Hi, I'm new to these forums but seeing the post counts some of you guys have I'd say this has to be the best place to find answers. I have a coin collection that my father gave me recently and I'm not sure what I should do with it. It consists of 127 mint and proof sets from 1967 on and 12 proof dollar and half dollar coins.(I've attached a .gif with the list) He said the entire value could bein the thousands of dollars. I have no knowledge in this area of coin collecting and have several questions. 1) If I wanted to keep them should I insure the collection? 2) Is this collection something that likely to significantly appreciate in value over time? 3) Should I get the coins graded? 4) If I chose to sell the collection what are my best options? Thanks Scott
Welcome to the neighborhood, Scott! Most of the proof sets are not worth the cost of grading. However, there are some sets that you should check for "No S" (mintmark) varieties. These sets can be worth 4-figure prices and a couple of them go into 5-figures. 1968-S Proof Set, No S 10c 1970-S Proof Set, No S 10c 1971-S Proof Set, No S 5c 1975-S Proof Set, No S 10c 1983-S Proof Set, No S 10c 1990-S Proof Set, No S 1c 1990-S Prestige Set, No S If you decide that you want to insure them, your best bet would be to join the American Numismatic Association, and insure them through Hugh Wood. It is, by far, the best insurance and is also a lot cheaper than most others. There are riders that can be purchased through your HO policy, but it can be very expensive and has many restrictions. Except for the sets that I listed above, many of your sets will not appreciate too much over time. Chris
1 and 2 answered above. Unless you know what you are doing and can spot a high grade value there is no reason to get them graded. As for you best bet on selling - probably ebay or consigning to a seller. Most of these sets are just common and dealers pay very little to buy them.
Regarding the insurance, before you decide to get an extra insurance policy just for the collection I'd recommend finding out if they might already be included in your existing homeowners policy (assuming you have one). Often, they do include them, though with your average deductible being $500 or $1000, you might not see much even if you had a total loss of the collection.
