Coin Roll & Counter Calculator

A worked example: counting a coin jar

Suppose you have sorted a jar into 3 full rolls of quarters and 17 loose quarters, 2 rolls of dimes and 38 loose dimes, 1 roll of nickels and 11 loose nickels, plus 4 rolls of cents with 63 loose cents. Enter each figure in its box. The calculator multiplies each roll count by the standard roll size, adds the loose coins and multiplies by face value. That gives 137 quarters, 138 dimes, 51 nickels and 263 cents, a total of 589 coins with a face value of $53.23.

The coin count is the number to check before you visit a bank. Here, the 17 loose quarters are 23 short of a fourth roll and the 38 dimes are twelve short of a third, so you know which coins to keep loose or set aside.

Rolls, boxes and bags

Banks handle coins in larger units than rolls. A standard box holds 50 rolls. That makes a box of cents 2,500 coins and $25 in face value, a box of nickels 2,000 coins and $100, a box of dimes 2,500 coins and $250 and a box of quarters 2,000 coins and $500. Coin roll hunters order boxes to search large quantities at once.

Checking a roll by weight

A full roll of new coins has a predictable weight, which makes a scale a good way to check a roll without opening it. A roll of 40 clad quarters weighs 226.8 grams and a roll of 20 clad halves weighs the same. A roll of 50 dimes weighs 113.4 grams, a roll of 40 nickels 200 grams and a roll of 25 small dollar coins 202.5 grams. A roll of 50 zinc cents weighs 125 grams, against 155.5 grams for 50 copper cents. Subtract a few grams for the paper. A roll that comes up one coin light is probably short. A quarter roll that comes in heavier than expected may hold silver quarters, which weigh 0.58 grams more each.

Dollar coins and half dollars in the counter

The dollar coin boxes cover every small-size dollar: the Susan B. Anthony dollar of 1979 to 1981 and 1999, the golden Sacagawea and Native American dollars from 2000 and the Presidential dollars from 2007. All share the same 26.5 millimeter size and 8.1 gram weight, so they can be counted and rolled together at 25 to a roll. The large Eisenhower dollar of 1971 to 1978 is a different size and should be counted by hand.

Half dollars are worth a second look before you roll them. Kennedy halves have been struck only for collectors since 2002, so the halves that reach banks are often older coins returned from drawers and jars. Any dated 1970 or earlier contain silver. Check each one before you add it to the count.

Wrappers and how banks want rolls

Paper wrappers come in two main styles. Flat wrappers have to be opened and folded at one end before filling. Preformed tubes are already shaped and need only folding shut. Rolls from coin processors are often machine-wrapped with crimped ends, a style collectors call shotgun rolls. Many banks ask you to write your account number on each wrapper you bring in, so that a short roll can be traced back. Check the requirements of your own bank before you wrap a large amount.

Mistakes that cause short or over rolls

The two roll sizes people forget are the half dollar, which comes 20 to a roll, plus the dollar coin, which comes 25 to a roll. Large Eisenhower dollars do not fit standard small dollar wrappers. Canadian cents and quarters are close enough in size to slip into US rolls. Banks may reject rolls that contain them, so sort them out first. Finally, count in stacks of ten before you wrap, rather than trusting the wrapper to fill at the right height. A worn or thin coin can let an extra one in, while a bent coin can leave the roll one short.

Frequently asked questions