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Raw Attic Find: Vibrant Blue & Magenta Album- Toned Quarters and Dimes. thoughts?

Discussion Title:Raw Attic Find: Vibrant Blue & Magenta Album-Toned Quarters and Dimes. Thoughts?Discussion Body:Hi everyone,I am looking to get some expert community opinions on a collection of toned US silver coins. These pieces were stored undisturbed in standard cardboard/paper coin albums in an attic for over 35 years before I recently retrieved them.The batch consists of approximately 46 coins, including silver Washington quarters (mostly 1940s and 1950s), Roosevelt dimes, and Mercury dimes (ranging back to the 1920s). Locally, a couple of dealers dismissed them as standard "junk silver" scrap because they are raw and circulated, but my eyes are seeing some very vibrant eye appeal. I am seeing clear progressions of neon blue, electric purple, magenta, and amber-gold toning.I have attached a few raw shots of my 1952 and 1953 quarters, along with a few of the Mercury and Roosevelt dimes, to show the coloration.I would love to get your honest feedback:Does this look like authentic, desirable old-album toning to you?Are these worth submitting for professional third-party grading, or should I sell them raw directly to interested collectors?I am just exercising my options for now and may not be ready to sell immediately, but I would highly appreciate your expert eyes and grading thoughts.Thank you for your time






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    jonathanbjonathanb Posts: 4,148 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The good news is that the bullion value is very high now. See www.coinflation.com (also linked at the very top right of this page)

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    Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 10,060 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 16, 2026 6:52PM

    Nice toners.

    Would put them in flips or 2x2 holders. Then grade and price them - CDN CPG.

    Perhaps a toner premium tackon? They appear to be nicely toned.

    I can’t see them to be worth enough to submit for slabbing.

    Stuff like that I put in browse boxes for show retail.

    Beware of players trying rip you just paying melt. Your CPG value may exceed melt.

    Investor
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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,999 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MFeld said:

    @Cougar1978 said:
    Nice toners.

    Would put them in flips or 2x2 holders. Then grade and price them - CDN CPG.

    Perhaps a toner premium tackon? They appear to be nicely toned.

    I can’t see them to be worth enough to submit for slabbing.

    Stuff like that put in browse boxes.

    Beware of players trying rip you just paying melt. Your CPG value may exceed melt.

    CPG values are for graded coins, which these aren’t and shouldn’t be.
    As nice as the coins might look, their value is closely tied to melt value.

    Unfortunately(?), there are people who pay a premium for such things. Most dealers would scrap them. Some do try to get a premium. I'm not sure that either group could be considered trying to "rip" anyone off.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    lermishlermish Posts: 4,983 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 16, 2026 7:02PM

    @jmlanzaf said:

    @MFeld said:

    @Cougar1978 said:
    Nice toners.

    Would put them in flips or 2x2 holders. Then grade and price them - CDN CPG.

    Perhaps a toner premium tackon? They appear to be nicely toned.

    I can’t see them to be worth enough to submit for slabbing.

    Stuff like that put in browse boxes.

    Beware of players trying rip you just paying melt. Your CPG value may exceed melt.

    CPG values are for graded coins, which these aren’t and shouldn’t be.
    As nice as the coins might look, their value is closely tied to melt value.

    Unfortunately(?), there are people who pay a premium for such things. Most dealers would scrap them. Some do try to get a premium. I'm not sure that either group could be considered trying to "rip" anyone off.

    I sold a dozen similarly toned mercs on eBay last year in $0.01 starting price auctions when melt was around where it is now. They mostly sold for $7-8 each all-in.

    Edit to update melt value.

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

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    291fifth291fifth Posts: 25,216 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Melt value. Selling costs would eat up any additional premium gained by trying to sell them individually. They are essentially just common date circ. 90% silver coins.

    All glory is fleeting.
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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 42,999 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 17, 2026 1:02PM

    @291fifth said:
    Melt value. Selling costs would eat up any additional premium gained by trying to sell them individually. They are essentially just common date circ. 90% silver coins.

    Shipping and eBay fees would be about $2.50 if they dime sold for $10. If you sell the quarter for $19.99, the shipping and eBay fees would be about $3.50.

    Would they sell for that? They might.

    These two aren't much different:

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    scotty1419scotty1419 Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭✭

    It's junk circ silver. Slightly more colorful than normal junk 90%.

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    johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 33,981 ✭✭✭✭✭

    nice toning and its silver, nothing more of nice :)

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    split37split37 Posts: 348 ✭✭✭✭

    I collect toned coins exclusively. Your small hoard is very pleasant and has a story behind it, which is cool. I pay ridiculous money for low grade wayte-raymond toned mid-century stuff. Just because some forum members don't see the value, doesn't mean there isn't any.

    If they are sentimental to you, I'd house them in a used Wayte-Raymond album and see if they'll tone even better over the next decades!

    more junk silver under a good trueview -


    I'd rather have my junk low-ball toned material than most high-end blast-white stuff.
    I hope that encourages you in your decision.

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    tommy44tommy44 Posts: 2,347 ✭✭✭✭✭

    At today's silver prices I think it would be difficult to get more than "junk" silver prices unless they were better dates or uncirculated. None of those you show pictures of would command a premium over melt.

    it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide

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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 34,148 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If that had come into the coin shop I used to work at, it would have gone into the junk silver coin counter.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
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    MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 40,015 ✭✭✭✭✭

    ok

    then: while some may pay a bit more for color, finding them and profiting from it may be hard.

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
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    Thank you so much for your feedback and the compliments on the toning! Being new at this, I really appreciate you breaking down the math regarding the grading fees vs the market value. I definitely don’t want to burn any$20 bills. I will take your advice, keep them safely in raw flips, and enjoy them for their beautiful eye appeal. Thanks again for your time and guidance!

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    MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 40,015 ✭✭✭✭✭

    make sure they are saf-flips or the usual cardboard holders

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
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    messydeskmessydesk Posts: 20,813 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 18, 2026 5:27PM

    @P0CKETCHANGE said:
    step 1. juice the color saturation,
    step 2. list on eBay as MoNsTeR ToNeD from NEWLY DISCOVERED HOARD with tons of exclamation points and a photo of an dusty attic with a ton of old crap in it
    step 3. profit

    Don't forget From Grandfather's Estate!!!!!!!!!!111111111
    (RARE L@@K and RARE LQQK are still things, too.)

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