What would you do in this situation? Question about inheriting coins.

LanLord

This probably deserves a poll, but I am sick to death of polls so I'll just pose a question.

Say for instance you have a large US only coin collection, but you were left many dark side gold and platinum coins by a close relative. Would you assimilate these gold and platinum coins into your collection or would you consider a trade for similar value in US coins?

Alternate situation, would you hang on to these dark side pieces waiting to see if the price of gold and platinum will go up before selling/trading?

Alt alternate situation, if this was a very close relative (father) would you simply keep these dark side pieces as a rememberance?

kranky

If I didn't really like the coins, I'd retain one as a keepsake and sell/trade the rest. I probably wouldn't wait to see what the prices of gold and platinum did. I don't mean for this to come across as a "gimme the money" attitude, but (1) I have no idea what precious metal prices are going to do, so holding for that reason is pure guesswork; and (2) my gratitude for being remembered in this way wouldn't be affected either way whether I keep all the coins or just one. Now, if the intent of the bequest was to pass along a family heirloom collection, I'd keep them and likewise pass them along, but if not I would presume the person who left me the coins would be OK with decisions I'd make about how to deal with them.

Gilbert

It may depend on Dad's wishes. If I knew he wanted me to keep them, generally, that is what I would do. If he left them with the stipulation that I could do as I please, maybe I would keep his favorite piece, and liquidate the balance; BE MINDFUL OF YOUR STATE'S INHERITANCE LAWS - that may make all the difference in the world.

I suppose the collection could be intriguing enough to cause me to study and add on to his collection. I guess, you have to do what makes you feel comfortable.

prooflike

If you didnt have any use for it and it had no sentimental value(which it sounds like it doesn't since you are pondering the disposal of said items), I'd dump all of it. No sense keeping something you dont want.

IrishMike

Good question, it really depends on the indivdual, what I have collected over the years has expanded and contracted so many times, I would probably hang on to them for at least a while and learn something about them. Someday you might have an interest in them.

laserart

I'd research each one to know what exactly I have for value, then decide.

mrdq

SIMPLIFY

Sell everything you don't truely enjoy looking at and owning and focus on a few sets or upgrades.


Before you got the darkside metals were you already buying gold, etc.. for invesments? if yes, you got some freebies. If no, pretend it was a Star Trek Plate collection and sell it and buy yourself something you enjoy.

tom

p.s. always keep a few as keepsakes for you and your kids if you have any. You can't buy heirlooms.

ARCO

An inheritance is nice to recieve, but for me is not as personal as a keepsake coin given as a token by the person while living. Those coins are worth keeping as a rememberance. collect and keep only what you like. It is a metal coin, the emotional significance is created by you.

My grandfather died and I picked up 3 cleaned common morgans. He didn't give them to me personally, if he had they would stay with me forever even though they are only worth $8-$10 bucks each. As such they are clogging up my coin space and I think they are hideous looking

As a boy heading towards a life of crime and ruin, a man in my neighborhood befriended me knowing that I was interested in coin collecting and gave me a nice VF 1855 large cent worth $15.00 or so at the time. For me now it is the most emotionally charged coin I have and has a significance for me beyond price (beyond the $30 or so it would fetch on Ebay).

Sell what you don't like if there is no emotional significance to you.

Tyler

kingmatt

I went through this situation last year when my dad died. I personally keep one or two as a keepsake and sell what you don't want. Who's to say tht your dad (or whoever) planned on keeping the coins ad infinitum? Just my two cents Matt

Dog97

Since they were free I would toss them into my safe deposit box & hang on to them to see if the price of gold and platinum will go up before selling/trading.

medicain19

Before my father died this year, he gave me his coin collection but best of all were the stories he had on how he had aquirred some of them. That meant as much to me as receiving the coins.

tsacch

I would easily trade for US coins as I have no interest in the dark side...........in fact I have a decent size piggy bank full of dark stuff from my dad since I was a kid (age 5 or so) that he gave me ( I am 37 now) that I just hate looking at ( probably cause I know nothing about it and they just dont appeal to me like US does) All those naked people on those old Italian coins frighten me.

I may keep a few, but will probably dump the rest at some point..........its just a matter of letting them go for realistic values.

cosmicdebris

If you do decide to sell any I would let the guys over on the Darkside forum have at 'em. Any ideas on what some of the gold coins were?

AlanB

Depends on whether or not the person I inherited them from was a serious collector or just had them laying around. If they were very serious about collecting them I wouldn't get rid of them but if they just had them to have them I'd sell or trade them.

1jester

Lanlord, sorry to hear of the loss which prompts your question. I've never been in that situation, so I don't know what I'd do. It looks like many here have already given sound advice. I know that I collected only US coins for years, but recently I've started to collect some Darkside coins due to the fact that I live overseas, and I have access to many fascinating coins (and almost no access to US coins). All I can say is that the Darkside can be really neat; why not hang on to them at least until you know what you have, and keep the ones you become interested in. Good luck.