Question: I often see “shotgun” rolls of coins for sale nowadays. Just what is a “shotgun” roll?
Answer: That’s a great question. When I first began collecting coins in 1961, a “shotgun” roll actually meant two rolls of coins, much like the double barrels of a shotgun, hence the term. During the roll craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s, “shotgun” rolls, or two rolls, of a date were often offered at a discount to what you might pay for just a single roll, an early two-for-one deal if you will. Today I see many dealers offering “shotgun” rolls but they always turn out to be single-roll offerings. How the term has come into its new use is beyond me, but my guess is the term is used by dealers and collectors who have not been in the hobby for many decades the way we old-timers have been.
