I think that so cool!

I have a nice trick with my coins. I almost never spend coins, but collect my change in a 32 oz mayo jar. When it gets up to the curve at the top, I take it to a special type of Coin Star machine. Now, not all Coin Star machines do this, but my favorite gives you 100% value if you get a gift card/certificate from selected stores. Like Amazon.com. So I apply the balance (usually about $85 +/-) to my Amazon account, and then what I buy is paid for. Neat trick, I think.

Here is a link that might be useful: Free coin counting

I use coins all the time and never accumulate them. However, at the moment I have a one ruble coin and a ten kopec coin that somebody slipped me on the sly. I'm usually on the lookout for Canadian quarters, since I can't use those in parking meters, but I can sometimes just pass those on when I get them. I haven't been able to get rid of the ruble and kopecs yet, however, so they must be pretty worthless. I also have a twenty drachmas coin that the neighbor girl in Venice threw over our wall.

Lars

Lars, keep saving those Canadian quarters. At least for the time being, they are worth more than your own American quarter.

Ann

I have a plastic tray with many holes that I drilled on it. The holes are a little smaller than a quarter.

I can sort out all the pennies, dimes and nickels in a few seconds, leaving behind just quarters and dollars.

I use a lot of quarters and dollars for parking meters and vending machines.

dcarch

Wow that's a cool site Cathy! My son saves loose coins, I'm gonna let him try it out.

I have a tall Tupperware container full of coins. I mean to toe them to the Coinstar machine one day, although I always feel silly standing there pouring coins into it. The last time I went the electronic readout kept saying "my, you have a lot of coins."

My sons used to collect coins and put them in those blue folders for collectible. Now I have a stack of those folders that I would like to get rid of. I doubt that the coins have much value beyond face value, but I can't be sure. I tempted to throw them in the coinstar machine, too. I also have some bills that are Silver Certificates. I think I'll leave those in a drawer with a note, and let my heirs deal with them!

Remember that 'silver' coins prior to 1965 (when the 'sandwich' metal coins were introduced) are worth a lot more than face value, and copper pennies 1981 and before plus some from 1982) have about 2x the value of newer alloy pennies.

Pam, definitely take the coins to a shop that buys and sells collections. You might be surprised how much some of them are worth. If any of the blue folders are complete, they are worth even more. I used to have some Silver Certificates, but I don't think you can get silver with them any more.

I used to have a bunch of the blue folders, but they got stolen. I had almost all the pennies going back to 1909 and including 1909.

I have a 1968 sterling silver 25 peso coin that was issued for the Olympics in Mexico City, and I have a 1878 silver dollar that I won in 1964 for bread that I entered in the county fair and got Grand Champion. I got several silver dollars for that, but I only kept one of them. They give much better prizes now, I think.

Lars

I would check through those blue books before just putting them through a coin machine.

The last time I checked (February 22, 2011), a 1/4 bag of junk silver (pre-1965 coins with a $250 face value) it was worth $6,320.00! The spot price of silver was $33.35 on February 22. It a bit more today ($36+/- today) although off its highs. I'm using APMEX prices 'cause I know what they sell is real silver.

/tricia

Forgot to mention that those circulated, junk, pre-1965 coins are 90% silver...

/t

Wow, I had no idea. Guess I'll have to find a coin dealer. One more thing to (not) do. I know the value of gold and silver is way up. I never thought about coins, just jewelry and silverware. Hmmmm. Thanks for the heads up (that's a joke -- get it?)

Pam, a 1/4 bag of junk silver is hard to buy today. Lots of wanna be buyers...but few sellers. Lots of reasons...there's always been the numismatic value (coin collectors), many people worldwide scooped up 1/4 bags prior to the "end of the world" thing, there's also those who believe the spot price will hit $50 so they buy for investment, and many believe having some gold/silver in small denominations should be part of a general food/commodity storage program. So, demand keeps the 1/4 bag premiums fairly stable since most can't afford to buy a full bag ($1,000 face value & over $26,000 in today's market). Maybe, you might want to just hang onto any pre-1965 junk coins laying around in little blue folders. :) Should also stress that these prices are for junk (well circulated)...if you have any that are uncirculated hanging around...those individual coins have some nice stand alone value today depending on the exact coin.

/t

Guess I should check out my stash. I'm not sure how much I have. I have some real silver dollars that my folks gave me in 1957 after a trip to Vagas...kept them all these years.

Whoa Cathy! Great link! I guess now I have to get out Maggie, Max's and Lette's piggy banks! My wish is by the time I die they will have enough coins to go to college, or at least enough to buy their books ;-)