So, since I don't want to blame myself, I need to blame one of you
guys.....

I am taking a few days off from work this week and got bored
today...so, not having spare money, i decided to "exchange" some money
on a "loan" basis....

I went to a bank in town (~30 miles outside of Seattle) and got:

12 rolls of nickels (thanks to Larry...or, curse him , I have the
Harris&Co. Nickel holders (ummm...I forgot to get te PRE-1962 one
though ).

12 Rolls of dimes

10 Rolls of pennies

20 rolls of quarters (I am only doing state quarters....why oh why did
I get all those quarters????)

and misc $0.50 and Sac $1 coins ( a few 1971 and 1991 and some
1976....nothing prior to 1971 for the kennedys).

So far, I have only done the nickels......that took HOURS because I am
not used to doing rolls (what are YOUR guys' methods to this madness?)
I put done a small table, opened 1 roll at a time, and divided into
the year and now will do year-by-year and put into the holder.
I also had $4.20 in nickels from pocket change that was waiting for my
nickel folder to arrive this week.

Here are the highlights of my first nickel dive....very unscientific
and very time-consuming....and, I culled the crap coins (really
marred, really scratched, unreadable (all were 1964 or later like this
though) right off the bat and didn't count them...

First off...THERE WERE A BUTTLOAD of 1964 nickels made (yes...I
finally looked at the redbook and saw there were more than a BILLION
of the 1964 AND of the 1964D EACH.

I got 1 canadian 1995 nickel (ALL were bankrolled...the bank doesn't
screen for them in their own rolls, but when I use their sorting
machines to cash in the coins, they screen them out? say what????)

(1) 1939 - Somewhere between F-12 and VF-20 (I am new to nickels and
using the photograde book I just received from Larry Calder)
(1) 1953 - Probably a VG-8 due to wear on the rev and some scratches
on the obv..otherwise, the obv would be ~F-12
(1) 1954D - another VG-8..maybe a little stronger, not much though
(1) 1957 - probably F-12. Toning This was actual pocket change last
week
(1) 1958D - A little more than a F-12 but not quite all the VF-20
(3) 1960D - (1 cleaned, 1 G-8, 1 F-12)
(1) 1961D - F-12+ but scratches that look like it was wiped.

So, those all await something to hold them in...I need to get just the
1938-1961 holder now....

Then, I have found ALL the rest up through 2002 EXCEPT I found NO 1966
and 1967!!! What is up with that?

(0) 1962
(1) 1962D - VF-12
(0) 1963
(2) 1963D
(4) 1964 - all seem nice but worn VG-8 - lmost VF20
(18) 1964D - most around F-12
(2) 1965 - Higher than VF-20 but looks rubbed/cleaned
(0) 1966
(0) 1967
(2) 1968S F-12+
(1) 1968D F-12+
(3) 1968S
(2) 1969D
(4) 1970S
(3) 1970D
(1) 1971
(4) 1971D
(1) 1972
(4) 1972D - interesting FILTHY coin that is close to AU-50
(0) 1973
(6) 1973D
(1) 1974
(3) 1974D
(3) 1975
(2) 1975D
(1) 1976
(6) 1976D
(3) 1977
(4) 1977D
(3) 1978
(3) 1978D
(5) 1979
(7) 1979D - 2 appear almost PL but one has too many scratches for me
(1) 1980
(9) 1980D - some are clear/open MM and some seem filled
(5) 1981
(1) 1981D
(4) 1982
(4) 1982D
(4) 1983
(4) 1983D
(1) 1984
(9) 1984D
(4) 1985
(9) 1985D
(2) 1986
(4) 1986D
(3) 1987 - all 3 seem to have same wear on rims...weak?
(12) 1987D - 1 is weirdly/radically toned
(8) 1988
(11) 1988D
(2) 1989
(15) 1989D
(1) 1990
(8) 1990D
(4) 1991
(14) 1991D
(1) 1992
(10) 1992D
(0) 1993
(9) 1993D
(0) 1994
(14) 1994D
(8) 1995
(18) 1995D

That finishes THAT book.... 7 holes currently Most of the coins
seem to be VF-20 thru VF-40 (the '70s are largely VF it looks like)
with some in VG-8+ and some in AU-50 or so (I don't call coins I get
in change or rolls from the bank that are mixed MS coins....just
doesn't seem right to me even if they look it......anyone tell me
differently? I will listen.

So, for book two (jeez....this is taking FOREVER...lot of
nickels....next will be pennies.....shades oh shades....that will be a
lot of time I think)....my fingers and especially my thumbs are
already killing me starting on ~1993

(3) 1996
(21) 1996D
(1) 1997 - would be EF-40+ but it is covered in scratches
(20) 1997D
(4) 1998
(28) 1998D
(0) 1999
(40) 1999D
(3) 2000
(27) 2000D - Some of these are PL in appearance....imho.kinda cool
(was there a change in composition or something?)
(0) 2001
(22) 2001D
(3) 2002
(37) 2003D - got a noticeable end roll toned coin...cool

That gives me 2 current holes (4) if you include this year (I haven't
seen 2003 yet....and since I live in Washington State, I probably
won't see the P MM for awhile...since that MM constitutes my holes for
all of them so far)


Total time to unwrap nickels, put into year-piles, and then put into
the books and sort them.... 5 hours+ !!!!! How do you guys do it?


Now, do I keep some of the nickels or toss them back into the stream
of finances?


Ron