# Dollar bills for coins?



## gabedelgado

Is it worthwhile to trade dollar bills for quarters and dollar coins with hope of getting high silver content coins?


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## Magus

No, you BUY junk silver and KNOW what you're getting.


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## The_Blob

IMHO you'd have more luck purchasing a few vending machines, getting some good locations, and hoping for a few rogue silver quarters.


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## invision

gabedelgado said:


> Is it worthwhile to trade dollar bills for quarters and dollar coins with hope of getting high silver content coins?


I tried this 6 months ago, getting $500 worth of halves from my bank... My score? Zero. Best bet, find a local dealer, pawn shop, or use the Internet and buy junk silver. Stay away from dollars and war nickles IMO. If you want 1oz coins go with silver eagle... Spot looks to be climbing back up, and I expect it to keep going, so buy now, not next month is my opinion as well...


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## Grimm

I get rolls of quarters from the bank every week. I have yet to find any silver. I even went through my Dad's 5 gallon change jug and found a war nickle. No silver at all. 

I buy silver eagles and junk silver for just under spot if I can find it. I still get rolls of quarters and ask my bank if they have any halfs and dollar coins. I'm saving the 'odd' coins for my kids since I got these types a coins from my grandparents when I was a kid.

In short- buy your silver.


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## BillS

I've gotten only one 90% silver coin in change in the last 10 years. It was a quarter.

There's a charge from your bank to get rolls of coins. I'm sure that you wouldn't get enough 90% silver coins to make up for the charge.


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## Immolatus

I've never been charged at my bank to convert paper to metal, Bill, sounds like you need a new bank!
I will agree that its not worth the effort, unless you have children that will look through stacks of coins for you for fun. Seems like a lot of effort for not much (if any) return.

Although, and I'm not sure I totally agree with this thought process...
I was at the docs a few weeks ago, random conversation starts up between a few people and the one guy is a coin collector. Not for pm's, but numismatics. I start talking, and end up saying that only the nickel is worth anything anymore, and the rest of it is junk.
He says "One day the metal alone, no matter how worthless it is now, will be worth something in the future. Think of what most people thought about people saving dimes the year they lost all silver content." Obviously silver is 'different', but he did have a point. Its certainly possible that one day the base metals will rise above their face value in modern coinage. Something to think about.


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## invision

BillS said:


> I've gotten only one 90% silver coin in change in the last 10 years. It was a quarter.
> 
> There's a charge from your bank to get rolls of coins. I'm sure that you wouldn't get enough 90% silver coins to make up for the charge.


I never get charged by my bank... Regions... I would throw a fit right there if they tried to charge me for a roll of anything...


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## 8thDayStranger

Good luck getting much silver from the bank. My wife works at a bank and they can spot silver from a mile away. Most of them will snatch it up before it hits the system. Not too long ago the misses brought home some silver half proofs some stupid kid cashed it.


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## k0xxx

Immolatus said:


> (snip)...Its certainly possible that one day the base metals will rise above their face value in modern coinage. Something to think about.


It is already happening.

A copper penny (prior to 1983) is worth twice the face value in metal.

A nickel is actually worth a miniscule amount over five cents, and will surpass that as the dollar declines in value.


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## jsriley5

I actually went through a gallon can of pennies and sorted them and kept the copper ones aside. may not be worth actively going out and buying pennies to separate but it cost me nothing buy time I have to sort the ones I had already collected. Rolled up the non coppers and was gonna swap em for some coin rolls to search for any silver I might get. I won't make any special trips but won't hurt to get some to fiddle with. I too have thought what a great scheme it would be to have a arcade or one of the machines that pays cash for your bulk coinage. Lotta sorting time though if you take any time to look for numismatic valuables as well.


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## Immolatus

k0xxx said:


> It is already happening.
> A copper penny (prior to 1983) is worth twice the face value in metal.
> A nickel is actually worth a miniscule amount over five cents, and will surpass that as the dollar declines in value.


Gimme some credit, I better already know at least that much...
His point was that even the base metals (the zinc) will be worth something someday. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it at first, but it does make some sense. Peak zinc?
I save my nickles but its too much effort to look for pennies cause I have to squint too much.
I always wondered if those Coinstar machines separate out silver and copper coins?
Ive seen machines you can buy (or make) that weigh out coins to separate the worthwhile coinage on the interwebs somewhere.



8thDayStranger said:


> Good luck getting much silver from the bank. My wife works at a bank and they can spot silver from a mile away. Most of them will snatch it up before it hits the system. Not too long ago the misses brought home some silver half proofs some stupid kid cashed it.


One of the guys at work's girl works at a bank, and a few months ago an older person (which should know better) brought in a bunch of Morgans to cash in for paper. Ugh. Whoops! She snatched them up, not knowing what they really were, but knew enough to take them. I let my buddy buy as many as he would sell, after telling him to keep at least some, but he wanted the money. I looked it up and gave them the going rate.


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