Old basements were commonly used as:
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Storage areas for inventory
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Workshop spaces
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Small-scale production areas
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Overflow storage for materials
Metal blanks are heavy and don’t require climate-controlled conditions. A basement would have been a convenient, out-of-the-way place to keep bulk materials.
Also, if someone purchased them in bulk decades ago intending to use them, they may have simply forgotten about them.
Could They Be Valuable?
Possibly — but probably not in the way you might think.
If they are:
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Plain aluminum or steel blanks → Likely scrap value only
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Copper or brass → Slightly higher scrap value
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Silver planchets → Much more valuable, but less common
To check:
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Test with a magnet (to see if they’re steel).
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Weigh one and compare to known metal densities.
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Look for any faint markings or edge details.
If they were official coin planchets from a mint, they would typically have strict controls and identifiable features.
Most likely, these are industrial stampings rather than rare collectibles.
Why So Many of Them?
In manufacturing, materials are often ordered in large quantities to reduce cost.
It’s completely normal for a small operation to have:
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Boxes of surplus stock
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Overstock materials
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Abandoned project supplies
If the homeowner moved, retired, or passed away unexpectedly, materials like this might simply have been left behind.
What Should You Do With Them?