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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GeorgeM, post: 1470122, member: 28550&quot;]Going to the World Fair of Money sounds like a really good idea. I&#039;ll second that.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for getting a coin book to check your collection, you may want to go to a local library. They often have redbooks, blackbooks, bluebooks, and Krause catalogs. </p><p><br /></p><p>When researching a coin, the price guides in the catalogs should be used only as a general guide. They are often outdated (silver prices can change quite dramatically, making the melt value of the coin far beyond the collectible value), and often over the wholesale price by 20-40%. But, looking at the list prices will give you an idea of the relative scarcity of a coin. </p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s also important to grade your coins. The price difference between a beat up coin and a cleanly struck uncirculated coin can be staggering.</p><p><br /></p><p>For example; here are some quotes from the 2002 Standard Catalog of World Coins (aka the &quot;Krause cstalog&quot;, a phonebook sized book often found in library reference sections). Bear in mind that these prices are outdated - the rise in silver values means that many of the lower grade coins have risen in value or been melted down for their silver content... which tends to make them scarcer and drive up price to a parity with silver value and beyond.</p><p><br /></p><p>US Walking Liberty Half Dollar (0.3618 troy oz of silver each: with silver at $26.89/oz as I write this, that&#039;s $9.73 per coin in melt value)</p><p><br /></p><p>1917(p) (mint marks in parenthesis generally mean there is no mint mark, which means that all other mints used a mint mark of some kind):</p><p>Mintage: 12,292,000 (this was the first year of mintage; despite a high number minted, this date often has a high value simply because people collect the first year more than other years)</p><p>Value in Good (4/70): $3.50</p><p>Value in Very Good (8/70): $5</p><p>Value in Fine (12/70): $8</p><p>Value in Very Fine (20/70): $16 </p><p>Value in Extremely Fine (40/70): $32.50 </p><p>Value in About Uncirculated (50/70): $60</p><p>Value in Mint State (60/70): $110</p><p>Value in Choice Mint State (65/70): $800 </p><p><br /></p><p>1917-D</p><p>Mintage: 1,940,000</p><p>Value in Good (4/70): $9</p><p>Value in Very Good (8/70): $14 </p><p>Value in Fine (12/70): $24</p><p>Value in Very Fine (20/70): $80 </p><p>Value in Extremely Fine (40/70): $195 </p><p>Value in About Uncirculated (50/70): $400</p><p>Value in Mint State (60/70): $700</p><p>Value in Choice Mint State (65/70): $16,000 </p><p><br /></p><p>1917S</p><p>Mintage: 5,554,000</p><p>Value in Good (4/70): $4</p><p>Value in Very Good (8/70): $6.5 </p><p>Value in Fine (12/70): $12</p><p>Value in Very Fine (20/70): $27.50 </p><p>Value in Extremely Fine (40/70): $50</p><p>Value in About Uncirculated (50/70): $125 </p><p>Value in Mint State (60/70): $300</p><p>Value in Choice Mint State (65/70): $950 </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>1918(p)</p><p>Mintage: 6,634,000</p><p>Value in Good (4/70): $4</p><p>Value in Very Good (8/70): $6 </p><p>Value in Fine (12/70): $14</p><p>Value in Very Fine (20/70): $47.50 </p><p>Value in Extremely Fine (40/70): $130 </p><p>Value in About Uncirculated (50/70): $245</p><p>Value in Mint State (60/70): $500</p><p>Value in Choice Mint State (65/70): $3500 </p><p><br /></p><p>I could keep copying the book, but that gives you an idea. You&#039;ll probably notice that the value of these coins tends to go up geometrically in the higher grades. Also, the years in which fewer coins were minted tend to command a price premium. </p><p><br /></p><p>One quick word of advice - whatever you do, please DO NOT CLEAN your coins. That can have devastating effects on their value (as it strips away the surface layer, destroys toning, and makes the coins less desirable to collectors).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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