at them.
"Preserving REAL coinage.. 2 tons at a time"
HoardCode0.1:M49/15USCA:US1Cu678550(150000 Reserved):US5Ni9500:CA5Ni1150 |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
26 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2007 : 20:35:39
|
Okay--I'm new to this coin thing. All I "know" is that paper Federal Reserve notes, every day, are worth less--and soon will be worthless.
(1)How do I identify a silver nickel? (2)Why is it called a war nickel? (3)Is there a thread on this site that talks about collecting/hoarding NICKELS VS. PENNIES--pros and cons, reasons to use to convince my S.O. that coin hoarding is a good thing, seller's markets, etc.? Thanks!
If you value your Constitutional liberties, vote for Ron Paul for president!
You must be logged in to see this link.
|
|
|
|
Ryedale
Administrator
USA
523 Posts |
|
|
n/a
deleted
26 Posts |
|
|
pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2209 Posts |
|
|
n/a
deleted
26 Posts |
|
|
Canadian_Nickle
Penny Hoarding Member
Canada
938 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2007 : 23:34:24
|
Silver war nickels are also quite interesting from a base-metals hoarding perspective, since they illustrate a period in the market where Cupronickel was scarcer (hence, more expensive) than silver. Think about that.
Won't you feel follish for not hoarding more nickels now when those $100 20lb boxes are worth $15/oz ($4,800/box). We may laugh now and think that price could never happen, but I wouldn't be too sure - I'm pretty certain inflation increases geometrically wrt time, once a currency moves from legitimate backing into private fabrication.
________________________
"A nickel's nothing to scoff at."
C. Montgomery Burns
HoardCode0.1: M28/5CAON:CA5Ni35000:CA1Cu1200:CA100Ag345:
CA10Ag250:CA50Ag100:CA25Ag30:CA500Ag48:US100Ag20:CA1000Ag16
How to read a HoardCode:
You must be logged in to see this link. |
Edited by - Canadian_Nickle on 08/25/2007 23:35:20 |
|
|
|
ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 19:22:21
|
I don't think Cupronickel was rarer or more expensive than silver. Fact is they needed the nickel for the war effort. And the reason for the large mintmark on the backs of them was the govment fully intended to pull those back out of circulation and get the silver back. Thas what I heard anyways.
I searched a box of nickels and a box of dimes once. Got one of each but the dates are too small for me to do that again. HH Mark |
|
|
|
pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2209 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2007 : 20:22:58
|
quote:
Originally posted by Canadian_Nickle
Silver war nickels are also quite interesting from a base-metals hoarding perspective, since they illustrate a period in the market where Cupronickel was scarcer (hence, more expensive) than silver. Think about that.
You never can tell what metal will someday be the top dog and what metal will end up in the doghouse.
Before the method for producing aluminum cheaply was discovered, aluminum was more scarce than gold and was considered more valuable.
Until Spain started shipping silver into Europe from the Americas, silver was considered to be rare and in limited supply.
All metals go through thier ups and downs value wise. Ten years ago anyone hoarding copper or nickel would be considered either out of touch with reality or a harmless kook.
I have my suspicions that US Nickels are going to do very well in the future, price/metal value wise.
I should have chosen "Cut-n-Paste" as a forum name, since that is what I do, mostly. |
|
|
|
snappy
Penny Collector Member
USA
301 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 08:48:25
|
"All metals go through thier ups and downs value wise. Ten years ago anyone hoarding copper or nickel would be considered either out of touch with reality or a harmless kook."
Umm 10 years ago. try 10 minutes ago. and tomarow and the next day... ect. I always get (extra) strange looks. (for pennies)
|
|
|
|
TenBears
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1021 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2007 : 17:28:28
|
| I like the Westward Journey nickels, especially the one with the Buffalo on it. So, I can sort through a box of nickels and not feel like I got skunked. When searching for Westward Journey nickels, the silver nickel is a bonus when you do run across one. Percentage for silver nickels is extremely low; about 1 is 5 boxes is my experience. |
|
|
|
Hirbonzig
Penny Collector Member
USA
451 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2007 : 09:48:51
|
| I sorted thru 3 boxes of nickles and found 1 silver.I allways kept any nickles from the 40's and earlier, but this time I saved any from the 50's also. Dose any one save 1950's nickles also? |
|
|
|
aloneibreak
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
672 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2007 : 15:50:05
|
| i save all nickels below 1960. mixed rolls of pre 60 nickels seem to have a slight premium on ebay. i dont normally go through rolls looking for them but i did get a box this past week to see what was out there. got 13 40's and 18 50's. only one war nickel. |
|
|
|
just carl
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2007 : 10:04:35
|
Finding those war nickels is common. The main reason is few collectors like the Jefferson Nickel so there are still many laying around. You can get them from banks in boxes or even bags and there is usually some war nickels there. Many, many individuals that collect coins just don't like the Jefferson Nickel so there are lots of all dates still avilable. Oddly enough some of them in the 1950 area are way more valuable than the war time ones.
Carl |
|
|
|
Hirbonzig
Penny Collector Member
USA
451 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2007 : 11:32:30
|
Well I took the plunge and got 10 boxes of nickels. Told the wife not to use the checking acct. untill Monday when I get the non keepers deposited, I said if she wants to go shopping today to take a bag of nickels with her. I got the usuall @&%#**%! earfull, but I later on we were both looking thru what I sorted and she was amazed that I found so many "old" coins.
What I found were:
1 buffalo nickel, no date
2 from the 1930's
64 from the 1940's
14 silver nickels
539 from the 1950's
and 2 pure canadian nickels
|
|
|
|
HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 00:17:53
|
Not a bad haul for 10 boxes of nickels. What did the bank say when you showed up to redeposit 9 and half boxes of nickels? Where both of the nickels from the 30's 1939? Did either of them have a mintmark?
If your percentages are low.. just sort more.
"Preserving REAL coinage.. 2 tons at a time... and FAKE coinage.. a quarter ton at a time.. just for speculation"
HoardCode0.1:M49/15USCA:US1Cu705250(135000 Reserved):US1Zi150000:US5Ni9500:CA5Ni1150 |
|
|
|
Hirbonzig
Penny Collector Member
USA
451 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 13:09:10
|
quote:
Originally posted by HoardCopperByTheTon
Not a bad haul for 10 boxes of nickels. What did the bank say when you showed up to redeposit 9 and half boxes of nickels? Where both of the nickels from the 30's 1939? Did either of them have a mintmark?
If your percentages are low.. just sort more.
"Preserving REAL coinage.. 2 tons at a time... and FAKE coinage.. a quarter ton at a time.. just for speculation"
HoardCode0.1:M49/15USCA:US1Cu705250(135000 Reserved):US1Zi150000:US5Ni9500:CA5Ni1150
I ended up taking half to the bank to cash in and the other half to a credit union. No questions at the credit union, but at the bank I was asked how I got so many nickels. I just said my parents always saved their nickels and that I was hauling them in for my parents. They then counted the nickels appearing to get grumpy standing back by the counting machine. I then realized I should have taken them all to the credit union to be counted.
As for the 1930's nickels, both were 1939 no mint mark.
I am having second thoughts on one of the silver nickels being silver. The coin was badly nicked up and black as soot. I ID'd the coin by what I thought was part of a large mint mark on the reverse. But after dipping it in silver tarnish remover the black just faded to a lighter shade of black. |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
2 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2007 : 10:39:31
|
If it was black, it's definitely oxidized silver.
Didn't you ever see your mom polishing silverware? |
|
|
|
just carl
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2007 : 12:24:08
|
Another reason you still find old coins in change is pending on where you live sometimes. In a high crime area like mine, home robberies are very common and coin collections are a great target. The problem is most robbers just spend the coins as coins since they don't know they are worth anything. One more reason you also find Proofs in change. And Nickels just don't look expensive to a crook so into change they go.
Carl |
|
|
|
Hirbonzig
Penny Collector Member
USA
451 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2007 : 09:42:15
|
1 box of nickels:
1 1939
1 1943 silver
3 1940's
28 1950's |
|
|
|
TenBears
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1021 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2007 : 09:26:23
|
| I searched a box over the weekend as well. No silver. But, it did have a Canadian pure nickle nickle, a Bahamian nickel from the 70's, and a Mexican nickle from the 70s. 1 1938, one Buffalo nickle (can't read the date so it makes the Buffalo pocket change), several from the 40s and 50s. Fun box with the variety. |
|
|
|
just carl
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2007 : 14:20:33
|
I always save my change and every once in a while I take a bag of coins to the bank and just deposit what ever is in the bag. I usually put a few war dated nickels in there that are not worth keeping for numismatic purposes. Same with some beat up or very common date Wheat Cents.
Carl |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Siver Nickels
Forum Locked
