With the official release of the first Presidential $1 coin only a week away, and with the coins already in hand and selling on eBay, there will be renewed interest in unopened mint coin rolls. Unopened mint coin rolls can bring a price above face value because there is a chance that one (or several) of the coins in an unopened roll will be high-grade. The rolls offer protection for the coins as well as keep all but the end coins from being examined. There is potentially high numismatic value in these rolls. The US Mint only offers the unmixed rolls for a short time (a few
weeks) after the initial release of the coins, so getting the new Washington $1 coin in a mint roll from the US Mint for face value is only possible for a little while. Then, there's a secondary market, and higher prices.
I like getting the “funny money” from the credit union, like the 50-cent pieces and the $1 coins (SBA and Sacajawea).
Normally the coins are circulated and have little value except face value. The credit union will have a few rolls on hand that are mixed, and I pick them up and spend them. They're a little “different” now and it's fun to take them to garage sales or to leave them as tips.
I opened one that I got from the credit union last week. The coins were really shiny.
Oops! I just opened a 2000 Sacajawea mint roll! Someone must have turned it in. I'm a little surprised that I missed it because normally I check my change. I'll find wheat pennies and I still separate out the copper pennies from the zinc ones. Occasionally I'll get a clad half-dollar (these are worth about $1.50 for the silver) or a silver dime. I should have at least looked on eBay before opening the Sacajawea roll, though.
I probably would have only been able to sell the roll as a roll, because having coins graded and slabbed is expensive unless you do a lot at a time. That, and I don't know how to grade coins. I can tell good or bad, but not much else. So it probably was only a $15-$20 oops.
Oh well — live and learn!
I went to usmint.gov but didn't see anything about how to get my hands on some of these. Can consumers still buy the rolls? Do they cost face value?
The official release date of the Washington $1 coins is February 15th. If your bank ordered them you can get them for face there.
I've found the ANA guide to be helpful for grading. .. of course I'm not a professional, but between the grading guide and the Red Book I can get a good idea of whether it's worthwhile to get a coin slabbed.
Cool, I'll hit the bank first thing Monday. Thanks!