Where to Find Rolls of Coins and the Best Way to Get Them

Are you looking for rolls of coins? Many people want to acquire rolls of United States coins to search through for silver coinage, copper pennies, error coins, or rarities, while others simply need them to conduct commerce. Let’s cover why you would want to find a roll of coins as well as where and how to acquire them.

Full rolls of dimes contain 50 coins for a total face value of $5.

Why Would You Want Rolls of Coins?

Even in today’s world of digital transactions and ecommerce, we still need coins. When a nationwide coin shortage hit in the early 2020s, people felt it—and countless merchants were negatively affected, too. The coin shortage caused a lot of problems when it came to making change and ensuring cash tills were stocked with the coins people needed.

The need for coins doesn’t present itself only at the store’s cash register till. Many people who don’t work at or operate big businesses need coins in quantity—say, to make change for fundraisers or yard sales, to have on hand for tolls and vending machines, giving their children allowance money, or for other everyday needs where coins are essential.

Coins aren’t just for spending—they’re for saving and collecting, too. Therefore, many coin collectors also want coins in quantity. And searching rolls of coins (often called "coin roll hunting") is one of the most popular ways that collectors look for valuable rarities.

Many collectors strike luck by finding a circulated 90% silver dime, quarter, or half dollar in unsearched rolls of those denominations. They also may make other interesting finds of rare coins. All, of course, for the mere cost of the coins' face value! It's a cost-effective way to start a coin collection or evaluate some cool circulated coins.

How & Where Can You Find Rolls of Coins?

You may hear coin rolls referred to as "coin wrappers" or "bank rolls." All of these terms refer to the same thing.

So, how do you go about finding rolls of coins? In general, for new rolls of coins or those wrapped for general use in commerce, it’s best to look to places that conduct banking business or offer finance-related customer service desks. If you’re looking for vintage rolls of old coins, such as those that may have been wrapped decades ago and have been numismatically unsearched, you’ll need to turn to coin dealers or places that sell collectibles and antiques.

Here's a list of places where you might generally find rolls of coins:

• Banks
• Credit unions
• Cash/paycheck advance offices
• Grocery stores (customer-service counter)
• Big-box stores (customer-service counter)
• Convenience stores

Want vintage rolls of coins? Here’s where you could start your search:

• Coin shops
• Bullion dealers
• Estate sales
• Coin auctions
• Antique stores
• Collectibles markets

How Do You Get Rolls of Coins from the Bank?

Of all the places listed above, one of the most common avenues people will use for obtaining rolls of coins, regardless of the reason, is from their bank or local financial institution.

Rolls come in different colors for each coin type (denomination).

For whatever reason, the act of requesting a roll of coins from the bank seems to be an intimidating thing for some people to do. It could be that many folks don’t understand how common this type of request is and feel they are asking some type of big favor from the bank for a roll of coins. In other cases, especially among younger people and those who may belong to groups traditionally underrepresented in the finance sector, the very idea of physically going to a bank can feel daunting—especially when many of these individuals are more accustomed to conducting virtually all of their banking digitally using direct deposit services and money-transacting apps.

So, is it possible to get rolled coins from the bank? How big of a deal is it, really, to get a roll of coins from the bank?

Quite simply, it’s very simple to obtain a roll of coins from most bank branches and financial institutions. In many cases, obtaining a small number of one-cent, nickel, dime, or quarter rolls is as easy as simply going up to the bank teller’s desk, requesting said rolls, and paying the equivalent amount in a cash exchange or withdraw from one’s account at that bank.

However, it’s usually a little more difficult to acquire a large quantity of rolls, rolls of half dollars or dollar coins, or boxes of coins—a box containing a certain preset number of rolls of a certain denomination. While some banks have at least a few rolls of half dollars or dollar coins on hand, these sometimes must be specially ordered, as financial institutions generally see few regular transactions involving halves and dollar coins. You may be able to find a roll or two of Presidential dollars or Sacagawea dollars, but are less likely to find Eisenhower dollars.

Boxes of coin rolls may have to be ordered ahead of time.

The same goes for requests of large quantities of rolls. While a bank may have a decent supply of rolls specifically for furnishing them to customers, an especially large order of rolls may require a special order. The bank may not have enough rolls on hand allocated for retail bank customers.

Those who wish to acquire boxes of coins, which are essentially bulk orders of rolls, may also need to place a special request. Relatively few banks or financial institutions have enough boxes of rolls on hands to dole out to patrons. (Remember, they need to have plenty of coins on hand for their own reserves to handle the transactions and needs of other retail customers, too.)

Placing a special request of rolls or boxes with your bank is usually as simple as calling the bank and placing the order by phone or physically going into the bank, filling out an order slip, and waiting for the requested rolls to be delivered to the bank—after which you can pick them up following payment. Many individuals will find that requesting rolls of coins from their bank is a cinch, and often something that is relatively pleasant to do—especially if their financial institution offers courteous and efficient customer service.

Regardless of the reason for requesting rolls of coins from the bank, roll purchases from financial institutions can be one of the easiest and most hassle-free transactions one will ever encounter at the teller window!

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez is a journalist, editor, and blogger who has won multiple awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild. He has also authored numerous books, including works profiling the history of the United States Mint and United States coinage.

Learn more about coin collecting, precious metals, and the banking system:

Guide to Numismatics: Discover the Thrill of Collecting Coins

How Many Coins Are In a Coin Roll? (Chart & Story)

The Fed: What Is the Federal Reserve? - Breaking the Dollar Podcast

American Silver Eagle Values - Complete Pricing Guide

How to Sell Gold Online: Best Place to Sell Gold Safely

American Numismatic Assocation website

American Bankers Assocation website