Coin Rolling Technique - Coin Wrapping Procedure

There are a number of alternatives for exchanging your change: fee-based coin
counting machines or bank and credit union coin counting machines or teller
services; spending it in stores or vending machines; throwing it away; or rolling
the coins. Although TheUnderstory.com site is primarily dedicated to connecting
you with cheap and free coin counting machines, we understand that it is not
always possible to find a service which suits your needs. Therefore, we are
offering advice on minimizing the costs of counting your coins at for-pay coin
counting services and some ideas for rolling your coins.
With careful attention, you can cut the amount of time it takes you to count your coins!

Start by sitting on or near a soft surface with enough give to be somewhat moldable such as our favorite, a typical bed with the comforter and sheet pulled up creating a clean, flat surface (we hear this is called a "made bed"). Dump your coins out onto the surface and spread them out on one third of the bed surface near one end until the coins are mostly in one layer, especially at the edges of the pile. Then, with both hands, begin to gather and count out two handfuls of ten coins of the largest denomination coins out of which you believe you have enough coins to make a roll. When you have completed two handfuls of ten, place the piles down on the empty area of the bed about a fist apart. In no time, you will have ten-coin piles covering up to two thirds of the bed with ten coin piles. Do not stack coins, as much you may want to; as counterintuitive as it is, stacking wastes time, as we'll explain below.

Just as in the machine world, humans also do one task more quickly and efficiently if they are allowed to do the same task uninterrupted for a period of time. So you should count ten-coin piles out until you are finished with your unsorted pile or run out of room for well-spaced piles. Furthermore, by sorting out the largest denomination coins first, you uncover bed/surface area making it easier to attack the smaller denomination coins later (or leave them for the fee-based coin counting machines/services.)

Select a wrapper from your assortment (which can be obtained free at most reputable banks) for the denomination you will be wrapping first, open it by pressing down on the creases and fold flat so you have four evenly spaced creases. Open it back up and quickly work one opening into a rough circle. Lay it down nearby.

Next, grab up the correct number of piles of ten for the denomination you are rolling, shown in the table Hourly Rate Saved by not Using Fee-Based Coin Counting Machines into one hand. Young children and people with small hands may need to handle half a pile at a time. If you need to, make sure you set the other half down away from the other coins.

Next, you want to lightly toss and work the coins in your hand while using the other hand to form what is essentially a roll of coins in your hand without a wrapper. Once you get good at it, you won't need to be so strict about how well formed your pile is, but in the beginning, it helps if you line all of the coins up precisely.

As to why we don't stack, we have found that making stacks, maintining those stacks on any surface, and then placing perfect stacks into wrappers is utterly inefficient and time consuming and almost impossible. Just insure you have the correct number of coins in a pile and practice the toss procedure.

Once you have the coins in a clean line in your hand, pick up your wrapper with your other hand and put your middle finger into the wrapper in the more square, unworked opening, to the first finger joint. The idea at this point is to pour your well formed line of coins into the wrapper. Problems will occasionally occur, especially for novices, such as coins falling into the roll on edge, jamming the wrapper. Since each situation and person will suggest different responses, our general advice is to try to pour the coins back out part of the way, then tilt them back in after the coins are adjusted properly. Again, practice will make you a pro in no time.

This technique allows you to listen to the radio, talk to someone on a headset microphone phone, or watch television. You can even use this technique in your living room by draping a comforter over your coffee table.

There are personal machines and devices sold which hold the promise of counting coins faster than by hand alone. For a while we thought we could get rich as a web affiliate getting three (3) percent of every coin tube and counting machine sold. Although we cannot testify for certain as to the effectiveness of all these devices, we have become lukewarm to promise of these devices because we can't make the math of time and money work out in the user's favor under almost any scenario or device price point. This entire site is dedicated to accessing the money trapped in change with minimal effort, cost and time. Adding devices to the mix seems to be an incremental measure at best. Even wrapping coins should be seen as a temporary measure until one locates an affordable coin counting service.

And next time you are contemplating dumping your change jar into the supermarket coin counting machine or counting/rolling your own coins, think about your hourly rate.