Silver Rolled
Silver Rolled
Where are good places to look for silver coins?
It seems like silver quarters/dimes are almost impossible to find in circulation these days. Do you think that looking through quarter rolls from banks is worth it? Is it possible that someone working in the bank can actually filter out the silver coins, making it impossible to find any in the rolls? I'm an amateur numismatist, and so far I've found only 1 silver quarter in high school (about 6 years ago) from 1943 and my brother came across a '64 recently and gave it to me. And the other day I found a silver dime from '47 in a roll-it sounds nice when you drop it on a countertop. I'd like to collect more, and don't have deep pockets to buy them from eBay, coin dealers, etc. What I want is to find them in circulation or anywhere or at face value - and please don't reply to tell me that's impossible, too bad, etc., because I do understand that most of these coins have been hoarded before I was born.
The easy if expensive methods involve purchase of electric powered metal detecting equiment and excavation tools.
The harder if inexpensive methods involve excavation tools,
selecting a likely dig location, and set-up arrangements. My
last dig was outside back door of former railroad locomotive
repair facility having 72 years of operation. Found many old
parts, tools, one .32 pistol, and a gold union lapel pin.
Built a 2x4x36 inch wood frame, nailed strap metal to secure metal screen having quarter inch square gaps between wires. To sift soil when shovel entered content my hand shook screen back and forth. Had to dump a lot of stones and junk metal. Usually made two piles. When hole was done all extracted material was shoveled back in, soil first,
followed by stone.
Worked under wood tripod lashed at top using nylon rope. Four more ropes of equal lengths with one end each fixed atop tripod fitted onto shaker framework using holes I had drilled for that purpose one at each wood corner and knotted below. This saved me frequent lifting of heavy sift materials.
When sifted earth pile grew too high I simply moved my tripod hung working equipment. When done for the day I left the tripod laid asite the dig and transported everything else by bicycle. Would expect to find coins where swept accidently out of buildings or where people loiter waiting for
services with money in-hand (like bus stops?).
