I recently inherited a large collection of all Israeli coins minted from the early 1960's to the mid 1990's. These coins include all the normal circulaiton coins when minted and - and this is the unique part - all "special event" coins, i.e. commemorating people, events, etc. Some of the coins are silver, some are gold. I am not interested in keeping this collection (most if not all coins are still in thier original containers) and am looking to sell them. The Israeli authority which issued them would not buy nor estimate the collection's value, and one interested buyer offered me the value of the gold only for the entire collection. Any thought / idea / guidance would be most appreciated. Thanks for reading. Tamila
I checked quickly through a Krause World Coin catalogue, and nothing really seems to jump out as being worth much, like a 1985 proof 5 Sheqalim, it has a 1/4 oz of gold in it, and a mintage of only 2,633 and in spite of that has a catalogue value of only $275, which really isnt worth much more than the gold content. A longer list would be much more helpful, and some pictures if you can. Check the library for a Krause World Coin catalogue, it will give you a rough idea what things are worth, you can also check completed eBay auctions to see what similar coins are selling for.
I don't want to discourage you but it is difficult to obtain full value for Israeli coins. It's a shame really because there are a lot of great issues and even low mintages but there are few collectors and little demand. If you don't need the money you might consider holding these to see if collectors wise up in the future. They'll always have the silver and gold value so constitute an investment in the metal. You might even find that these are fun to collect. Almost all of the Israeli coins are cheap and/ or undervalued except for a few of the '50's issues. The Palestinian Mandate coins are pretty hot right now and pricey but you can complete the Israel set pretty cheap. Coin collecting is kind of addicting so be sure you know what you're getting into. As far as potential value it will simply require a lot more domestic demand. Perhaps if peace or some kind of more stable atmosphere can become established there will be more demand.
Thanks for the feedback Peter, Thank you for the feedback. That's an intereting observation indeed that I did not think of. Checking eBay it does seem that demand is low for Israeli coins. As I ave enough addictions I am not seeking another one...so selling them as individuals or a whole collection would be preferred. I guess my only chance is the occasional collector. Hope my patience will pay off. Thanks again Tamila
Israeli Coin Resources... I recommend checking out the following websites which both have very good listings of Israeli Issues. The sites are: http://www.rosenblumcoins.com/israel http://www.isracoins.com Rosenblum also has auctions twice a year. You might be able to consign some of your collection. The American Israel Numismatic Association might also be able to put in touch with people that might be interested in purchase some or all of your collection. I myself like to collect the AINA commemorative tokens and medals if you have any of them. They are relatively cheap and interesting. Check out the AINA website at www.amerisrael.com I have also created a personal page with many links and additional resources for Israeli Coins. That may be found here.... http://www.ruthieandmike.com/html/israel_coin_and_stamp_links.html One more option for you is to donate them to a Jewish Museum or Library or even to the American Numismatic Association. Good Luck!!!!
Tamila,you can buy coin catalogues through www.amazon.com .The postage from Germany is dirt cheap - only a few Euros. Aidan.
