Clad redemption

[Scavenger]

I have quite a lot of clad coins which I have decided to spend. They are all dark gray or red/brown from the Virginia clay, some corroded as well, and resist any effort to clean them up a bit (peroxide, olive oil etc. does nothing). Will banks accept them in this condition? I have had them rejected by local merchants for payment. I believe that banks will replace damaged currency such as burned or torn paper money. Does the same apply to coins?

 

[Cfmct]

I believe they have to replace them... I tumble my coins in a tumbler and spend them... I don't find much clad these days though and I couldn't be happier lol...

 

[DeepBeeps]

I picked up a pair of cheaper tumblers from a local thrift store. I tumble the pennies ( about 130 at a time) for 1 hr to 1 1/2 hours. It does a pretty good job on them. For clad coins I have to tumble for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to get them acceptable. I tumble all like coins together so dimes dont get hidden between quarters. I use coarse grit and I recapture it all in a paper towel when I drain the drum. Hope this helps.

 

[TonyinCT]

Many banks refuse to take coins in this condition. You can however have them replaced from the government if you desire or put them in a Coinstar machine although that will cost you 7% of the total. I don't remember where to send them but maybe someone else can chime in on that. You can load up a flat rate box at the Post Office and send any weight for 8.10.
Hope this helps.

 

[Cfmct]

Any Federal Reserve Bank has to take them...

 

[Stainles Steal Rat]

I just clean the dirt off and put them in a coin machine my bank has. They don't charge members to use it and it will take most coins except for newer pennies that get thin.

 

[rustynail1]

Not long ago took a vacation prior to leaving I rolled all my clad and alot of pennies too $210.00 worth and took them to my bank I told them what to exspect out of them ,they said it was fine they will ship them off.

 

[Scavenger]

Thats good to know, I have felt a little sheepish about taking mine to my bank. Every time I'de go in there felt like they would all turn to look and say;" so theres the guy with the really filthy money..."

 

[rcasi44]

I was wondering about the Federal Reserve Banks. Do they have to be cleaned? What about those bad zincies? My bank takes them but cleaning takes a while. Rob

 

[BostonMike]

I just toss them in a coinstar machine. Sure they take 7%, but it's hassle-free and i don't have to roll.

I've only had the coinstar reject a few. Usually i pop the rejects back in and it takes them the 2nd or 3rd time around. The ones that don't make it at all i take home and use a file to shape them into a "penny shape" and then try again. Usually works after that

 

[Merf]

I use them to pay for items at the self check out line at Wal Mart.
Yesterday I used $14 worth of clad to pay for sundries.
I also use clad quarters at the self serve car wash.   HH

 

[hberry]

My bank has no problem taking my dirty coins. All I do is clean the dirt off, roll them and deposit them in my found money account. The tellers always joke about how much free money I've brought in. I also take any badly damaged coins in and get them replaced.

 

[dewcon]

I opened an account with CHASE since they are about everywhere and we travel full time. Just hand them the jar they run it thru their machine and deposit it for me. I do clean my coins with amonia before i turn them in.

 

[kwaff]

The coinstar machine's reject alot of coins that are dirty or bent so dunno if that is a good option.. What i do which is really cheap is get some plastic clear through tape, cut off a roll shaped size and roll them up with tape. Nobody yet has rejected them because the size is approx the same.

 

[Carol K]

I use them to pay for items at the self check out line at Wal Mart.
Yesterday I used $14 worth of clad to pay for sundries.
I also use clad quarters at the self serve car wash.

I do the same thing, I put the coins in washing machines, and dryers, soda pop machines, car washes, and slot machines.

As far as the corroded zincs, I still have a cottage cheese tub full of them, I can't bear the thought of tossing them out.

To quickly clean some coins to dispose of them, you might want to try that vinegar - salt experiment I did.