Hey, I need some help from the experienced coin folks...
technium
Posts: 12
Hey all,
I was just given a bunch of coins as a gift and was curious as to what my next step should be. (Anything worth anything, worth getting graded?)
I went to 2 local coin shops with:
--
1 Peace Dollar - 1926-S
4 Morgan Dollars - 1890, 1900-O, 1921-S, 1921-S
8 Kennedy Half Dollars - 4x1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
7 Franklin Half Dollars - 1951, 3x1952, 1958-D, 1960-D, 1962
5 Walking Liberty Half Dollars - 3x1943, 2x1944
--
Both offered me around $100 total for all above. About $6-$11 each for the morgans.
Some are obviously in better condition than others, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if i should just sell them to a dealer, or get some graded and ebay them? I feel I can get a more honest answer here.
I have looked over the price lists and some coins are worth quite a bit depending on the grade. I'm not sure if grading is worth the time and money though.
Anyone here can tell me what I should pay most attention to? Anything worth a decent amount? I have a camera so I can furnish pictures if needed. I'm more interested in selling than holding onto them as I'm not much of a collector.
The Collection also includes:
1 Barber Dime - 1914
12 Mercury Dimes - 1923, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 2x1942, 1944, 4x1945
2 Barber Quarters - 2x1908 (both quite flat and worn)
1 Standing Liberty Quarter - Unknown Year, flat edges
17 Washington Quarters - 1939-1952
I also have a bag of Bufflo Nickels and Wheat Reverse Pennies to go through.
Please let me know what I should do as far as selling local, grading and selling, whats worth anything, and what to look for to self grade?
Thanks in advance for the help
I was just given a bunch of coins as a gift and was curious as to what my next step should be. (Anything worth anything, worth getting graded?)
I went to 2 local coin shops with:
--
1 Peace Dollar - 1926-S
4 Morgan Dollars - 1890, 1900-O, 1921-S, 1921-S
8 Kennedy Half Dollars - 4x1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
7 Franklin Half Dollars - 1951, 3x1952, 1958-D, 1960-D, 1962
5 Walking Liberty Half Dollars - 3x1943, 2x1944
--
Both offered me around $100 total for all above. About $6-$11 each for the morgans.
Some are obviously in better condition than others, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if i should just sell them to a dealer, or get some graded and ebay them? I feel I can get a more honest answer here.
I have looked over the price lists and some coins are worth quite a bit depending on the grade. I'm not sure if grading is worth the time and money though.
Anyone here can tell me what I should pay most attention to? Anything worth a decent amount? I have a camera so I can furnish pictures if needed. I'm more interested in selling than holding onto them as I'm not much of a collector.
The Collection also includes:
1 Barber Dime - 1914
12 Mercury Dimes - 1923, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 2x1942, 1944, 4x1945
2 Barber Quarters - 2x1908 (both quite flat and worn)
1 Standing Liberty Quarter - Unknown Year, flat edges
17 Washington Quarters - 1939-1952
I also have a bag of Bufflo Nickels and Wheat Reverse Pennies to go through.
Please let me know what I should do as far as selling local, grading and selling, whats worth anything, and what to look for to self grade?
Thanks in advance for the help
-John
0
Comments
What's worth taking pictures of?
<< <i>Hey all,I was just given a bunch of coins as a gift and was curious as to what my next step should be........Some are obviously in better condition than others, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if i should just sell them to a dealer, or get some graded and ebay them? I feel I can get a more honest answer here. >>
My "honest answer" would be : Don't be so quick to sell a gift. Why not take a bit of time to learn about the coins you were given?
<< <i>
<< <i>Hey all,I was just given a bunch of coins as a gift and was curious as to what my next step should be........Some are obviously in better condition than others, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if i should just sell them to a dealer, or get some graded and ebay them? I feel I can get a more honest answer here. >>
My "honest answer" would be : Don't be so quick to sell a gift. Why not take a bit of time to learn about the coins you were given? >>
I'm not just selling right off, I mean, I'm here to learn from you guys. I've looked at PCGS Coin Guide and Price Sheets, and in my opinion, if graded high, are worth hanging onto.
But I wanted to find out from a 3rd party who isn't in it for the money like the shady coin dealers seemed to be.
This should help you know what you have.
1 Peace Dollar - 1926-S
4 Morgan Dollars - 1890, 1900-O, 1921-S, 1921-S
8 Kennedy Half Dollars - 4x1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
7 Franklin Half Dollars - 1951, 3x1952, 1958-D, 1960-D, 1962
5 Walking Liberty Half Dollars - 3x1943, 2x1944
<< <i>Pick out the coins that look to be in the best condition from this group and post some pics.
This should help you know what you have.
1 Peace Dollar - 1926-S
4 Morgan Dollars - 1890, 1900-O, 1921-S, 1921-S
8 Kennedy Half Dollars - 4x1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
7 Franklin Half Dollars - 1951, 3x1952, 1958-D, 1960-D, 1962
5 Walking Liberty Half Dollars - 3x1943, 2x1944 >>
Will do, I'm heading out of the house now, but I'll take some shots of some of the coins tomorrow for sure
As far as condition is concerned, does a dirty coin make it in bad condition? I was told not to clean any, but some are fairly grimey.
<< <i>who isn't in it for the money like the shady coin dealers seemed to be. >>
Well I guess we already know where he/she's going to come in on that issue in future threads!
Welcome and like Mark said, don't sell, well at least not to some "shady" coin dealer.
Michael
First thing resist the temptation to "clean or polish the coins" You will end up ruining the value of them !
Never,Never clean the coins.That being said,why don't you pick up a book on how to grade coins.
You can see that condition/grade is only one factor on value.There are many types of Varieties and Errors out there.The internet is a good place to do research as well as your local library.As you study and learn more about coins, You might just get hooked on this fascinating hobby.My dad gave my some coins that his father had collected when I was a mere lad of 8 years old.I started to investigate what they were worth.I learned that there were different mint marks from where the coins were made.Look at the price of a lincoln cent 1909-S vs a 1909-S vbd.You see there is more than just a date.A good magnifier will help you to get a closer look at them.A good reference book is known as "The Red Book"by Whitman.The prices are not absolute and prices can change on a daily basis.But it will give you a general idea.Now, what the book says its worth and what a dealer will pay for is a diff matter.He has to make a profit you know.Generally speaking ,if it is a average condition coin and not a variety or error you will be lucky if you get half of what the price guides say it's worth.Of course there are exceptions,but you as coinguy1 said would be wise to hang on to them and learn as mutch as you can.Some 44 years later I'm still hooked and still learning !
1997 Matte Nickel strike thru U
"Error Collector- I Love Dem Crazy Coins"
"Money, what is money? It is loaned to a man; he comes into the world with nothing and he leaves with nothing." Billy Durant. Founder of General Motors. He died a pauper.
<< <i>Welcome technium,
First thing resist the temptation to "clean or polish the coins" You will end up ruining the value of them !
Never,Never clean the coins.That being said,why don't you pick up a book on how to grade coins.
You can see that condition/grade is only one factor on value.There are many types of Varieties and Errors out there.The internet is a good place to do research as well as your local library.As you study and learn more about coins, You might just get hooked on this fascinating hobby.My dad gave my some coins that his father had collected when I was a mere lad of 8 years old.I started to investigate what they were worth.I learned that there were different mint marks from where the coins were made.Look at the price of a lincoln cent 1909-S vs a 1909-S vbd.You see there is more than just a date.A good magnifier will help you to get a closer look at them.A good reference book is known as "The Red Book"by Whitman.The prices are not absolute and prices can change on a daily basis.But it will give you a general idea.Now, what the book says its worth and what a dealer will pay for is a diff matter.He has to make a profit you know.Generally speaking ,if it is a average condition coin and not a variety or error you will be lucky if you get half of what the price guides say it's worth.Of course there are exceptions,but you as coinguy1 said would be wise to hang on to them and learn as mutch as you can.Some 44 years later I'm still hooked and still learning !
Sounds awesome. I've been doing some reading online lately, and it seems like it could be fun. I actually cancelled my plans tonight to stay home and photograph some of the above mentioned coins.
Pictures are on the way
That said, everything depends on condition. Get a redbook like somebody said, and also a grading guide. My favorite is the "Official ANA Grading Standards For United States Coins," which has pictures & detailed descriptions for every grade from AG3 to MS70 for every issue produced. "Photograde" by Ruddy is also good for circulated coins, but not for MS. Don't bother sending anything in to get professionally graded unless you start to suspect you've got higher MS coins there, as you don't seem to have any key or semi-key dates. One thing that will help is to search dealers' websites and such for pics of the coins you've got, in certain grades to compare against. A pic won't tell you everything, but it can start to narrow it down.
You asked does "dirty" = low grade. Short answer: not necessarily, not at all. There are dirty (or at least dark and cruddy looking, not necessarily w/ literal *dirt*) mint state coins. Lots of dark cruddy coins are in low grades, but some are not. Grade has to do with wear, marks, luster, and strike strength. Esp. in mint state grading, there's also space in the equation for an elusive thing called "eye appeal." It's a complicated subject and takes a long time to get any good at it.
Best advice you've been given yet IMHO is to sit tight and learn about what you've got. The homework you do will at the very least help you get the best price for your coins, and might lead you to a great deal of enjoyment. Good luck & have fun.
front and back, low and hi res.
all images are uncorrected for color and the like. only modification was size. 50% quality settings.
ENJOY! let me know what i've got
IMAGES: (* indicates HI RES)
1890_Morgan-Dollar_front-SMALL.jpg
1890_Morgan-Dollar_back-SMALL.jpg
*1890_Morgan-Dollar_front.jpg
*1890_Morgan-Dollar_back.jpg
1900-O_Morgan-Dollar_front-SMALL.jpg
1900-O_Morgan-Dollar_back-SMALL.jpg
*1900-O_Morgan-Dollar_front.jpg
*1900-O_Morgan-Dollar_back.jpg
1921-S_Morgan-Dollar1_front-SMALL.jpg
1921-S_Morgan-Dollar1_back-SMALL.jpg
*1921-S_Morgan-Dollar1_front.jpg
*1921-S_Morgan-Dollar1_back.jpg
1921-S_Morgan-Dollar2_front-SMALL.jpg
1921-S_Morgan-Dollar2_back-SMALL.jpg
*1921-S_Morgan-Dollar2_front.jpg
*1921-S_Morgan-Dollar2_back.jpg
1926-S_Peace-Dollar_front-SMALL.jpg
1926-S_Peace-Dollar_back-SMALL.jpg
*1926-S_Peace-Dollar_front.jpg
*1926-S_Peace-Dollar_back.jpg
note: HI RES images show every nick and scratch very well.
<< <i>Outstanding start with the pics. Think about sticking with the hobby. >>
Thanks. Are the coins outstanding? Or are you referring to the pics?
I think he meant the pictures. Those are great!
It looks like your Morgans have been cleaned at some point and are retoning.
Frattlaw might have an interest in your Peace dollar ...
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I have a slow connection so I avoided the super high-res scans, but from the smaller pics it looks like two of your Morgans are nothing special, circulated coins worth about ten bucks each. The other two (I think it was the 1900-O and the second 21-S) look like "slider uncirculated" coins -- AU58. Hard to tell how much hairlining there is, if any (it looked like the 21-S had some on the cheek?) but both of them seem to have most of their luster remaining so I lean away from saying they've been cleaned. I'd have to see them in person to be sure. I think both of them are more or less $20 coins.
edit: ps: forget about "getting them graded" for now.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
As far as your coins, it's a nice start, especially that Peace Dollar, as others have stated.
Your start is far better than mine. I started with half a Whitman album of Lincoln cents worth about five bucks. But it's all up from there.
If you're interested at all, stick with it. It's a great hobby.
Welcome
Chris
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
<< <i>Yes, I was referring to your photos. You have a great grasp on picturing your coins, which is not easy.
As far as your coins, it's a nice start, especially that Peace Dollar, as others have stated.
Your start is far better than mine. I started with half a Whitman album of Lincoln cents worth about five bucks. But it's all up from there.
If you're interested at all, stick with it. It's a great hobby. >>
Thanks
Yea, my mom gave them to me, she probably got them from my grandmother. Mom doesn't have the time to go through them, and there's a whole bag of coins I'm not ready to tackle yet.
<< <i>I think that the 21's are both worth at least $7.50 each, the 1890 maybe $10 to $12 and the 1900 looks to be a nice au, worth $12.50 to $15. On a good day at ebay, they could go much higher. Don't sell to the dealer, sell them on your own and you'll make more money.
Thats about what the dealers told me. Those are ungraded prices right? I know someone said to hold off on grading, which i agree, and i dont plan to grade them unless someone says it's worth it.
what exactly is that?
<< <i>Key dates = hard to find ones that cost a lot of money. 1916D dime, 1909S VDB cent, 1877 cent and such. >>
see thats my problem, i have 100s of coins in a bag and no clue what to look for
Get those two books and you can sit down and go through your bag and have a good time!
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since 8/1/6
<<<curious as to what my next step should be>>>
Get some albums & start plugging holes!
1873 open 3?
1892 and 1904
this might just turn into an exciting hobby.
Those were your first coin photographs? Wow!
Best,
Billy
<< <i>Hi there, and welcome
Those were your first coin photographs? Wow!
Best,
Billy >>
yep, first coin photos ever.
<< <i>Those are nice silver dollars -- I like the look of lightly circulated Morgan Dollars -- especially that 1900-O. They would be a nice start to a collection if you decide to keep them -- sell the really worn stuff and buy more Morgan dollars like those!!
i'm pretty sure those are the best coins that i've got so far. since i'm still learning and all, i have to go through everything and find some keys and/or really mint coins.
K S
BTW nice pics!!
<< <i>Both offered me around $100..... I feel I can get a more honest answer here. >>
If both dealers offered you the same thing for your coins why do you feel they are being less than honest with you?
WNC Coins, LLC
1987-C Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
wnccoins.com
<< <i>
<< <i>Outstanding start with the pics. Think about sticking with the hobby. >>
Thanks. Are the coins outstanding? Or are you referring to the pics? >>
The pictures, the coins are average.
Self Indulgence | Holey Coins | Flickr Photostream
It's great fun looking up each coin and learning as you go.
<< <i>this might just turn into an exciting hobby. >>
You'll have a great time. Just be patient and buy a few books first. Believe me, you'll save yourself a lot of money if you take the time to read a few very simple books. Anyone can grasp the Red Book in about an hour and the Photograde book is also relatively easy to understand and a great start to grading. Don't buy any coins until you buy these two books first. This is a great hobby. You're going to enjoy it if you take a few simple steps first.