Inherited a coin collection? Here's what it's worth.
Most inherited coin collections are mainly common circulated coinage worth close to face value, with a small number of genuinely interesting pieces mixed in. The job is finding those without damaging anything.
- Do not clean the coins. Any of them. Ever.Cleaning leaves microscopic scratches that graders detect instantly. A cleaned coin routinely loses 50–90% of its value, and it cannot be undone. This is the single most expensive mistake heirs make.
- Do not remove coins from sealed holders or original mint packaging.The packaging is part of the provenance, and proof sets in their original cases are worth more intact than the coins are loose.
- Do not sell to the first buyer who offers for the whole lot.A sight-unseen offer on an entire collection is a bet that there is something good in it. That bet is being made against you.
What actually decides the value
- ·Date and mint mark together — the mint mark is the small letter (S, D, CC, O) and it often matters more than the date
- ·Silver content: US dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver and worth many times face value as metal alone
- ·Key dates within a series (e.g. 1909-S VDB cent, 1893-S Morgan dollar, 1916-D Mercury dime)
- ·Errors: doubled dies, off-centre strikes, wrong planchets
- ·Whether it is a proof or business strike, and whether it is still in original packaging
- ·Visible wear on the highest points, which is what separates a $30 coin from a $3,000 one
How to photograph it
- ·Both sides of anything that looks unusual, filling the frame
- ·Diffuse daylight, not direct sun or flash — glare hides exactly the detail we need
- ·Keep coins in their holders; photograph through the plastic rather than opening it
Five photographs · free · no account
Common questions
Is a coin collection worth anything?+
Most inherited coin collections are mainly common circulated coinage worth close to face value, with a small number of genuinely interesting pieces mixed in. The job is finding those without damaging anything.
What should I not do with a coin collection?+
Do not clean the coins. Any of them. Ever. Cleaning leaves microscopic scratches that graders detect instantly. A cleaned coin routinely loses 50–90% of its value, and it cannot be undone. This is the single most expensive mistake heirs make. Do not remove coins from sealed holders or original mint packaging. The packaging is part of the provenance, and proof sets in their original cases are worth more intact than the coins are loose. Do not sell to the first buyer who offers for the whole lot. A sight-unseen offer on an entire collection is a bet that there is something good in it. That bet is being made against you.
What makes coins valuable?+
Mostly these: Date and mint mark together — the mint mark is the small letter (S, D, CC, O) and it often matters more than the date; Silver content: US dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver and worth many times face value as metal alone; Key dates within a series (e.g. 1909-S VDB cent, 1893-S Morgan dollar, 1916-D Mercury dime); Errors: doubled dies, off-centre strikes, wrong planchets.
How do I find out what mine is worth?+
Photograph it and we'll examine it. Five photographs are free. A full report is $39, covers up to 200 photographs, and we never buy or sell anything — so we have no reason to tell you it's worth less than it is.