A coin wrapper, also known as a bank roll or simply a roll, is a paper or plastic container designed to hold a specific number of coins. During 19th century, newly minted coins were collected in cloth bags. Initially, coin wrapping was a manual process. Since the onset of the 20th century, coin wrapping machines have been in use. The earliest patent for a coin wrapping machine was in 1901. By 1910, automatic coin counting machines were in use, which could reject counterfeit coins, wrap coins, and crimp the coin wrapper ends.
History In the 19th century coins were collected in cloth bags after they were struck at the mint. Initially coin wrapping was done by hand. In 1913 the Federal Reserve bank was created. After the creation of the Federal Reserve, bags of coins were sent to the individual reserve banks. Each branch then put the coins into paper wrappers with tightly sealed ends. These rolls were called "Original Bank-Wrapped Rolls" (OBW). When other banks wrapped the coins they would print their bank name on the wrapper.
Coin wrapping machines
On 22 June 1901, James Rice applied for a patent (number 720070) for what he called a "Coin Bunching Machine". The patent was issued on 10 February 1903. Rice described his invention by stating that it was an "efficient manner means for bunching together any preferred number of coins of a selected denomination and holding them in position whereby they may be very conveniently and expeditiously wrapped or covered with a paper jacket."
On 9 November 1907 Erskine W Jennings applied for a patent on a machine he called "Coin Wrapper" which could crimp the ends of the coin rolls. On 3 August 1909 he was granted patent number 930,291. The machine was still not fully automatic.
Automatic coin wrapping machines By October 1908 the first fully automatic coin wrapping machine was created and a patented was applied for. The Automatic Coin-Wrapping Machine Company applied for a patent on the machine and it was granted October 1910: patent number #973335. The applicant of record was Charles S. Batdorf; a man who applied for many coin related machine patents as early as his 1890 (Coin Operated Apparatus). In 1908 he was granted patent number 358,670 for a "Spurious Coin Detector". A machine which he said could, "Provide a means whereby bogus, spurious or counterfeit coins will be rejected by the machine automatically even though they be of the same size as the genuine coins of the value for which the machine is designed to operate."
By 1911 banks in the United States were using coin rolling machines. Some banks began to use standardized paper colors based on denomination. The machines were capable of culling counterfeit and damaged coins.
Modern coin wrapping
In the United States, most banks offer empty rolls in every denomination (though it is becoming increasingly difficult for half dollar and dollar to be readily made available). The rolls come flat and one side will have to be folded to allow for coins to be placed inside. When the roll is full, the top side will need to be folded. Typically, the full rolls are brought back to the banks in exchange for currency or to be deposited. The Royal Canadian Mint uses check weighers to verify the number of coins per roll.
In the Eurozone, empty plastic rolls are used at banks in every denomination, with five-coin staggered rows. The five-coin rows and transparency make quick verification of contents possible, with a high degree of certainty. This results in less time spent processing coins, while the solidity and two-way closure system increase the number of times the coin roll can be used, effectively reducing its overall cost.
In Japan, machine-wrapped, plastic coin rolls are circulated almost exclusively, as handmade coin rolls are rare. Each roll holds 50 coins. Customers can change bills into coin rolls easily using automatic money changers at Japanese banks.
In the United Kingdom, coin rolls are not used. Instead, small plastic bags are provided free of charge at banks which are filled by the customer with the appropriate number of the same value coin as printed on the bag, with these bags also provided by banks when withdrawing amounts of money in coins. When depositing or changing, the bags are weighed at the bank to check they contain the right number.
Searching coin rolls Often, coin collectors will ask for full rolls from the bank to search the contents in hopes of finding an interesting or valuable coin. Some collectors also save coins of bullion value, such as copper pennies and silver half-dollars. This practice is called coin roll hunting. It is also known as cherry picking. Full rolls are also requested by vendors to make change. Some coin roll hunters look for mint-made errors such as double die coins. The error coins often have a high numismatic value to coin collectors.
Fraud
Bank rolls are vulnerable to a variety of scams, such as rolling slugs of no value or coins of a lesser value. In 2018 a scammer in Canada hid washers in coin rolls which were supposed to contain two dollar coins.
Amount in a roll in various countries
Afghanistan Currency: Afghan afghani Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Red Af.1 50 Afs.50 162.5 Blue Afs.2 40 Afs.80 164 Purple Afs.5 40 Afs.200 203.2
Albania Currency: Albanian lek Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Gray 1 Lek 50 50 Lek 150 Red 5 Lek 50 250 Lek 156 Purple 10 Lek 50 500 Lek 180 Orange 20 Lek 25 500 Lek ≥115
Algeria Currency: Algerian dinar Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes White 200 dinars 20 4,000 dinars 240 Bi-metallic
Argentina Currency: Argentine peso Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Black 5 centavos 50 $2.5 100 Orange $2 25 $50 360 Old Bi-metallic coin
Australia Currency: Australian dollar Australian coins used to have different ink colors, but now they all have black ink. Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes 1c 50 $0.50 130 obsolete, (in the past, found in red rolls) 2c 50 $1 260 obsolete, (in the past, found in red rolls) 5c 40 $2 113 (in the past, found in blue rolls) 10c 40 $4 226 (in the past, found in purple rolls) 20c 20 $4 226 (in the past, found in green rolls ) 50c 20 $10 311 (in the past, found in orange rolls can be paper) $1 20 $20 200 $2 25 $50 165 Coins can alternatively be stored in small, reusable plastic bags like in the UK and Ireland. Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) 5c 100 $5 283 10c 100 $10 565 20c 50 $10 565 50c 20 $10 311 $1 20 $20 200 $2 25 $50 165
Austria Currency: Austrian schilling Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes 2 groschen 50 S 1 obsolete
Bahamas Currency: Bahamian dollar The Bahamas has two different kinds of rolls with the same number of coins. One kind is distinguished by color, while the other is adorned with a light blue background with the Flag of the Bahamas. The rolls here are the ones distinguished by color. Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Blue 1 Cent 50 $0.50 87.5 Purple 5 Cents 40 $2 140 Orange 10 Cents 40 $4 208 Sometimes blue Green 25 cents 40 $10 200
Bahrain Currency: Bahraini dinar Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Green 5 fils 50 250 fils 125 Yellow 10 fils 50 500 fils 167.5 Purple 25 fils 50 BD 1.25 175 Pink 50 fils 50 BD 2.50 225 Blue 100 fils 50 BD 5 300
Bangladesh Currency: Bangladeshi taka Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes White 2 Taka 50 ৳100 275 small coin variety White 5 Taka 50 ৳250 275 small coin variety
Belgium Currency: Belgian franc Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Black 25 centimes 50 12.5 francs obsolete Purple 50 centimes 50 25 francs obsolete
Bosnia and Herzegovina Currency: Convertible mark Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Black 5 feninga 50 2.5 convertible mark
Bulgaria Currency: Bulgarian lev Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes White 1 stotinka 50 50 stotinki 90 Yellow 2 stotinki 50 1 lev 125 Sometimes white Blue 5 stotinki 50 2.50 leva 175 Pink 10 stotinki 50 5 leva 150 White 2 leva 25 50 leva 225 Bi-metallic
Canada Currency: Canadian dollar Canadian coin rolls are very similar to American coin rolls, with the exception being that rolls for the half dollar do not exist while rolls for the toonie do. Color Name Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Blue Nickel 5¢ 40 $2.00 ≥158 Green Dime 10¢ 50 $5.00 ≥87.5 Orange Quarter 25¢ 40 $10.00 ≥176 Black Loonie $1.00 25 $25.00 ≥156.75 Purple Toonie $2.00 25 $50.00 ≥173
Central African States Currency: Central African CFA franc Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Purple 1 Franc 50 50 F.CFA 82.5 current coin version Green 2 Francs 50 100 F.CFA 122.5 Blue 5 Francs 50 250 F.CFA 120.5 current coin version White 10 Francs 50 500 F.CFA 150- current coin version
China, People's Republic Currency: Renminbi Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Brown ¥0.01 RMB 50 ¥0.50 RMB 35 Brown ¥0.05 RMB 50 ¥2.50 RMB 80 Blue ¥0.10 RMB 50 ¥5 RMB ≥56 sometimes brown Yellow ¥0.50 RMB 50 ¥25 RMB 190 Red ¥1 RMB 50 ¥50 RMB 305 sometimes brown
Comoros Currency: Comorian franc Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Green 250 FC 40 10,000 FC 340 Bi-metallic coin
Costa Rica Currency: Costa Rican colón
Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Red 1 colón 25 25 colones 69.5 1998 variety (obsolete)
Cyprus Currency: Cypriot pound Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Red 1 cent 25 £0.25 50 obsolete, sometimes black Red 2 cents 25 £0.50 62.5 obsolete Black 5 cents 25 £1.25 93.75 obsolete Red 10 cents 25 £2.50 137.5 obsolete Black 20 cents 25 £5.00 193.75 obsolete Black 50 cents 25 £12.50 175 obsolete
Denmark Currency: Danish krone Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Black 1 øre 50 50 øre ≥80 obsolete Black 2 øre 50 1 kr. ≥60 obsolete Black 5 øre 50 2.50 kr. 80 small coin variety (obsolete) Yellow 10 øre 50 5 kr. ≥120 large coin variety, German occupied coins are holed (obsolete) Brown 25 øre 40 10 kr. obsolete Red 50 øre 40 20 kr. 172 Purple 1 kr. 50 50 kr. 180 Holed coin Green 2 kr. 25 50 kr. 147.5 Holed coin Black 5 kr. 40 200 kr. 368 Holed coin Blue 10 kr. 20 200 kr. 140 Yellow 20 kr. 20 400 kr. 186
Ecuador Currency: Ecuadorian sucre Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Black S/.100 20 S/.2,000 71 Bi-metallic coin; obsolete Red S/.500 20 S/.10,000 Bi-metallic coin; obsolete Green S/.1,000 20 S/.20,000 134 Bi-metallic coin; obsolete
Egypt Currency: Egyptian pound Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Green 25 PT. 40 £E 10 180 Purple 50 PT. 40 £E 20 260 Black £E 1 25 £E 25 212.5
Estonia Currency: Estonian kroon Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Notes Black 10 senti 50 5 krooni obsolete Black 20 senti 50 10 krooni obsolete
Eurozone Currency: Euro
Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) White 1 cents 50 €0.50 120 Gray 2 cents 50 €1.00 155 Red 5 cents 50 €2.50 195 Blue 10 cents 40 €4.00 164 Orange 20 cents 40 €8.00 233.2 Green 50 cents 40 €20.00 313.2 Yellow €1 25 €25.00 189.3 Purple €2 25 €50.00 207.5
Ireland Unlike the rest of the eurozone, Ireland uses clear, reusable plastic bags for all denominations like the previous currency, the Irish pound. Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) 1 cents 100 €1.00 230 2 cents 100 €2.00 306 5 cents 100 €5.00 392 10 cents 100 €10.00 410 20 cents 50 €10.00 287 50 cents 50 €25.00 390 €1 25 €25.00 187.5 €2 25 €50.00 212.5
Spain Three of the rolls used in Spain are different from the ones used in the rest of the eurozone. Color Denomination Count Total Value Weight (g) Blue 10 cents 50 €5.00 205 Orange 20 cents 25 €5.00 143.5 Green 50 cents 25 €12.50 195
Italy Until 2009, two of the rolls used in Italy were different from the ones used in the rest of the eurozone.