Coin roll hunting starts at the bank. Here is how to get rolls and boxes of coins, what they hold, and how to bring back the coins you don’t keep, without wearing out your welcome.
Rolls and boxes
| Coin | Coins per roll | Face value per roll | Usual box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cents | 50 | $0.50 | 50 rolls, $25 |
| Nickels | 40 | $2 | 50 rolls, $100 |
| Dimes | 50 | $5 | 50 rolls, $250 |
| Quarters | 40 | $10 | 50 rolls, $500 |
| Half dollars | 20 | $10 | 50 rolls, $500 |
| Dollar coins | 25 | $25 | Varies |
Box sizes are the usual bank and armored-carrier packaging and can vary. A box of quarters or half dollars weighs about 25 pounds. See the Coin Roll Reference.
Step by step
- Start at your own bank or credit union. Many banks sell coin only to their customers, and some charge non-customers a fee. Small banks and credit unions are often the most flexible.
- Ask a teller for a few loose rolls. Most branches keep a supply of each coin. Ask if they have any customer-wrapped rolls: coins rolled by customers from jars and drawers are the most likely to hold old coins and silver.
- Order boxes ahead. For a full box, ask the branch to order it. Coin usually arrives with the bank’s armored-car delivery, which can take a few days to a week. New, sealed boxes are good for new designs and fresh errors; older coin is more likely in loose customer rolls.
- Ask about half dollars. Many branches don’t keep halves on hand and have to order them, and some can’t. If one branch says no, ask another bank.
- Pay face value. Pay in cash or have the amount taken from your account. Ask about fees before ordering; most banks charge none for customers, but policies vary.
- Bring back what you don’t keep. Ask how your bank wants it: rolled in paper wrappers marked with your name or account number, in a deposit bag, or through a customer coin counter. Banks give out wrappers, and stores sell them.
Cents in 2026
The US Mint struck its last cents for circulation on November 12, 2025. Cents are still legal tender, but Federal Reserve offices fill cent orders only as supply allows, and some can’t fill them at all, so many banks have few or none to sell. If your bank has cents, ask for customer-wrapped rolls.
Being a good customer
- Be patient at busy times, and do big orders and returns when the branch is quiet.
- Don’t return the same coins to the same teller you just bought them from, unless the bank is fine with it. Ask.
- Remove foreign coins, tokens, damaged coins and anything stuck together before you return coins. Banks won’t accept them.
- Keep orders steady and reasonable. Tellers notice friendly regulars, and some will set customer rolls or half dollars aside for you.
Good to know
- Bank policies on coin sales, fees and returns vary by bank and by branch. Ask before you order.
- Coins are legal tender, so you are simply exchanging money at face value. Melting or exporting US cents and nickels is illegal, with limited exceptions (see Is It Legal to Melt US Coins?).
- Carry boxes of coin like cash. They are heavy and worth their face value.
Ready to search? Read Coin Roll Hunting for Beginners and print a Roll-Hunting Keeper Sheet.