$50 Bank Bag

[The Guide]

My bank is great in providing me bricks whenever I request them. Actually I email the teller ahead of time and the brick is waiting for me upon my arrival. The teller told me today that the bank also carries $50 penny bags from coins they run from their counting machine.

I was wondering if this is a standard practice elsewhere and if so, a proven better alternative to score good finds then bricks?

[Roller]

I was getting $50 bags from a local grocery store's coin machine for several years and yes I did have some good finds but toward the end before they cut me off, I was not finding anything remarkable. One good thing is you don't have to unwrap rolls.

[GrumpyEd]

I would think it's better. Rolling is one more chance for deformed things or odd things to get culled out.

[Petespockets55]

I would say yes because there is a good chance some brings in their _________ full of coins they've been saving for 20 years and don't want to roll them. They will do it the easy way and let the bank count them. No fees to the customer like Coinstar charges.

[ERRORCENTS]

I use 6 banks to get my bricks and the one bank always have $50.00 bas for me, so time to time when I put my order in I will get $200.00 in bricks and the other will be the $50.00 bag. I have some great finds in the bags that is where my 1972/1972 came from, I fell off my chair when I seen that awesome DDO. It is on here to look at....So for me the bags a good, as well as the bricks. I must say though there are times when I go through bricks that I do not find anything.

[The Guide]

Thanks all for the comments. I purchased a bag today and will start looking soon. The bag was intended to go to the Fed in Jacksonville, FL.

[retiredcopper]

I remember cashing in pennies at my bank's counting machine a few years ago. The bags got full so the teller had to change two of them. As she removed one, I saw hundreds of wheat pennies inside! I asked her if I cold buy it and she said the manager did not allow them to sell bags. Boy, it hurt to see that bag go away.

[The Guide]

UPDATE - I finished examining the bag today and it was a disappointment. Scored only eight wheats and they were all from the 50's. I do like to find "S" memorials and happily found nine of them. My best find was a 2000 WAM and it is posted for examination. Hopefully my next purchase will be better!

[makecents]

Well congrats on the WAM and S mm's anyway!! Good haul!

[jfines69]

Thanks for the update... Seems like getting a nice batch of coins from bags is getting harder... At least you got a few keepers!!!

[The Guide]

I would say yes because there is a good chance some brings in their _________ full of coins they've been saving for 20 years and don't want to roll them. They will do it the easy way and let the bank count them. No fees to the customer like Coinstar charges.

It appears this is going to be the case for me on this go around! My first five purchases of $50 bags have been mostly uneventful. However my sixth purchase today looks like a winner. I cherry picked the top layer of the bag and scored 16 steelies! Let's hope the count continues. Also, scored 8 other brown wheats and several near uncirculated Bi-Centennials.

Will post my findings in a new thread. In the meantime, attached are photos of the 1943 steel cents.

[makecents]

Very cool, maybe this is the bag!! Some of the 43's look to have good detail too!

[Petespockets55]

Steelies are fun because there are quite a few varieties and errors in the series.

[jfines69]

Cool... Too bad one of those 43s weren't copper!!!

[The Guide]

Very cool, maybe this is the bag!! Some of the 43's look to have good detail too!

Well I finally finished examining the bag. This was the bag!! I suspect someone cashed Grandpa’s collection and I was the lucky recipient!! Topping the finds was a well worn but legible 1880 IHC. I will post a picture in a separate thread. The Wheat count totaled 118 which included 42 steelies (including one D and one S). The wheat count by decade was teens-2, twenties-23, thirties-4, forties-21, and fifties-30. Low mintage finds were a 1925-S and a 1931 from Philadelphia. They are posted below as well as the best looking 1943 steelie.

The Memorial finds were highlighted by “S” proof strike from 1968, 1977, 2005, 2006, and 2007. In addition to about a quarter brick full of 2009 Bicentennial designs. I have yet to examine them for any possible flaws. I will post the proof strike pictures in a separate thread.


I guess it pays to have patience in waiting for the big score.