I've been saddled with the task of determining the identity and value of a bunch of foreign coin. The coins are from an estate, and there are about 200 of them. The date range is from the mid/early 1800s - the 1950s. One of my problems is that on most of the coins, I cannot even determine the country of origin. It's not that the condition of the coins is so poor that they can't be read, but rather they are in a language I can't read. So here's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a source (or sources) that indexes coins by countries, and gives some sort of value to them. The source can either be online or in print. However, it is necessary that there be pictures in the source material, so that I can be sure of what I'm looking at. Free sources are best, but I'm open to other options. From my experience, I'm prepared to learn that most have little to no value. But, legally I have to be able to identify them to make that sort of determination. Any thoughts, hints, or ideas that would point me in the right direction?
You would need two of them: the 1800 and the 1900. Your library likely has them. Or post pictures over a series of threads here! There are two free options.
You could try www.worldcoingallery.com or www.numismaster.com WCG is free and has a lot of pictures, but it doesn't have detailed values. You have to pay for Numismaster, but it has more detailed values. I think it's $9.99 a month.
And also available at most public library reference sections, for consultation without charges of any kind.
