I took a shot at some junk silver.

[dali lambone]

I decided to go to the bank the other day and grab a box ($500) of quarters just to sort through and see if there happened to be any pre-'65 coins. With the way silver has gone up the last however-many years, I figured there was a good chance that they would have all been snatched up, either by the bank or by other guys with the same idea. Sure enough, 2000 coins and 0 pre-'65 silver. After about the eighth roll, I noticed plenty of quarters dating down to 1965, but not a single one older. It was a total flop, so I guess we'll come up with another free time scheme.

 

[pmbug]

Yeah, that doesn't surprise me at all. I rarely find 90% quarters in circulation. I've had much better luck with finding dimes.

 

[KMS]

I averaged one silver dime per $125 searched. Boxes are $250.

Good luck!

 

[mike]

Kyle Bass bought all the junk silver.

 

[DoChenRollingBearing]

I read somewhere that there are machines out there that have sorted all the silver quarters and dimes out of circulation. The last silver coin I got was in MEXICO at the tourist part of Cozumel (touristy enough so that the quarter came with other US money in change after I bought something).

And Mexico and Peru duke it out for being the world's No. 1 producer of silver. Amazing that I got a silver coin (worth $7 or so, as the price of silver was higher then) in Mexico! I still keep that quarter in my closet...

 

[ADK]

I usually get a quarter or a dime or two from each $100 or so of pocket change up here. Maybe my area isn't too picked over?

I've also (a-hem) "educated" my wife on how to spot silver in circulation where she works

ADK

 

[Penn]

I never had luck with that- if you have time to kill try nickles.

 

[Jay]

About eight years ago Bing and I started getting about 500 dollars at a time from the local banks, few 90% but no one ever touches the 40%. Got a LOT. I figured that you couldn't do that anymore, but the local coin shop guy says its still out there, he's been doing it every week. Got a 40% out of one roll the other day, but thats all the looking I've done. Get a lot through the local grocery store. (In the last year, about 800 silver quarters, 70 40% halves.) One day I got 40 Ikes, thought they were worth something, but only worth 4 bucks.

 

[Jetstream]

I think there are enough folks picking the stuff over that it will be increasingly difficult to find enough to make it worthwhile for the expenditure of time.

Now if there is a retired guy or gal or couple and want to spend some time doing that rather than golfing or sitting at the local coffee shop, then perhaps. But as far as getting any kind of ROI of time, the cream (of lots of coins) has long been skimmed off (the bulk of coin rolls).

 

[Jay]

yeah, I know two of my "doomer" friends whose wives work at my bank, both of them are picking through stuff. Now, if your into collecting paper currency.... last time I talked to the bank officer guy (who collects coins also) he brought out a six inch stack of old banknotes of all different years and denominations and said I could have any I wanted at face (but no gold certificates, he kept those). I gave it a pass, as my wife was fed up with my currency thing.... still have a big stack of silver certificates and red seals, suppose I outta do something with them.

 

[Jay]

5 silver eagles at spot from my local jeweler
1 1964 quarter in change at the grocery store