View From The Porch: Normality question:

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Normality question:

Does anyone else religiously separate the pre-'82 pennies from the rest of their change and hoard them? Or am I weird?

34 comments:

BryanP said...: No I don't, but you're still weird. Come on in, the water's fine.

BryanP; 12:38 PM, January 30, 2008
Zendo Deb said...: I think all of that early morning making of the donuts is just beginning to have an adverse effect.

But I wouldn't go all the way to weird.; 12:38 PM, January 30, 2008
Rustmeister said...: Is that when they quit making them outta copper?; 12:40 PM, January 30, 2008
Tam said...: Yup.

A pre-'82 penny is actually worth about 1.5x to 3x its face value, depending on what copper is doing at the time. Scrap copper closed at $3.25/lb yesterday, so an older penny is probably worth about double face value at the moment...; 12:53 PM, January 30, 2008
Rustmeister said...: I guess you can add me to the weird group, then.; 12:58 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: I do - I do! Only recently though (last two years or so).; 1:12 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: Tam, those are two completely independent questions.

No. I don't sort my pennies on the basis of a 1982 date. I do glance through my coins and look for really old stuff. The criteria for "really old" is entirely subjective. You see, my criteria hasn't changed since I was a kid. Anything older than I am I consider "really old". And I was born several years before you.

I figure picking up brass at the range yields a better return in the scrap metal market.

As far as you being weird, I could be a smart ass but I'm not so stupid that I would punch Mike Tyson or George Foreman in the nose so I'm not going to get snarky with you.

Weird is relative. In my world view you are very near perfect (I have a preference for brunettes and non-smokers) but for some people I'm sure you are beyond weird and well into the evil regardless of how you sort your pennies. If you worry about being considered weird you need to work on your self-esteem and let others worry about being weird.; 1:19 PM, January 30, 2008
B.S. philosopher said...: No you aren't the only one. However, I do it for numismatic value as much as copper value.

Incidentally not all 1982 pennies were copper, some are zinc. There are, taking into account large date, and small date formats 7 different varieties of copper and zinc pennies from 1982; 1:30 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: No, but I am collecting nickels, the "poor man's silver".

harryk9; 1:32 PM, January 30, 2008
Cowboy Blob said...: I collect any coin that's older than I am (1961). Just because.; 1:44 PM, January 30, 2008
theirritablearchitect said...: Did you pick that up over at RNS?

I read the same piece about a week ago and didn't realize that pennies hadn't made the zinc transition when the silver coins did.; 2:47 PM, January 30, 2008
Earl said...: I just pick them up, sort by country (Canada has a woman on it) roll it up and deposit it in an account that won't keep up with inflation or devaluation of the coins. But I do hate to see them ground up by road ravage.

You are almost unique, weird is a bit strange and you aren't a bit of anything.; 3:14 PM, January 30, 2008
Carteach said...: Not yet. I do save berdan primed empty brass for the metal, and all others for for reloading or trade.

I also look through change for oddities and silver. Copper..... not yet. Suppose I should.
Too lazy?

Weird? Yes, you are.
Thank God.
Most of the interesting people in the world are just that.

I met a normal person once. I didn't like him.

Come to think of it, I really don't like MOST of the people I meet.; 4:16 PM, January 30, 2008
Sigivald said...: You're weird, not-that-there's-anything-wrong-with-that.

For 2-3x face value, it's not worth the effort - now, the old silver pre-67 coins, at, what, 10x face these days? That's worthwhile, but you never find them.

(I only sort of wheat-backs, which are also uncommon.); 4:51 PM, January 30, 2008
BobG said...: I vote for weird, but it's not like that's a bad thing...; 7:14 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: Button pinned to the wall of my cube.

"Better Weird than Dull"

Just so's ya know.; 7:21 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: Awesome!
I was just doing this at my desk, before I decided to go through the daily blogs I read. Only 4 pre-'82 in today's change, darn it.
I figure if all else, they might melt into nice "lead" someday, or I can use them for plating, if I REALLY had to.; 7:45 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: Pre' 64 silver coins (dimes, quarter, halves) absolutely get sorted out. Pennies is a whole 'nuther deal. The kids have a blast sorting them out, especially when they find a 'wheatie!'; 7:58 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: We just need a way to automate the sorting process. The people at Coinstar (automated counting kiosks) are probably working on it. And then the laws saying you can't melt it down.

I do collect nickles since it's easy.; 11:42 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: BTW I did look at the pennies once and came to the conclusion it wasn't worth it. Plus it reminded me each time that my vision is deteriorating...; 11:43 PM, January 30, 2008
Anonymous said...: Thanks-a-bunch, Tam!

Now I gotta go sort my change again.; 12:56 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: Pennies: I keep a film canister around somewhere to put the copper ones in, but I doubt I've got more than ten or so.

I keep them because I might need a copper washer or gasket. Just drill a hole and then anneal with a propane torch.

Really now, I can scrape up a discarded lead acid battery easier than finding 100 copper pennies, and melting down those pennies is illegal anyway.; 2:07 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: Yes, I save all my pre-'82 pennies - have for years.

BTW, my niece says "normal is a setting on a dryer"; 2:27 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: Wait, lemme get this straight, you only keep the pre 82?

That is wierd. I keep all of 'em in a gallon wine bottle. Haven't turned them in paper money in a coupla years..; 5:04 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: I do save pennies!
However, I hoard all money. And then trade it for something, usually a gun.
I have been saving all pennies for about 30 years. I pick them up near vending machines where people get frustrated and throw them down.

I do consider myself weird.
And you too of course.; 5:07 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: I guess I'm really weird then.
At the end of every day my wife and I dump all our change and $1 bills. We have containers for pennies, nickles, dimes/quarters, and dollar bills.
Every so often we sort the pennies, dimes and quarters further for copper/silver and store those.
If I ever "borrow" from the jars then I always replace it with a greater amount. Say if I need a few singles, I throw I fiver in the jar in their place.
When the jars fill up, the money gets used on something fun, like a trip or gun. The funds build up faster then you would think.

Sigivald: There was a time (not that long ago) when the silver dimes were only worth 2-3 times their face value. Speaking for me personally; I don't save pennies and nickles for what they are worth now, I save them for what they may be worth in the future.; 5:27 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: Nothing wrong with being weird or crazy. I'm alittle bit of both, it's the ones that don't admit it that you have to look out for! I collect all silver (color, that is)coins minted in 1972 or earlier. '72 was the last year Harley-Davidson used all American made parts on their bikes. AMF/Ride Safe; 6:56 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: Post-1982 pennies weigh 2.5 grams. This came in handy when we home schooled our kids and I was too cheap to buy calibrated weights for 2 or 3 lessons. Older pennies are a little over 3 grams.

There is about $55 of pennies in a gallon jar, as discovered many years ago in broke student days.; 8:32 AM, January 31, 2008
staghounds said...: When was the last time any of you actually had a silver coin handed you in change?

The coinstar people, like the Government and the intelligent banks, already do this by machine and have been since 1982. They sort and select by coin weight, the coppers weigh significantly more.

And no, I don't sort- yes it's doubling your money, but my time is worth more to me.

BUT, if I were working in a retail store where I had to be there ANYWAY, I absolutely would.; 8:46 AM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: I save the copper pennies for a totally different reason. One of my sons, the career military one, uses them in those souvenir coin masher machines where ever he travels to. Either with the Army or on family trips. He and his family got me started on it and now I always save the copper pennies and keep twice as many quarters(it costs fifty cents to use the coin masher)with them.; 9:27 AM, January 31, 2008
NotClauswitz said...: What's a Penny? Here in California everything starts at a Dollar.; 12:04 PM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: A penny = once cent for copper at $1.22. Today's spot price of copper is about $3.25, so that's 2.66 cents per penny.

Weird doesn't equal stoopid.

:D, Art; 12:26 PM, January 31, 2008
GunGeek said...: Two other little tidbits...

Even today's zinc core pennies are worth more than a penny due to both copper and zinc getting so pricey.

Half dollar coins from 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver (as opposed to the 90% silver of pre-65 coins) and tend to get missed by people looking for 1964 or earlier dates. They're worth several times face value.; 3:53 PM, January 31, 2008
Anonymous said...: I was once told this by a trial lawyer friend of mine.....

"In court, a good lawyer never asks a question to which he does not know the answer, or how the questionee will answer"......

I'm not sure why I thought that might apply here...but....; 6:09 PM, February 01, 2008

View From The Porch

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Normality question:

34 comments:

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