If you’ve ever wondered how many quarters are in a roll, you’ve come to the right place.
To become a legendary coin collector, you need to familiarize yourself with coin rolls, why they are important, the face value of each coin roll, and how to manage them.
Number of Quarters in a Roll
How many quarters in a roll? There are 40 quarters in one roll, equal to ten dollars.
Each quarter is worth 25 cents, 40 quarters, times 25 cents, equals $10.
Starting in 1965, all quarters were made with a total weight of exactly 5.670 grams, or 0.2 ounces.
40 quarters in one roll will weigh 226.8 grams or 8 ounces.
One roll of quarters weighs half a pound.
How Many Quarters in a Box?
Transferring rolls of quarters is easy if you only have a handful.
But the Federal Reserve Bank and U.S. Mint handle millions of quarters every day.
For this job, rolls are combined into quarter boxes.
A standard box of quarters includes 50 rolls of quarters.
40 individual quarters in each roll, times 50 rolls of quarters, equals 2,000 quarters worth $500 in one box of quarters.
Where Do Coin Rolls Come From?
Coins are minted at the United States Mint, and the coinage inventory is distributed to banks by the Federal Reserve System.
Coin rolls are simply an easy way to manage the millions and millions of coins throughout the banking system.
Standardized rolls in specific denominations help sort, stack, track, and deliver coins around the country.
Every day, coin rolls are transferred back and forth between banks and the Federal Reserve to guarantee circulation of the money supply for individuals, customers, and businesses who need it.
U.S. Mint Quarter Bags – $20,000
The United States Mint packages new quarters in rolls as soon as they are minted.
The freshly minted uncirculated quarters are packaged in large bags and transported to distribution centers.
Coin collectors might imagine a small bag with a few rolls of quarters inside.
This is not what the Federal Reserve Bank has in mind when transporting the country’s currency.
These bags are much larger than you would imagine.
A bag of quarters from the US Mint includes 80,000 quarters worth $20,000 per bag.
Each bag weighs over 1,000 pounds and requires a forklift for loading into the armored truck.
History of Coin Rolls
We’re not sure who used coin rolls first, but we know who invented the first machine to wrap coins in a roll.
Charles S. Batdorf patented an automatic coin-wrapping machine in 1913 to speed up coin management and accounting.
Sorting, counting, and transporting individual coins started to overwhelm banks in the early 1900s, so the coin-wrapping machine was quickly accepted as the standard practice around the country.
Evidence of coin rolls goes back much further than Batdorf’s coin-wrapping machine.
Coins found in shipwrecks were stacked and arranged in rolls.
While the paper had disintegrated in the ocean, it was clear that managing coins by the roll was common practice hundreds of years ago.
Where can I get Rolls of Coins?
The best place to get rolls of coins is at your local bank.
They will have plenty of supply for any coin you’re looking for, and if they don’t, they can order them through the Federal Reserve.
There are several different ways to choose the type of bank for your coin rolls.
Some coin collectors recommend small or mid-size banks because their coin rolls are collected from individuals.
Other coin collectors recommend larger banks in big cities, where there’s more supply of coin rolls and no chance of anyone sorting through them due to the enormous quantity.
You can also exchange your dollar bills for coin rolls at convenience stores, credit unions, laundry mats, arcade games, or local grocery stores.
One Roll of Quarters – How Many Quarters in a Roll?
A standard roll of quarters includes 40 quarters. Ten dollars per roll of quarters. 50 rolls of quarters per box. Five hundred dollars per box of quarters.
How Many Quarters in a Roll? There are 40 quarters in one roll.
Number of Coins in One Roll
Here’s an easy guide for the most common coins and their value for each standard roll.
Penny Roll – 50 pennies, 50 cents
Nickel Rolls – 40 nickels, $2
Dime Rolls – 50 dimes, $5
Quarter Rolls – 40 quarters, $10
Half Dollar Rolls – 20 half dollars, $10
Large Silver Dollar Rolls – 20 large silver dollars, $20
Small Dollar Coin Rolls – 25 small dollar coins, $25
$2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle Coin Rolls – 40 Gold Quarter Eagle $2.50 coins, $100
$5 Gold Half Eagle Coin Rolls – 50 Gold Eagle $10 coins, $500
$20 Gold Eagle Coin Rolls – 25 Gold Eagle $20 coins, $500
What is a Shotgun Coin Roll?
A shotgun coin roll is a full roll of coins created and sealed by a machine.
The term “shotgun” doesn’t mean the roll was unsearched, so don’t let anyone try to pass off shotgun coin rolls as unsearched.
A shotgun roll can be applied to any denomination; it refers to the paper roll the coins are packed in.
Shotgun rolls have exposed ends, showing the face of the coin rather than wrapping the paper around the entire end of the paper coin rolls.
Where Can I Buy Coin Wrappers?
Coin roll wrappers are sold in two formats. A flat wrapper and a pre-formed tube-style wrapper.
Flat coin paper wrappers cost about $9 for 400, only 2 cents each.
But flat paper coin wrappers will take much more time to wrap your coins.
Pre-formed wrappers are sold already crimped on one side.
You can buy a pack of 100 pre-crimped coin wrappers for $7 at almost any big retailer.
Step Your Game Up With a Coin Rolling Machine
The pro coin collectors use a coin rolling machine.
You save tons of time because coin-rolling machines don’t only wrap; they also sort.
It doesn’t matter what type of coin you have; pour mixed coins into the change machine hopper, and you’re ready for a trip to the bank in no time.
Why would anyone need a coin rolling machine, you might be wondering?
Well, if you want to be a serious coin roll hunter, then once you inspect all your coin rolls, you can assemble the coins back in rolls for easy transport back to the bank.
Back to the bank? Yes, you’re on your way back to the bank to exchange the inspected rolls for more fresh coin rolls!
That’s the life of a coin roll hunter. It’s a noble profession!
How Does Coinstar Work?
If you decide not to invest in your own coin-rolling machine, there are other options.
You can find a Coinstar machine and pour your loose change and coins into the machine.
Coinstar instantly counts your coins and gives you the value of their change.
Then quickly pays out an eGift Card or cash on the spot. Find a Coinstar near you with this Find a Kiosk link.
Rolls in a Box of Coins
Serious coin roll hunters skip the individual rolls and do their hunting by the box. Each coin box is stacked full of individual rolls. Here’s how much money you’ll need for one box of each denomination –
One cent penny – 50 rolls of pennies $25.00
5 cent nickel – 50 rolls of nickels $100.00
10 cent dime – 50 rolls of dimes $250.00
25-cent quarter – 50 rolls of quarters $500.00
50 cent half-dollar – 50 rolls of half-dollars $500.00
One dollar – 50 rolls of one dollar coins $1,250.00
Beginner Coin Roll Hunters – Know the Basics
You may be starting out and still learning the basics of currency, coins, paper money, and how to count it. Here’s a brief explanation of U.S. coinage for the very beginner –
How Many Nickels are in a Dollar? There are 20 nickels in one dollar.
How Many Nickels are in $2? There are 40 nickels in two dollars.
How Many Nickels Make a Dollar? 20
How Many Dimes are in a Dollar? 10
How Many Pennies are in a Dollar? 100
How Many Pennies in $100? 10,000
Tips for Searching Coin Rolls for Collector Coins
If you want to find rare coins in a coin roll, here’s a tip. Ask for small amounts of rolls from banks.
When you only ask for $5 – $10 worth of pennies at a time, you will most likely get customer-wrapped rolls.
Customer-wrapped rolls are important because they often include coins that might not have circulated in years or even decades. It’s the best way to find coins that haven’t been examined in a long time.
So how do you know a coin roll has yet to be searched for valuable coins?
You don’t know, and there’s no guarantee a coin roll hasn’t already been closely inspected by a coin collector. That’s part of the fun and excitement of coin roll hunting!
Here’s another tip. Get to know your local bank teller. Ask them if they have received any older coin rolls recently.
Sometimes bank tellers will give you the inside scoop and let you in on the perfect coin rolls for prospecting.
When coin roll hunting for silver quarters and coins worth money, remember to check the coin rims first.
Old coins minted with 90 percent silver won’t have a brown or orangish color around the rim of the coin.
With a quick inspection of the rim, you can detect a copper-nickel coin rather than a silver coin.
Search Coin Rolls for These Coins
If you’re starting as a numismatist (coin collector), here are a few helpful tips for finding coins.
Once you have the basics, you can begin deep-diving into obscure error coins, rare-release coins, and limited edition coins.
Remember the number one golden rule of coin collecting – have fun!
Penny – Wheat pennies dated 1958 or before are generally worth more than recent wheat pennies.
Nickels – 35 percent silver nickels dated from 1942 to 1945. Keep an eye out for a large mint mark above the building on the reverse side. 1950-D Jefferson nickels are also valuable in uncirculated conditions.
Dimes – Dated before 1964 contain 90 percent silver.
Quarters – Dated before 1964 contain 90 percent silver. Remember, Canadian quarters are also rolled with 40 coins in each roll worth $10 per roll.
Half-dollars – Dated before 1964, Kennedy half dollars include 90 percent silver. Half-dollars dated from 1965 to 1970 contain 40 percent silver.
Presidential Dollars – Most Presidential Dollars are common and worth face value. Keep an eye out for a rare production error where the edge lettering is missing.
Values for these rare error coins can be over $100 each.
How Much Does a Quarter Weigh?
How much does a quarter weigh? That depends on what quarter you have in your hand.
Just like most things over the last 200-plus years in the United States, the weight of the quarter has changed a few times. Most quarters throughout U.S. coin history weigh between 6 and 7 grams.
The Modern Quarter, 1965 to Present
U.S. Quarters minted since 1965 weigh 6.25 grams, with a thickness of 1.75 mm.
Modern clad quarters comprise 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel plating over the outside.
The “clad sandwich” quarter was changed to mostly copper quarters because precious metals such as silver increased in price.
The First Series of Quarters, 1792 – 1872
Going back to the beginning of the United States in 1792, the federal government passed the Coinage Act establishing rules and guidelines for the country’s currency.
The Coinage Act enacted the U.S. Dollar and laid out terms for coin denominations, including the quarter.
Depending on the series of the quarter, it will have different weights.
Seated Liberty Quarter – first minted in 1838, weighed 6.68 grams. Later, in 1853, the weight changed to 6.22 grams. And again in 1973, the weight was adjusted to 6.25 grams.
Capped Bust Quarter – First minted in 1815, the Capped Bust quarter weighed 6.74 grams. In 1837 and 1838, the weight was adjusted to 6.7 grams.
Draped Bust Quarter – From 1796 to 1807, the Draped Bust quarters weighed 6.74 grams.
90% Silver Quarters, 1873 – 1964
From 1873 to 1964, the United States Quarter was minted with 10% copper and 90% pure silver content weighing 6.25 grams. (0.022 troy ounces)
This includes all Barber quarters, Standing Liberty quarters, and all Silver Washington quarters.
How Many Quarters In a Roll?
Let’s Go a Little Deeper Into the World of Coin Roll Hunting –
So Far We’ve Learned –
- Number of quarters in a roll, box, and entire bag ($20,000 worth)
- The number of coins in a roll for different denominations of coins.
- Different types of rolls, coin wrappers, and coin counting machines.
More Tips for Coin Searching and Roll Hunting –
- The first thing you want to buy before you begin coin roll searching is a set of scales to weigh the coins you discover. A scale that weighs grams, troy ounces, and pennyweights.
- For quick reference, have the weight of each coin handy. The U.S. Mint website posts official weights for every coin produced.
- Know each coin’s diameter and thickness. Buy a set of calipers to test the authenticity of each coin.
- A checklist of foreign coins produced by the U.S. Mint is also important. Search enough coin rolls and you will run into a few foreign coins struck with off planchets. You will need to identify them.
- Don’t forget you will need a magnet for testing certain coins.
- The main reason to have these tools when you search coin rolls is when you do find something you might think is valuable, you need to know the weight and size so professionals can help value your coin.
Learn More, Value Your Coins, and Sell Them –
- A complete history of U.S. Coins.
- I think I found a valuable coin, how much is it worth?
- I want to sell my rare coins, what are the best places to sell coins online?
