Part 6 - Results of a Box of Hlaf Dollars ($500)

[astrostu]

Just finished sorting through the box:

 

pre-1964: 0 (0.0%)

1964: 0 (0.0%)

1965-1970: 4 (0.4%)

1971-1974: 300 (31%)

1975: 0 (0%)

1976: 101 (10%)

1977-1979: 38 (4%)

1980-1984: 72 (7%)

1985-1989: 32 (3%)

1990-1994: 127 (13%)

1995-1999: 220 (23%)

2000: 67 (7%)

2001 P: 1 (0.1%)

2001 D: 9 (1%)

post-2002: 0 (0%)

 

This only adds up to 971, so I think I mis-counted somewhere because I know I had 50 rolls of 20 and one roll had 21.

 

I noticed a few things for these. First, half dollars seem to be the only denomination that you can still find silver coins in circulation, which is nice for them and bad for the rest. Second, I'm guessing that the reason I haven't found any post-2001 half dollars is because these go through present-day transactions even less than dollar coins, so even though I found a few dollar coins that were only released to collectors, I didn't find any half dollars. Third, many of the coins were of really bad quality with smooth rims, their surfaces completely scratched up, and blue marker markings on many of the edges. Not sure of an explanation on that last one.

 

Edit: I forgot ... the other thing I found surprising was really how many bicentennial ones there were.

 

Edit #2: Anyone know why the 1971 Kennedies have huge rims in comparison with the rest of the series?

[bsshog40]

I think my eyes would be bugging out of my head after all that!!

[cpm9ball]

Just finished sorting through the box:

 

pre-1964: 0 (0.0%)

1964: 0 (0.0%)

1965-1970: 4 (0.4%)

1971-1974: 300 (31%)

1975: 0 (0%)

1976: 101 (10%)

1977-1979: 38 (4%)

1980-1984: 72 (7%)

1985-1989: 32 (3%)

1990-1994: 127 (13%)

1995-1999: 220 (23%)

2000: 67 (7%)

2001 P: 1 (0.1%)

2001 D: 9 (1%)

post-2002: 0 (0%)

 

This only adds up to 971, so I think I mis-counted somewhere because I know I had 50 rolls of 20 and one roll had 21.

 

I noticed a few things for these. First, half dollars seem to be the only denomination that you can still find silver coins in circulation, which is nice for them and bad for the rest. Second, I'm guessing that the reason I haven't found any post-2001 half dollars is because these go through present-day transactions even less than dollar coins, so even though I found a few dollar coins that were only released to collectors, I didn't find any half dollars. Third, many of the coins were of really bad quality with smooth rims, their surfaces completely scratched up, and blue marker markings on many of the edges. Not sure of an explanation on that last one.

 

Edit: I forgot ... the other thing I found surprising was really how many bicentennial ones there were.

 

Edit #2: Anyone know why the 1971 Kennedies have huge rims in comparison with the rest of the series?

 

If you recall, in your Part 5 Results , I posted my guesstimates of what you might find in two boxes of halves:

1965-1970: 4

1971-1974: 302

1975-1976: 269 (Note: I believe the Bicentennial was produced for both these years.)

1977-1986: 188

1987: 0

1988-2000: 166

2001: 46

2005: 22

2006: 3

 

While I didn't keep exact numbers in my searches, the Bicentennials averaged a little more than 25%. I'm surprised that you didn't find more of the 2001 because quite a few have been dumped into circulation since the Mint began the "re-release" in 2004. Also, I expected that you would find a few 2005 & 2006 for the same reason. I have yet to find any 2002-2004 because I don't think the Mint was selling them in bags & rolls. I know it's doubtful, but did you happen to find any 1987?

 

Chris

[jtryka]

Congrats on the silver finds! I have no explanation on the blue marking on the edges, but as for the smooth edges, most likely they served time in Vegas baby!!!

[astrostu]

Chris - you were eerily spot-on for some of them, but over-predicted the middle years and so under-predicted what I found in later years. I forgot that the bicentennial one was minted in '75 and '76, which explains the lack of a '75. And no, I found none from 1987.

 

Now that I've finally finished incorporating them into the rest of my collection ... I ended up filling 5 holes and upgrading 8. I kept many more to just keep in tubes, but I decided to max out at 5 per date per mintmark (still takes up 14 tubes for '71-'00), which meant that I actually pruned my collection, since I had in some cases 12 or more examples of a date and mintmark ... though it was still a net gain in number.