OK, I'm getting more and more intrigued as I sort through my dad's old coin collection. I've chosen a few of the more interesting(at least to me) coins to post pictures of here. I would love to hear thoughts and opinions from all of the experts here about these coins. Is there anything here that is worth getting officially graded? I know it's not a cheap process. Some google searching has certainly raised my eyebrows a bit, but beyond that I just don't know enough about coins. Some of these coins are in protective sleeves with some notes and what my dad may have paid for them at a coin shop perhaps. I can see myself getting pulled down the rabbit hole of coin collecting if I'm not careful. This is the first post of 2 since I'm limited to 10 pictures per post. Gold Mexican coin - 4 grams - Is this worth more than the actual gold value? The 1863 penny on the left is quite a bit thicker than the 1906 penny... Google search shows that this might be a coin worth grading. Not sure what is so special about a 1932 S quarter
That's a nice looking 32S quarter. It is one of the key days, along with 32D. It'd be nice to see it out of the flip. That may be worth sending in.
I see a couple of antique home made 2X2's there. You might want to hold on to them if your dad made them.
If I recall correctly, there were a significant number of restrikes of that particular coin. Essentially that means coins were struck bearing that date in the years following 1955. When it comes to value, your coin probably is worth gold content.
The 1863 is supposed to be thicker and whiter than the later dates. It's damaged. The 1906 has been cleaned. The 1932-S could be real but there are probably as many "added mint marks" as genuine examples. The 1902 Barber is well circulated. $10 melt. 1926 quarter eagle is a common date, $240 melt value. 5 peso coin also $240 melt.
Welcome to Coin Talk. Are all those lines on the obverse of the 1932-S quarter on the coin or the holder?
The 1859-64 Indian cents were struck in copper-nickel and are thicker than the bronze ones struck from the latter half of 1864 until 1909. They're a different subtype. That one is, unfortunately, rather messed up (and it's a common date anyway), but hey- it could have been shiny and new in Abe Lincoln's pocket when he gave the Gettysburg Address, right? The other one is common and cleaned. Neither Indian cent is worth much monetarily, but still have some conversational/historic appeal. The gold is definitely worth having graded, since having it certified will bring more potential buyers when it's time to sell. But that's really up to you. As @Bradley Trotter mentioned, the 1955 Mexican 5-pesos coin is a restrike. In other words, they kept on striking "1955" dated coins up into the 21st century, though the new ones do still have the same amount of gold as the originals. So it doesn't really have much premium over its spot (bullion) value, but given that you have nearly $240 worth of gold there at present prices, its spot price alone is sufficient to make it worth submitting, perhaps. *PS- take the MS60 pricing on the page I linked to for the Mexican coin with an enormous grain of salt. It's probably an outright error. Figure the coin as being worth no more than spot value. The 1932-S quarter looks nice and that is a better date. I'd say it is worth submitting as well. I'm not sure whether it has been cleaned or not, but it's worth a shot. That's a really ancient 2x2 holder it's in. Those old square-window 2x2s were a 1960s thing, I believe. The holder itself is at least 50 years old. The coin looks to have details that put it in the AU grade range, which puts it into the upper $100s to low $200s, pricewise, IF it is authentic and hasn't been cleaned or otherwise tampered with. As @Michael K mentioned, the possibility of someone having stuck on a fake "S" mintmark is something to watch out for.
There's no market for a G-4 common date Barber half. That's why I said it is worth melt value ($10) because that's all you can sell it for. (Not including EBay suckers, which after EBay and pay pal fees, and shipping, you aren't making more than $10 anyway.)
Thank you for all of the detailed information @lordmarcovan and everyone else in the thread! Since most of the focus of the responses seems to be on the 32s quarter, is it worth taking it out of the old 2x2 to inspect further? Seems clear that it will likely destroy the 2x2 in the process of opening it. Also, how hard is it to determine if the "s" is real or added later on. When would the faking of this coin have started happening? My dad probably stopped collecting coins by 1970 or so. @thomas mozzillo I can't tell for certain, but I "think" the scratches are on the plastic of the 2x2, when I change the way I hold it in the light, the plastic looks streaked in the corners where there is no coin. I'm learning so much, this is awesome!
Compare the size and placement of the S with an authentic photo. Use magnification and check for any kinds of unusual marks around the mint mark. Debris, solder, etc. Compare if there is a patina difference. Etc.
Little tip on taking the quarter out. Carefully cut a hole or slit in the cellophane in the corner. Then peel back the plastic and remove the quarter. Do not try to take the staples out you could accidently scratch the coin and loose a lot of value.
1955 two peso - it's a bullion coin that is not worth submitting. 1902 Barber Half Dollar - only in Good-4 condition, not worth submitting. 1926 $2.50 gold - This is a marginal call. When I was a dealer NGC used to have a "cheap gold coin" slabbing rate, but that is probably gone. If they are charging more than $20, it's probably not worth it. The two Indian Cents have been damaged (1863) and cleaned (1906). Not worth the slabbing fees. The 1932-S quarter has been severely cleaned with many hairlines on it. It will not get a straignt grade because of that. It's shame because the coin appeared to AU before someone messed with it. It's another marginal call.
I just want to be sure that there is enough reason to try and remove this quarter from the old 2x2 that it is in. If this quarter is only worth maybe a couple hundred $s, then the sentimental value is way more than that and I'd rather keep it intact in the holder.
