Hi, I have recently inhertied a coin collection, there may be a few interesting items in it, can anyone point me to where is the best place to self-evaluate worth? I have included a couple interesting items: One,Two. Hard to get good photography of the coins due to the reflective nature of the holders. The collection is pretty varried, carrying most american coins from late 18th through late 20th century. There are also european coins from germany, united kingdom and several other countries. Any pointers would be welcome.
Welcome, If you can garner just a small fraction of the satisfaction that I have, from this hobby, I'm sure you will consider it well worth your time. Your first step toward a rewarding hobby, will be to begin a library of referance materials. If you need any suggestions on which ones to get first, we will be glad to offer suggestions. Good luck! Jody P.S. Nice pics. Silver dollars are fun to collect.
jody: Thanks jody, I'm not really trying to collect, I'm trying to evaluate aproximate worth so that I know at what value to sell the collection (if indeed it has a value).
Well I hope you get some pleasure with the research and sale of your coins and if you do maybe dealing is for you. I agree with Jody's various postings over time about the pleasures of coin collecting. It's a hobby that maybe you make some money maybe you lose some but in the long run, your fun is priceless.
Yaron - In order to determine the value of the coins you would first have to know how to properly grade the coins. That's not something you can learn in a short period of time. Myself and I'm sure several others here on the Forum would be glad to help you out - but it would require quality pics of each coin to do so. The pics you provided are a good place to start - but are not quite adequate for grading purposes. Your easiest course of action may be to find a reputable dealer in your area and perhaps pay him to evaluate your coins for you.
GDJMSP: There are too many frauds here that will underpay you, I'll see if I can get some quality photographs of some of the coins. They seem to be ordered by year, any particular era or design I should pay attention to?
A Redbook (A Guide Book of United States Coins) might help you spot some of the more valuable pieces. You might be able to find one at your library. But, as GDJMSP posted, you are going to have to know the grades to get any real idea of actual value. And whehter they are cleaned or otherwise damaged (BTW: Do not try to 'improve' the coins...clean, etc). If you can't find a Redbook, the PCGS price guide can help you find which dates/mint marks would have more value: http://www.pcgs.com/prices/ Just realize that those prices are mostly fantasy and you are not going to get those kind of prices when you sell. And you will notice that the prices are broken down into grades which you will need to know... There are some online grading guides out there too (both generic and series specific) that might help in some cases but they are of very limited value for Uncirculated coins. -- Stujoe
I was not suggesting that you sell the coins to a local dealer - I was suggesting that you have a trusted ( with the key word being trusted ) local dealer appraise the coins. Tell them up front you are not going to sell them. Most people have no idea of what is involved or the knowledge required to be able to accurately appraise the value of a coin collection. There are more than a few dealers who would be incapable of doing it correctly. Being a coin dealer in and of itself does not qualify one as an expert - though some are. It's like any other profession - there are good ones, bad ones, better ones and the best ones.
I agree. Seek help from a local coin dealer or coin club. Let them know that the coins aren't for sale. If you don't like them...go to another dealer. Also, if you're interested in learning to grade the coins, I'd suggest the A.N.A. grading guide. It's easy to use and has accurate photos and descriptions for virtually all U.S. coin series in all grades. Lastly...it's very important that you don't clean or try to improve the look of your coins. This can't be stressed enough. Good luck and post here with any specific questions....we'll be happy to help if we can
If you intend to sell your coins, don't waste time showing them to collectors. There are several large dealers who advertise in the coin magazines such as "COINS" who will make you an offer for the entire collection or who will take some of the pieces on consignment for sale, however you want to do it. Dealers are in business to make a profit. A dealer is going to offer you a price at which he can reasonably expect to make a profit when he manages to resell what he buys from you. If you are registered with ebay, look up my ID there and send me a message. I'll link you to a few reputable foreign dealers I know who will buy your world coins or sell them for you on consignment. The ones I know also deal in US coins. Your main protection in selling your coins is to remember that nobody can force you to sell to them.
