Do you mark your coins? Should You?

[BigMoses777]

General question for all CRH's out their. I just started in on my first box of halves for the weekend(ordered 4) and most of my coins have had a black sharpie maker taken to the edge of them. This tells me I'm hunting through someones dump. How many of you mark coins? Is this a good thing or bad? Just wanting some opinions. - On a side note, I met another CRH at the bank today and he picked up a box of dimes. He said he quit halves a while ago due to the area drying up. I've never found silver in halves yet but plan on still trying for a while. Have a good weekend!

 

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[mercury1]

I figure every person who marks has a certain way of going about it. I want to be different so I took my full box of halves (skunked) and drilled a 1/4" hole in each coin. I'll definitely know when I get my coins back.

I'm not a coin marker but I like this. I save all the holed coins I find although I don't really have any plans for them. Some I've tied together with string and hung up at my desk I use for hunting. People laugh when they see it. Anyway, I was curious about how long this took and where you drilled. 1/4 inch is the most common hole size I encounter. If you wanted to be sure it was your dumped, holed coin that you get back it might be better to drill a smaller hole in one specific place. Most of the holed halves I find have the hole at the top of the coin, above Kennedy's head.

 

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[mr.landpirate]

I figure every person who marks has a certain way of going about it. I want to be different so I took my full box of halves (skunked) and drilled a 1/4" hole in each coin. I'll definitely know when I get my coins back.

marking with a marker or even paint can be removed but as a collecter i for one hate to see coins destroyed. They may not mean much now but you don't know what the future may bring for collectors then. LP

 

[twiasp]

Writing on a federal currency and especially drilling holes in them is defacing federal currency and a federal offense. Besides that, instead of wasting your time with marking coins why not just pay attention to the marked coins you already get and notice how often you get them, it should do a decent job of letting you know how often you look through the same coins.

And I'm sure some will ask where this law is stated so here is a link for you too /sigh.
U.S. Code AND ((18) ADJ USC)%3ACITE AND (USC w%2F10 (331))%3ACITE

 

[Iamrussell]

Writing on a federal currency and especially drilling holes in them is defacing federal currency and a federal offense. Besides that, instead of wasting your time with marking coins why not just pay attention to the marked coins you already get and notice how often you get them, it should do a decent job of letting you know how often you look through the same coins.

And I'm sure some will ask where this law is stated so here is a link for you too /sigh.
U.S. Code AND ((18) ADJ USC)%3ACITE AND (USC w%2F10 (331))%3ACITE

The problem with trying to track the already marked ones is how do you know if its a marked one you've already gotten or one that was recently marked? Or one that just hasn't come to you yet? You have no way of knowing- that's why I did 2 boxes and that's it-

 

[drcaulfield]

Writing on a federal currency and especially drilling holes in them is defacing federal currency and a federal offense. Besides that, instead of wasting your time with marking coins why not just pay attention to the marked coins you already get and notice how often you get them, it should do a decent job of letting you know how often you look through the same coins.

And I'm sure some will ask where this law is stated so here is a link for you too /sigh.
U.S. Code AND ((18) ADJ USC)%3ACITE AND (USC w%2F10 (331))%3ACITE

Defacing must be for fraudulent intent.

Is it illegal to damage or deface coins?
Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who “fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States.” This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the U.S. Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent.

Only implies trying to represent a coin for something it's not. IE changing the date to make it a more rare strike.

This is straight from the US mint

 

[Silvercrazy]

I realize this is a sticky subject,but I will chime in anyway as I have been at this a long time. It makes No since to mark coins and I doubt anyone on here could change my mind about it. To each his own though. Good Luck.

 

[TimZim]

if we could mark ALL the coins it would be much easyer to find the silver!

 

[mercury1]

if we could mark ALL the coins it would be much easyer to find the silver!

Are you working on that Tim?

 

[Silvercrazy]

That does it I am going to start marking all of mine right away. Just kidding you Tim.

 

[Twitch]

I mark all my halves by painting the edges silver. Some of them I paint to look like a silver / copper clad....

No, I don't really do that.

 

[50cent]

in no way shape or form do I do or endorse this, but the easiest way to mark halves would be to burn them. Toss some gasoline or diesel on them out doors, whooosh, marking accomplished.

 

[BigMoses777]

I'm not a coin marker but I like this. I save all the holed coins I find although I don't really have any plans for them. Some I've tied together with string and hung up at my desk I use for hunting. People laugh when they see it. Anyway, I was curious about how long this took and where you drilled. 1/4 inch is the most common hole size I encounter. If you wanted to be sure it was your dumped, holed coin that you get back it might be better to drill a smaller hole in one specific place. Most of the holed halves I find have the hole at the top of the coin, above Kennedy's head.

Ok, so now I feel bad. I was kidding about drilling holes. I see all the comments about defacing coins and such and it seems this is being taken very seriously. I DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN COINS. I really don't have the time for that. I think I'll stick to a sharpie down the edges.

 

[crhstreetwalker]

 

[BigMoses777]

I'm not a coin marker but I like this. I save all the holed coins I find although I don't really have any plans for them. Some I've tied together with string and hung up at my desk I use for hunting. People laugh when they see it. Anyway, I was curious about how long this took and where you drilled. 1/4 inch is the most common hole size I encounter. If you wanted to be sure it was your dumped, holed coin that you get back it might be better to drill a smaller hole in one specific place. Most of the holed halves I find have the hole at the top of the coin, above Kennedy's head.

Ok, here's the weird thing... After reading this I'm going through another box of halves and find this.



First one I've seen! Just as you described. Lol

 

[TheNotoriousA.G.]

I remark all the silver painted edges I find black and add a little somethin-somethin to the obverse. Both my dad and I have culled one of them. Ever since my dad got his he's been on a hot streak.

 

[mercury1]

Ok, so now I feel bad. I was kidding about drilling holes. I see all the comments about defacing coins and such and it seems this is being taken very seriously. I DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN COINS. I really don't have the time for that. I think I'll stick to a sharpie down the edges.

Oh, so I guess this isn't one of your dumps then?
Lol. Just picked this one up from the teller tray today. Asked for halves and she said she had one but I probably wouldn't want it. Lol

 

[Iamrussell]

Oh, so I guess this isn't one of your dumps then?
Lol. Just picked this one up from the teller tray today. Asked for halves and she said she had one but I probably wouldn't want it. Lol

Well that's got less than 40% now- lol

 

[mercury1]

Well that's got less than 40% now- lol

Yes but I'm still happy to buy it for face. But to your point, it's still 40% silver, just a little under weight. Does anyone have experience selling coins like this? If you sell to provident or some other outfit, is a holed coin treated the same as a coin without the hole?

 

[Bigheed]

the point is even if 999 of the coins were marked with your mark or someone elses and 1 was a 40 or 90. Would you alter your scheme? No.

The only possible way that marking would be even slightly helpful is if there was only 1 supplier in your area for both dump / supply. Even then it wouldn't help you because if you tried to space out your orders you would miss granny soandso's dump of her dead husband that she hated and GilmoreHappy or someone else more diligent than you would get it.

***NEWS FLASH***

Doesn't matter where you live, the only thing that matters is Volume.

Build relationships with the banks you work with (merchant tellers and line supervisor are the most valuable).

Establish weekly orders and pick them up on time. You'll find that in general the vault teller (usually the merchant teller) doesn't mind ordering halves, what annoys them is if you order 3k and pick it up 3 days late.

The law of large numbers is your friend....in the end.

Bigheed

 

[SlowSilver]

Defacing must be for fraudulent intent.

Is it illegal to damage or deface coins?
Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who “fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States.” This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the U.S. Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent.

Only implies trying to represent a coin for something it's not. IE changing the date to make it a more rare strike.

This is straight from the US mint

Actually, you may want to read that again. Twiasp was in fact, correct. The Code clearly states "fraudulently alters, defaces...". The comma after fraudulently alters, means that anything after that is a new item otherwise it would say fraudulently: Alters, defaces, etc.