Found my great grandmother's penny collection looking through old boxes. 1941-1989. 2 books. Although there are a few dates missing, and they are not MS no means it's still exciting. Can anyone offer advice on what years to take a close look at?
Anytime a whittman is handed down usually means a loss of family member and my condolences goes out to you. Most of what I see in your pictures is common wheat Lincolns typically worth 3-5 cents each.
I recommend buying a copy of A Guide Book of United States Coins (called the Redbook). The absolute bales aren't always accurate to the market, but it's easy to determine which coins are better dates. It also has info on mintages, weights, compositions, and even some basic grading on U.S. Coins from colonials,to half cents to $20 gold to comment and everything in between. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that nearly every knowledgeable collector of U.S. Coins on CT had one when they were starting. It will be the best $10-15 you'll spend on the hobby
Check the 1955s to make sure the date and Liberty are not doubled to where you can see 2 dates and 2 Liberty(s) easily.
@David Handlin ...depending on your level of interest, you should use @Oldhoopster (s) advice and get a Redbook, apply a "ballpark" grade to each coin and consult Wexler and Variety Vista for attributables like RPMs and doubled dies. Not withstanding the loss of your GGM, her collection deserves this type of treatment, and you will be a better collector as well. Let us know if you find anything you feel compelled to share with all of us here at Coin Talk...Enjoy!...Spark
