Saving lost pennies - is it worth it?

[fredbug 67]

I found a site where someone discarded a jar of pennies. All fairly modern dating from 1959-1986. They threw a glass jar down this embankment in the woods and the whole slope was covered in pennies. I think they were dropped at least 25 years ago.I have counted over 700 good copper coins and have a flower pot full of at least 500 rotted zinc coins made from 1983 on. The zincs are worthless junk and I feel bad that future generations of hunters will have no pennies to collect. I believe there are hundreds more to be saved- do you think it's worth the effort? I have to sift through the dirt on the slope and have so far spent 7-8 hours in the effort.It just bothers me to know they are laying there waiting to be found and saved. Pics taken on a 3 ft. Tree stump- good copper pennies in groups of 100 and flower pot full of rotted zinc pennies.

 

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[el remolino]

Yeah, I think I would have to keep digging until there were no more beeps from the detector. I think it is pretty cool. Who knows, maybe one day we will be able to cash in our copper pennies for scrap value rather face value.

 

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[Old Dude]

Many people are of the impression that copper is about to become hoarded like silver has been for the last bit. As stated above, they have 2 cents worth right now. Who knows what the future brings?

 

[Seliotis]

Put all the stinkin zincs in a mason jar, bury it, leave treasure signs, draw an elaborate coded map some cache hunter will hate you for it someday

Who knows. Maybe in a century zinc will be as valuable as copper today.

 

[Hot zone]

I would keep digging... If I was doing this for the money I would have gave up long ago... I marvel at finding a ten year old quarter a foot deep and a 40 year old pulltab at 1/4"... You never know what will turn up in the most unlikely place... I dug a pulltab and checking the hole found a silver Ike dime... Whoever threw away a jar of pennies may have thrown something else he just stole... I would check further along the bank as well!

 

[Doug H]

Coins are my favorite thing to search for... So I would bring in a backhoe if I could.

 

[Jarl]

Why not? Good practice. Maybe there is something really good under all those pennies. Cash in.

I guess what I'd do is just sit there and run my pin pointer over it...until you got all the surface ones rather than swing, swing, swing. Either way seems tedious, but, I'd do it anyway...i like finding coins new and old.

 

[treblehunter]

Many people are of the impression that copper is about to become hoarded like silver has been for the last bit. As stated above, they have 2 cents worth right now. Who knows what the future brings?

I agree, keep the copper, roll the zinc! Last summer I found a 1700's house that I got permission and the owner told me how the previous owner threw pennies out for his grand kids. I weeded out a couple of sections and found nothing!

 

[fredbug 67]

There were so many pennies on that slope, I couldn't even set my pinpointed down without it going off!

 

[PlzBSeated]

Whether or not to dig them all is really a question of whether it's worth it TO YOU! I'll offer the dissenting opinion. I typically like older finds. I once came across a small cache of modern pennies. I think I got to 26 and said "screw it!" I just found it boring digging a bunch of zincolns. Your call!

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[Gridwalker306]

Maybe a good spot for a group hunt, make it fun! See who can get the most pennies. The winner could get a prize lol.

Last night I detected a huge yard, and there was virtually nothing to find, not even decent trash. Then in one 20x20 spot I started digging modern pennies. There were a lot of them, I was getting aggravated, and in a similar situation. Do I dig a bunch of crap coins, or go home with nothing? Sigh...I dug the pennies.