Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Coin Collecting

Besides collecting coins, I "collect" dead people. Not what you think - I work on my genealogy/family history. There have been a lot of chatter, webinars, discussions about how you can use AI (Chat GPT, Google Gemini, Claude, etc.) to aid in your genealogical research.

So, I was wondering, do you use AI tools to aid in your coin collecting?

• Coin identification
• Automated Grading
• Spotting Errors
• Counterfeit Detection
• Photography
• Market Valuation
• Research or Learning (rather than reading books and books)
• Creating spreadsheets
• Buying and selling

If you do use AI, which platforms do you use? Google Gemini, Chat GPT, Claude? Or, do you use AI Apps: CoinKnow, CoinValueChecker, HeritCoin, Coinoscope? Are there other good ones out there I haven't listed? If you use more than one, what do you use each for? Is Chat GPT better for some things, and Gemini better for others?

Yes, I'm retired and getting older (almost 59), but still semi-technologically competent. And, since I'm starting to go down the AI rabbit hole in the genealogy world, I'm thinking there can be advantages to using AI in the coin world also.

 

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I've long thought that AI would be great for coming up with prices for coins: scanning all the actual completed sales/auction results...throwing out outliers...observing the trend...seeing if a particular series was stronger or weaker than peers...etc...etc...etc.

Right now, I just use AI by asking questions on a few coin topics in Gemini and seeing the result. I guess in the past I would have gotten a bunch of those blue links, now I get a brief summary answer to my question. As you can tell, I'm not the expert on AI use (matches my PC use ).

 

I collect foreign coins and sometimes I get one I can't easily identify. I've found that if you scan the coin, upload the picture to Google image search, it usually gives you the correct answer. It's a good idea to check what it gives you independently but it's very helpful. I would consider that to be AI.

 

I've been using Google Gemini and Chat GPT (I ask both the same question and sometimes get different answers) for a few different things:

• Research on where I can find info about past and current coin pricing (for tax purposes).
• Research on which local coin dealers specialize in what, so I can pick the right one to sell to.
• Research on how to set up my instructions for family to take care of my collection after I die.
• So........mostly research.

AI gives me the answers to the questions I ask (not always 100% correct, but mostly good info), and then it asks if I would like to.......whatever. Sometimes I haven't even thought of the things that it asks me, so I say yes, and I get more info that I never knew I should ask about! Then, it asks more questions I never thought to ask, and I get even more info! Rabbit hole!

I'd like to know if there's value to using AI for other reasons (maybe some listed above, maybe more reasons).

 

Artificial Intelligence will never win out over Natural Stupidity however you slice it . . . . . .

Z

 

Not sure about AI, but I do believe in Aliens.

 

I'm agnostic on aliens, but I do not want them messing with my coins.

 

AI is not up to par on coins so I have no use for it.

 

It's all about speed. This took less than 5 minutes, and most of that was me typing and then copying the results.

You said:
How would you find current pricing for coins that are sold through internet auction sites like Great Collections and Heritage?
Copilot said:
Copilot
To find current pricing for coins sold through major internet auction platforms like GreatCollections and Heritage Auctions, here are the most effective methods—based directly on what these platforms and third‑party price guides offer:

✅ 1. Use Auction Archives (Real Prices Realized)
Both Heritage and GreatCollections publish complete archives of past auction results, which show the actual selling prices, not estimates.

GreatCollections Auction Archive

• GreatCollections maintains a massive archive with over 1.8 million recorded coin auction sales, including photos and prices realized.greatcollections
• You can browse or search by coin type, certification, or auction date.

Why it’s useful:
Real completed auction results show true market demand and reflect current pricing more accurately than dealer guides.

Heritage Auctions Price Guide

• Heritage provides a full Price Guide for Numismatists, with methods to determine coin value and real price ranges based on auction and wholesale data.ha
• Their Value Index uses recent auction and wholesale results from graded coins (PCGS/NGC).

Why it’s useful:
Heritage aggregates prices from many major coin categories and keeps values updated daily.

✅ 2. Check Third‑Party Price Trackers Aggregating Auction Sales
NGC U.S. Auction Central

• NGC maintains a consolidated system showing past and future auctions for Heritage, GreatCollections, Stack’s Bowers, Teletrade, and others.ngccoin
• You can search by coin description, year, mintmark, denomination, or NGC Universal ID.

Why it’s useful:
It centralizes auction results from multiple platforms, making trend analysis easier.

PCGS Price Guide

• Updated daily, incorporating dealer ads, fixed‑price lists, major auctions, coin shows, and expert input.pcgs
• Great for PCGS‑graded coins, with historic and current price graphs.

Why it’s useful:
It shows retail pricing trends and helps cross‑reference whether an auction result is high or low for the grade.

✅ 3. Use Platform‑Specific Search Tools to Check Current Listings
Even before the auction ends, you can gauge current pricing trends by looking at active listings.

GreatCollections

• Their advanced search allows filtering by denomination, grade, certification service (PCGS/NGC/CAC), and more.greatcollections

Heritage Auctions

• Their U.S. Coins portal provides access to active auctions and searchable categories of all U.S. coin types.ha

Why it’s useful:
Active bids show what the market is willing to pay right now, often predicting final prices.

Recommended Workflow for the Most Accurate Pricing
Here’s a simple approach collectors and dealers use:

1. Search your coin in the Heritage Price Guide
   → Get the general retail range and rarity metrics.
   
   
2. Verify recent realized prices in Heritage and GreatCollections archives
   → Check multiple comps within the same grade, certification, and designation (CAC, PL, CAM, DMPL, etc.).
   
   
3. Use NGC Auction Central to cross‑check results
   → Helps avoid relying on a single auction house’s market behavior.
   
   
4. Consult PCGS Price Guide
   → See whether current retail values align with auction prices or if the market is shifting.
   
   
5. Review active auctions on GreatCollections or Heritage
   → Understand current buyer demand and bidding intensity.
   

If you'd like…
I can also:

• Look up recent realized prices for a specific coin you own.
• Build you a step‑by‑step pricing workflow tailored to your collection.
• Help compare Heritage vs GreatCollections pricing patterns for your specific series (Morgan dollars, Walkers, etc.).

Just tell me which coin(s) you're pricing!


Sources



You said:
How about an 1888 S Morgan in AU55 or AU58?
Copilot said:
Copilot
Here are current, data‑supported market prices for an 1888‑S Morgan Dollar in AU55 and AU58, using the most recent auction and wholesale pricing sources available.

[paste:font size="6"] 1888‑S Morgan Dollar — Current Pricing (AU55 & AU58)
The 1888‑S is a semi‑key date, tougher in higher circulated grades and always in demand.

Below are verified pricing points from multiple authoritative sources:

⭐ AU58 Pricing[/paste:font]
Recent Auction Results

• GreatCollections (PCGS AU58)
  A certified PCGS AU58 example sold on September 15, 2024 (ended auction). The hammer price is restricted unless logged in, but this confirms current auction activity for this grade.
  greatcollections
  
  
• PCGS Auction Prices (Stack’s Bowers, Apr‑2023)
  A PCGS AU58 example realized $312.00 at a Stack’s Bowers Collectors Choice auction.
  pcgs
  

Wholesale Price Guide (Greysheet)

• CDN (Greysheet) Value for AU58: $285 wholesale bid for PCGS/NGC‑graded AU58.
  greysheet

AU58 Market Range:
$285 – $325 is typical for current slabbed AU58 examples.

⭐ AU55 Pricing
Recent Market Activity

• eBay Market Range for AU55
  Current retail listings for certified AU55 examples (PCGS, NGC, ANACS) range from $265 to about $365, depending on eye appeal, toning, and holder type.
  ebay

Wholesale Price Guide (Greysheet)

• CDN (Greysheet) Value for AU55: $225 wholesale bid for PCGS/NGC‑graded AU55 coins.
  greysheet

Typical Auction Pricing

• AU55 coins usually hammer about 10–20% below retail listings, so the expected auction range is roughly:

AU55 Market Range:
$225 – $325, depending on certification and eye appeal.

Summary of Current Pricing
Grade Wholesale (CDN) Typical Auction Realizations Retail/Listing Range Sources
AU55 ~$225 ~$250–$300 ~$265–$365 ebay+1
AU58 ~$285 ~$300–$325 ~$310–$360+ greatcollections+2
Want me to pull specific comps?
If you’d like, I can:

• Pull exact recent GreatCollections sales with images,
• Compare AU55 vs AU58 price spreads,
• Estimate value of your coin based on photos or certification.

Just tell me!

 

AI argued with me 2 days ago and it was wrong. I took a picture of my frying pan handle and it said it was a bike frame so I added the word frying pan and it told me no, it's not a frying pan, is a bicycle frame. It did not apologize when I took a picture of the whole thing. It's also wrong a lot when it comes to identifying mushrooms (which could be deadly), politics and law. I don't trust it! Verify what it says

 

I have use Claude to help re-write or combine some things that I have written. It's not anything I have published, more for my own files.

 

Sounds like my 1st wife!

 

The cool thing, though, is that you can ask quick questions and get quick answers without having to read through numerous books to find the info. Time saver. Although, some may argue that reading the books makes us more informed, and that using AI is making us lazier. Double-edged sword.

 

AI, HDTV, and scanning are making medical diagnostics more accurate than an actual doctor/radiologist.

You could see counterfeits ID'd the same way. The speed and multiple-checks that hi-tech can do with a coin in 5-10 seconds dwarfs what 1 human being can do in a few minutes.

 

I've only used AI in a serious way a couple times, to help analyze some data. Never for anything coin related. I don't feel the need for it, and I don't like the stale and insipid style which characterizes its answers.

 

Only use pen and paper...LOL

 

Remember AI only does what it is taught, My opinion is usually different than any and most others. As a tool for basic identifying, I am guilty. I like all the other interesting stuff you learn doing the research myself.