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PennehChaos.
Penny Collector Member
USA
269 Posts |
 Posted - 05/08/2008 : 11:09:59
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How often does this happen?
i've only been through a half-dozen boxes or so, and today i got skunked... all '82-07, some cruddy, some shiny. i've only been through ten rolls so far, but i've lost interest in the rest of the box (hand-sorting, don't have a good enough scale to weigh out the rolls). Bleah.
And that's after spending last night un-rolling $90 in zinc so that i could run them through the coin machine, since the teller lines are always long at my dump bank... only to get there and wait almost 40 minutes for two other customers and a machine malfunction while the teller lines remained empty.
Can't win for losing some days... 
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Considering Verizon Business service? Perhaps you'd like to consider a nice drain cleaner enema instead? |
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WilliamC
Penny Collector Member
USA
471 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 11:29:13
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That is rough. You've obviously found someones zinc dump since you got old mixed with new.
If you have a decent set of scales you can weigh the entire box. Pure zinc boxes weigh about 14.2 lbs. Anything less than 14.5 lbs probably isn't worth opening.
Banks have a lot easier time accepting unopened boxes too.
I should know, I've given one of my dump branches 41 boxes of brand new zinc right after I picked them up from my supply bank 1/2 mile away. |
Sorting In Northwest Mississippi |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 12:04:00
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It happens to all of us. I once got an entire shipment of 24 boxes of mixed zinc. William gives good advice about using a scale. You can check rolls with a smaller scale.. zinc is about 126 grams. But the biggest time saver is a larger scale you can check box weights on.. a box of zinc in brinks wrap weight 6390 grams. Paper rolled boxes would be slightly higher. The scales have saved me a lot of time and frustration.
For zinc returns keep some loose and some rolled in the trunk of the car so you can have the option play. Also you may look for a dump bank that will accept them loose in a bag. That is generally the fastest way to dump them.  |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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PennehChaos.
Penny Collector Member
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 12:32:59
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Wow, 24 boxes of zinc... that would chase me right out of the game, i think. i really need to invest in a scale... unfortunately money has been real tight lately, even setting aside $25/week for copper takes some work.
i'm a bit limited in terms of carrying around options... i'm usually traveling by motorcycle, so i'm really maxed out at $100 in pennies! |
Considering Verizon Business service? Perhaps you'd like to consider a nice drain cleaner enema instead? |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 14:32:59
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| The scale I got for doing box weights is a postal scale and was only $10 on eBay plus some pumped up shipping of about $15. It will weigh up to 72 pounds. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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misteroman
Administrator
USA
2565 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2008 : 00:25:37
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Hoard,
I was actually thinking about how you said to get an accurate scale and weigh rolls.
How does that work and is it pretty accurate?
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Buying CU cents!!!! Paying 1.2 unlimited amounts wanted. Can pick up if near Ohio area. |
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PennehChaos.
Penny Collector Member
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 12:49:27
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i just picked up a small scale (400-gram capacity, .1 gram accuracy) for weighing individual rolls... works great, paid $10 shipped. Since you've got a .5 difference between a Cu and a Zn cent, the accuracy is plenty.
After two weeks of good pickups (i do about $100/week), i picked up two Brinks boxes of mixed zincs today.
Somebody in this area (Charleston SC) has to be pulling coppers out of circulation on a hell of a scale... |
Considering Verizon Business service? Perhaps you'd like to consider a nice drain cleaner enema instead? |
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HoardCopperByTheTon
Administrator
USA
6807 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 13:39:45
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Just a little digital scale works great for rolls. If you get one like lanispet with a 400-500 gram capacity you will be fine. A roll of solid zincs weight about 126 grams. This way you can sort by roll rather than checking each coin. It is extremely accurate. If there is a single copper penny in the roll you will see the weight difference. It is also faster for sorting individual coins since you don't even have to look at the dates. A larger scale is required to check box weights for dud boxes. This really saves time as you don't even have to open a box to check it. A zinc box will weigh about 6390-6400 grams.
I have both types of scales of course. |
If your percentages are low.. just sort more. If your percentages are high.. just sort more.
Now selling Copper pennies. 1.6x plus shipping. Limited amounts available. |
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moboman
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2555 Posts |
Posted - 05/28/2008 : 13:45:02
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quote:
Originally posted by HoardCopperByTheTon
I have both types of scales of course.
Me too, I'm catching up with hoardy! |
"99% of all lawyers give the rest of them a bad name" 
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PennehChaos.
Penny Collector Member
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2008 : 12:29:26
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Oh, one interesting twist- i had three rolls that were over the 125.6~126.0 range.
One had a single, kinda scuzzy 1976 copper.
The other two had 52 pennies each (all zincs, of course).
Didn't quite expect that from Brinks... |
Considering Verizon Business service? Perhaps you'd like to consider a nice drain cleaner enema instead? |
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Skunked on a mixed-date box
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