counting change...HUGE volunteer project. Apply within.

coppercoins · Site Admin

A study I started years ago fell by the way side as other priorities jumped in the way - but now I am wanting to get it started again, and I need help from the public.

The premise to the project is to find out what 1c coins we have circulating in our economy. The idea is that since we have about 30 billion cents in change out there, if we took a small cross section of that and broke it down into dates and mints, then used a formula to remultiply the number up to a total of 30 billion, we could assume this is something close to the number that's left from original mintage. Here's how it works...

We need 3 million cents sorted and reported, but it needs to be from all around the country because mint districts dictate what you have in your change. If we get a count from WA, FL, CA, and ME and all points in between, we will get a close idea of what's all over the country, not just what's in CA.

3 million, you say...that's a LOT of coins! Well, if I had 600 people involved, each person would sort and report on a single bag of cents - or two bank boxes worth...$50 face. That would take a weekend, at most, and you wouldn't need to keep the coins - you could simply take them back to the bank when you're done.

Naturally, I cannot 'pay' people to participate, this would be a voluntary thing...but the results would be something that's never been done on a scale like this, and it would help everyone as a community...and it could actually bring you coins that could make a profit for you. Additionally, you will be listed as a contributor anywhere the results are published. That puts your name in the marquee lights, and helps us all out at the same time.

Now...there are a couple of requirements beyond what you might expect, so PAY ATTENTION CLOSELY HERE!

You must know and sort the difference between the 1960, 1970, 1974, and 1982 large and small date coins, and you must also be able to separate the metals in 1982. I can help anyone with any of this, and will be publishing information on the web for participants to read. If you DO NOT sort the coins out completely, I CANNOT USE YOUR RESULTS. Simple as that. In order for any of this to work, everyone has to be on the same page.

I know I will get help from around 200 people already from other sources. If everyone in CCF helps out, that will bring us much closer. I'm sure I can get the remainder by duplicating effort in lower populated areas or something...those details will come out in the wash.

The results....wouldn't you like to know how many 1982D small date zinc cents were minted? The results of this test could help determine a close number. It could also point out modern pocket change rarities in Lincoln cents. It is entirely possible that (hypothetical here) 1988P cents are MUCH scarcer than all surrounding dates. Could be a reason for that, but we don't know it now. All we have to go by now are the mintages, which are rather consistent. What would it look like if 1,600 1987 cents were found, 2,300 1989 cents were found, but only 250 1988 cents were found? That shows us a shortcoming in that date that we didn't know about before this count. Of course I'm only using 1988 because even I don't know what's really scarce, and I had to pick a date. It's also entirely possible that none of the dates are scarce at all. NOBODY knows...UNTIL we do something about it, and this is how.

So...if you're into sorting change, and would like to sort a couple of boxes of circulated cents for this study, sound off here, and I will continue with further information. If I don't get much interest in responses, I'll just can the idea.

Now...again...PLEASE DO NOT START until you get instructions on exactly how to do it. I will publish the information you need to know if in fact we end up doing this, and you can start after you read the information. If you ASSUME what I need to know and just jump out there and do it, I can promise you that you have a less than 10% chance I can actually use your effort toward anything. That's why it's important that you follow my lead on this.

So who's in? Where you from? You know someone else who would do it? Let me know. Remember, I want as much coverage of the nation as possible. Any Hawaiians? Alaskans? That would be even better! More the better, but I cannot have too many from a single area doing this...which is why some might be rejected toward the end. I will have to get equal representation from around the country.

coppercoins · Site Admin

For anyone ineterested, please send me an email (cd@coppercoins.com) with the following subject:

"cent count - your location"

Mine would say, "cent count - SW Missouri"

Thanks!!

eagames · Expert Member

Cool idea!

Next time I get a box I'll try it. (using your instructions)
I do almost the same thing (split them as I search) but I don't count the totals and I don't normaly try to split up the 74 LD/SD types but it will not be much extra work.

Hey the pay for doing this is that some people will find some good varieties Maybe we should also report any varieties found? Maybe someone will get some nice DDOs or DDRs or RPMs or wide AMs or for 1988 see how many are RDV5 or RDV6.
(the different FG styles on 1988 cents)

Smile

gription · Advanced Member

notabot · Advanced Member

I'll volunteer! Does this have to be done in one weekend, or can it be done over several weeks or so?
One more thing, the fact that you chose the 1988 is really puzzling. I have been doing the job you describe, exactly, for months now, just not sorting them by date unless they are AU or BU from 1982 on, so I'm already in.
And I can tell you for certain, 1988 is a VERY TOUGH date to find here, though it may not be elsewhere. Every time (well, it seems so) that I order 1988 BU rolls, I get spots, and 1988 BU in change nigh impossible. So I will start today, and when I get two boxes, fifty bucks worth, I will let you know. Assuming others step up. And we could limit the results to the members who actually did the counting for six months, while we gather up the scarce rolls for our own hoards.
That's fair, IMHO.
And one final point: assuming that EBAY results are a valid sample of available OBW Lincolns, we can cull a great random sample of approximated scarcity according to commercial availability on EBAY.
Tonight on EBAY...total 1988 OBW Lincoln rolls.....zippo, nada, zilch.
So it begins, and it's great stuff that all the other pubs will envy.
Very bright idea.

Earwig · Veteran Member

I sent you a email and am in for SE Mich, also i am going to alabama the first week of nov and can pick 2 boxes from central alabama if nobody from there is in on it

Eric

coppercoins · Site Admin

A couple of things...

I picked 1988 because I know they are tough - but so are 1985 and 1986.

I don't want anyone to go through the trouble to start this until I know I have enough volunteers to bother doing it...and I need all I can get. Right now we still have just about 50. We need at least 200.

For all who want to volunteer, it is VERY important that you send an email stating you are volunteering. I am going to coordinate everything through email. Send it to cd@coppercoins.com, and use the following subject:

"cent count - (your area, state)"

As for how long it can take to do this. I don't plan on getting results from people until the end of the year. Considering we get started on this by halloween, you would have two months to finish.

Regarding the source of the coins - and this is VERY IMPORTANT! I want the source to be the exact same thing everywhere. Best way to ENSURE the source is all 2007 pocket change is to have you go to your bank and buy two boxes of cents...either that or exchange all the rolls you have looked through for new ones, or something to make sure all the coins came from a bank after today. Do NOT take a jar out of your closet and sort it. Do NOT grab a bucket of coins from your garage that's been there for five years. ALL of the coins sorted for this project need to come straight out of circulation, no exceptions!

Thanks, and I will be in touch with all who have emailed me about this.

gription · Advanced Member

i've gotta say i'm a bit shocked to see this mentioned (a whole big story) in the new numismatic news Shocked

not bad

coop · Expert Member

eagames · Expert Member

Coop,

The lines work good.

Just looked at 2 rolls of Ps.

First roll was 100% LD.

Next roll was mixed.

After I split them by the lines I could see the narrower 7 on the small dates.

Robert · Senior Member

Chuck,
Are there any parts of the country significantly lacking in volunteers? I might be travelling some soon and could possibly stop and pick up a bunch of rolls from an "unrepresented" area.

coop · Expert Member

Ed: I appreciate the fact that there is rolls of un-mixed coins. But I guess it would be only the in-between die rolls that would be mixed. The rest of the year would be all large or small dates. Never thought of it that way. The 1960 Small/large date is the same. Just never thought of it that way.

The reason I came across the difference was that I found one with the doubled line which caught my eye. Then started noticing the difference between the two, then noticed the large and small dates and from the heads up from Chuck years ago I made the connection.

coppercoins · Site Admin

Robert - Still need some from FL and AL. Also need LA really bad. Biggest hole is SD, ND, NE, MT - only one person so far from that whole area.

Take a look.. www.thecentproject.com/volunteers.php

Dick · Expert Member

Chuck, depending on when we start, and how long it takes me to go thru two boxex, I can ger two boxes from the LA area, and sort them, if needed. I am about 70 miles East of LA., and about 115 ne of San Diego.
Dick

MaryJF · Advanced Member

Chuck
I sent you an email for my address, but I noticed that VT doesn't have any representation. I'm about an hour from Bennington, and would love to take a drive over there some day soon. The fall foliage is a bit late this year, and it's always an awesome drive. I wouldn't mind at all.

Let me know.

Mary

ps - don't wait till the middle of the winter. Back roads all the way and I wouldn't want to get stuck in a ditch somewhere on one of those VERY lonesome roads on a freezing cold day.

And just in case anyone cares, VT is a really beautiful state. They do a great job of keeping their state very colonial-ish. They don't allow high rises and they're really putting up a stink with Wal-Mart. Best ice-cream I've ever had.