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Frequently Asked Questions**************************************************************************************** * * * * F O R E V E R * * * U N D E R * * * C O N S T R U C T I O N * * * * * *************************************************************************************** You can visit the ANA's FAQ page HERE You can visit my ALL EXPERTS Previously Answered Questions page HERE You can visit the FAQ Farm's Coin FAQ page HERE Subject : Coin Values Question : How do I find the value of a coin? Answer : There are several factors you have to consider to properly evaluate the value of a coin : 1) Denomination (penny, nickel, dime, etc.) 2) Date 3) Mint (where minted -- which mint mark, if any) 4) Grade (condition -- how much detail stil visible) 5) Damage (cleaning, corrosion, scratches, etc.) The toughest of these is the grade. You need a good guide to go by -- like the ANA Grading Standards or Photograde books (see the following "Prices on Coins" FAQ). Grading is subjective, so the grade one person feels a coin is can easily be slightly different than the grade someone else feels. The best you can do is follow the standards and be conservative. Damage to a coin can reduce it's value to almost nothing, depending on the severity of it, like harsh cleaning, heavy corrosion, pitting, major scratches or grafitti, being bent, having holes or major rim damage. The amount that damage affects the value of a coin is VERY subjective. Once you have determined all the above factors, and have a denomination, date, mint, and grade, then you can look up your coin in a price guide. There are several of these you can choose from. See the following "Prices on Coins" FAQ for details. Subject: Prices on Coins Question : I have some U.S. coins that i want to get a price on. Also i have a $50 bill that has an error in the way it was cut. So if there are any free books online that I could check my coins out on, I would like to know were I could find them. Answer : I don't know of any good overall free online "book" for evaluating your coins, but perhaps the following links will help : Price Guides : Numismedia Fair Market Value Prices PCGS Price Guide Heritage Quick Pricing Guide Coinsite's Value Page Greysheet Wholesale Coin Dealer Newsletter (subscription) Greysheet Free Sample U.S. Small Size Paper Money Price Guide Grading Guides : PicGrade Grading Indian Cents Grading Morgan Dollars Grading Peace Dollars Grading Eisenhower Dollars Grading Walking Liberty Halves Grading Franklin Halves Grading Kennedy Halves Grading Barber Quarters Grading Standing Liberty Quarters Grading Barber Dimes Grading Mercury Dimes Grading Liberty Head Nickels Grading Indian Head (Buffalo) Nickels Grading Indian Head Cents Grading Lincoln Cents Grading Mint State Coins Other Sites : Coin Facts Ebay Auctions - Coins:US (put the date & type of coin you're looking for into the search box) I'm not sure of the exact error in your $50 bill, but perhaps this website might help : United States Currency Errors You can buy a printed copy of a good overall U.S. Coin book, called "The Red Book" or "A Guide Book of United States Coins" if you go HERE. You can buy a good overall U.S. Paper Money book, called the "Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money" if you CLICK HERE And you can buy an extensive grading guide, called "Official A.N.A. Grading Standards for United States Coins" if you CLICK HERE Another widely used grading guide, called "Photograde: A Photographic Grading Encyclopedia for United States Coins" can be purchased if you CLICK HERE Also, another excellent source for coin reference books can be your local library. You already pay for their services, you should use them! You'd be surprised sometimes how much information you can find in the library, and it's all free! Subject : 1797 DRAPED BUST DOLLAR Question : HELLO, WORKINGMAN. YOU PREVIOUSLY ANSWERED A QUESTION THAT I HAD IN RESPECTS TO THE ABOVE COIN, AS TO WHAT TYPE IT MIGHT BE. SINCE THE COIN DID NOT HAVE THE DENOMINATION ON IT, I MEASURED IT AND IT IS 40MM. I TOOK THE COIN INTO A COIN/STAMP COLLECTOR AND HE TOLD ME THE COIN WAS COUNTERFEIT. I ASKED HIM HOW DID HE KNOW THAT. (HE NEVER TOOK THE COIN FROM MY HAND TO EXAMINE IT). BUT ANYWAY, HE TOLD ME IT WAS COUNTERFEIT BECAUSE THE DENOMINATION WAS NOT PRINTED ON THE RIM OF THE COIN. DO YOU ALSO HAVE THE SAME THEORY THAT THE COIN MIGHT BE COUNTERFEIT. Answer : By the size of the coin, what you have could be a Draped Bust, Small Eagle Silver Dollar. However, with the value of these coins being several hundreds to thousands of dollars, it is very possible that you have a counterfeit. All authentic draped bust dollars have the words "HUNDRED CENTS, ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT" stamped into the edge of the coin. With the depth that the letters are stamped into the coin, your coin would have to be extremely worn -- to the point of having little or no details left on either side of the coin -- for the edge lettering to be completely worn off. You should be able to see at least some of the letters on the edge. If you cannot see any edge lettering, your coin probably is a counterfeit. If when you look at the edge, you see what looks like a line or seam that runs along the center of the edge, all the way around the coin, then what you have is a cast counterfeit. Use a magnifier and check the coin's surfaces for the appearance of casting bubbles or pimples. You can also check the coin's weight. An authentic coin should weigh just under 27 grams. Its composition should be 90% silver and 10% copper. Many cast counterfeits use some other kind of base metal or lead, and will either be too light or too heavy. This is a sure giveaway for a counterfeit. Subject : coin collecting Question : Where can I find web sites that have information on "coin collecting?" Answer : There is an excellent free online coin club, with over 3000 members worldwide, online newsletter, monthly auction, email discussion groups, and many other features. It's called CoinMasters. You can check them out at : http://www.coinmasters.org There is also another excellent online coin club, called World Internet Numismatic Society here : http://www.winsociety.ws/ Subject : Mercury Dime Value Question : i would like to know how much a 1942 "silver winged Liberty dime worth Answer : 1942 is a very common date for Mercury dimes. Its value will depend on its condition. If there is significant wear on the coin, then it's only going to be worth the silver it contains -- currently about 30 cents. If there is only a very light amount of wear on the highest points of the coin, then it will be worth about $1 If there is absolutely no wear (uncirculated), then depending on the amount of contact marks visible, your coin will be worth $3-$15 If your coin is uncirculated, has no visible contact marks, and a full strike -- with raised, rounded, and seperated horizontal bands on the fasces on the reverse, then it will be worth about $30 -- unless you find an "S" mint mark on the reverse, near the rim, at about 7 o'clock, then it will be worth about $100 Subject : 1934 $100 Bill Question : I have a 100 dollar bill from 1934, it's worn, and wrinkled, but still clearly readable. How much would this bill be worth? Answer : Unfortunately, in that condition, if anyone offers you more than $100 -- take it! Seriously, there are enough of the 1934 $100 bills still in peoples' hands that they don't really gain any significant collector value until they make the grade of crisp uncirculated. Subject : how to tell a "real coin" from a fake Question : I have gotten an "1804" silver dollar and really have no idea of how to tell if it is a fake. I understand that lots of fakes exist out there. I got it in at a market stall. To my untrained eye, it has all the marking but how can I tell if it is silver without going to a coindealer? Also, is there such a thing as an 1908 Liberty silver dollar? Answer : The odds are at least 1,000 to 1 against you that your coin is genuine -- there are a lot of fakes out there for the 1804, and only a handful of genuine coins exist. There are many ways to counterfeit this coin. Most common is casting. If it is a cast copy, you will see a seam along the outer edge of it, where the seams of the mold were. A genuine coin will be 39-40mm in diameter, will weigh just a fraction under 27 grams, and will have the following lettering on the edge : HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT This should give you enough info to eliminate 99% of all fakes. If your coin passes all these tests, then I recommend you find a local coin show, take the coin with you, and show it to several dealers, to get their opinions. You may be able to find a local show here : http://www.coinshows.com Also, a picture of a real 1804 dollar can be seen HERE As for the 1908 dollar, there were no dollar coins minted in the U.S. from 1905-1920 Subject : first coin Question : What year was the first coin of the United States minted? and where? Answer : While there were many colonial issues -- minted privately or by individual states -- and coins from other countries used in colonial times, the first coin produced by The U.S. Mint was the half disme (that's not a typo, it means half-dime). 1500 pieces were produced in July, 1792 at the still-under-construction mint building located on Seventh Street near Arch in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. George Washington supplied some of his own silver for the minting of these coins. The first federally authorized coin was the 1787 Fugio Cent (sometimes called the Franklin Cent because he designed it). However, even though the federal government contracted to have this coin produced, this coin was privately minted elsewhere. Subject : silver certificate dollar bills Question : i've recently come across a couple of items i could use your help in finding out if they have any value. one is a one dollar silver certifcate bill in fair condition. it is a series 1935f. the second is a two dollar silver certificate also in fair condition, a series 1963. Answer : Both items are considered common and are worth only 10-20 cents over their face value. Subject : 1858 coin Question : My father-in-law recently found an 1858 United States of America Half Dime. He wanted to know the value of a coin of this age. Answer : 1858 is not a rare date for Seated Liberty Half Dimes, unless it is the rare 1858 over inverted 1858 variety. Look at the back side, below the word "DIME", for a small "O" mintmark. In well-worn condition : no-mint = $6-$8 ... O-mint = $6-$10 In lightly-worn condition : no-mint = $30 ... O-mint = $45 In uncirculated condition, but with many contact marks : no-mint = $100 ... O-mint = $160 In uncirculated condition, and with alnost no contact marks : no-mint = $450 ... O-mint = $500 If your coin looks uncirculated, you should get a first-hand appraisal to determine exact grade & value. You may be able to find a local coin show, where you can take the coin to get free appraisals, here : http://www.coinshows.com Subject : VALUE OF COINS Question : I have a 1922 liberty silver dollor in good condition. What would the value of this be? Answer : 1922 is one of the most common dates for all silver dollars. In circulated (worn) condition, they are worth about $5 each. If uncirculated (absolutely no wear), they will be worth $10-$15 each. Subject : silver dollars Question : I have one 1921 silver dollar and one 1979 the size of a quarter I would like to know their value Answer : 1921 is the most common date for silver dollars -- they minted many millions of them. In circulated condition, it is worth about $5. If uncirculated -- absolutely no wear and flashy original mint luster -- it is worth $10-$15 1979 is the most common date for Susan B. Anthony dollars -- they minted hundreds of millions of them. Even in uncirculated condition, they have almost no premium over face value -- and probably never will. Feel free to spend it. Subject : U.S. collectible paper money Question : I have a 1934 series $5 bill, Hawaii. The Hawaii is printed twice on the front of the bill, and in large hollow block letters on the back. I was wondering about the origins and reason for this bill. Was it some kind of Hawaii celebration? Also, the value. I saw one on ebay in circulated condition that sold for $44. This one is in uncirculated condition. Would it thus have a rough value of $10 or $20 more? Answer : Notes bearing a "Hawaii" overprint were used during World War II (issued in July of 1942) to insure identification should they have fallen into enemy hands. Types of these notes (with brown seals and serial numbers) included $1 Silver Certificates and $5, $10, and $20 Federal Reserve Notes. It was not until October 21, 1944 that all currency restrictions were revoked and normal monetary conditions returned to that area. While retail values for circulated $5 Hawaii notes are in the $40-$50 range, the average Crisp Uncirculated note is worth $200-$300, and a Gem (perfect) Crisp Uncirculated note can be worth as much as $500 You should get your note appraised first-hand by an experienced currency dealer. You may be able to find a local coin show, where you can get free appraisals, here : http://www.coinshows.com Subject : 1895 penny Question : How much will a penny that was minted in 1895 be worth? Answer : 1895 is not one of the rare dates for this type of coin. It's value will depend on its condition. If it is worn to the point that the rim merges with the lettering or the wreath, or if it is corroded or green or damaged, it will have very little value -- maybe a couple cents. If the rim is complete on both sides, but the details are mostly worn smooth, it will be worth about $1. If the word LIBERTY is readable in the headband, it will be worth about $2. If LIBERTY is strong, the feathers are strong, and you can see 3-4 diamonds in the ribbon, it will be worth about $7. If there is no visible wear, it will be worth $20-$25 Subject : 1921 Liberty Silver Dollar Question : I have a 1921 Liberty Silver Dollar. I have no knowledge or experience in coin collecting, therefore, cannot comment on its condition other than to say that it has been in circulation, although alot of detail seems to remain on both sides ot the coin. Could you give me a rough idea of its value? I noticed in a recent question, you stated that a 1922 was very common. Is this the case with 1921's also? Thank you for your attention. Answer : ANY U.S. silver dollar from 1935 or older is going to be worth AT MINIMUM $3 nomatter what condition it's in -- that's the current value of the 3/4 ounce of silver it contains. However, as long as they aren't severely damaged or worn almost completely flat, silver dollars always bring a premium -- even the most common dates are still worth at least $5 The value of your specific silver dollar depends on several things : First, there were 2 different types minted in 1921, so you need to determine if you have one of the very common Morgan dollars -- like the one HERE or if you have one of the rarer Peace dollars -- like the one HERE If you have a Morgan dollar, they are VERY common (the highest mintage of all dates), and if at all circulated, they are worth about $5. If uncirculated -- NO wear, bright, and lustrous, like the day they were made -- they will be worth about $10-$15 If you have the rarer Peace dollar, you have to more closely consider the condition of the coin. If it shows noticeable wear, it will be worth $25-$30. If there is only the slightest wear on the highest points of the details, it will be worth about $65. If it is uncirculated, then depending on contact marks, strike, luster, eye-appeal, etc. it will be worth $100 - $300 or more. You would need a first-hand appraisal by a qualified grader to determine exact value. As far as selling it, you should probably take it to a local coin show, show it to several dealers, and take the best offer. You should be able to find a local coin show here : http://www.coinshows.com Subject : Penny Values Question : How much is a Lincoln Wheat back penny worth? How about a Lincoln Memorial penny? Answer : Generally speaking, wheat cents will be worth about 2˘ each for miscellaneous circulated common dates. Most dates from 1934-1958 would be considered common. However, those with an "S" mintmark below the date will be worth a little more -- perhaps 3˘-4˘ each. Earlier common dates will be worth more -- ranging in value from a few cents for a well-worn coin, to about 25˘ for one that you can still clearly see all the lines in the wheat ears (on the back), to about $20 for a nice, original, uncleaned, undamaged uncirculated coin. And early rare dates can be quite valuable -- perhaps as high as several hundred dollars for even a well-worn coin -- like the 1909-S VDB. As for pennies with the Lincoln Memorial reverse, almost without exception, any coins that have been circulated are worth only a penny. The only ones with any value are doubled dies and other error coins. Proof pennies will have value, but you don't normally find them in circulation -- they are only issued in the Mint Proof Sets. You can find out if you have a rare date by viewing an online retail price guide HERE. If your coin appears to be from a rare date, then I would suggest you take it to a local coin show and have it appraised first-hand by a couple of dealers. They will be able to accurately grade and price your coin for you. You may be able to find a local coin show listed in your local newspaper. Or you might be able to find a show by following the links on my Show Schedule page. Subject : Coin Set Values Question : How much are these coin sets worth? : 1) World War I Lincoln Wheat Penny Collection (includes 5 pennies of the dates 1914, '15, '16. '17, and '18) -- 2) 100 Years of U.S. Pennies and Nickels (includes Indian Head penny, Lincoln wheat penny, Lincoln steel penny, Lincoln Memorial penny, "V" nickel, Buffalo nickel, Silver wartime nickel, & Jefferson nickel -- 3) WWII Emergency Coinage (includes 3 zinc pennies, 9 copper pennies, and 11 silver nickels) Answer : These sets were put together by private companies and sealed into pretty packages. They generally only used common date coins in average condition, and often times cleaned the coins to make them look shiny & bright -- destroying any value they may have had. Then they created splashy colorful ads with lots of patriotic sayings and very few correct facts, aimed at evoking an emotional response from non-coin-collectors, and charging exhorbitantly high prices for the sets. So the inexperienced buyer gets sucked in by the patriotic theme and not-quite-true facts in the ad, and ends up with an overpriced set of worn-out, cleaned common coins in a pretty package. Assuming that the coins in these sets are indeed all from common dates, in average circulated condition, without any damage or excessive cleaning, & displayed in a nice holder, then you could probably expect to get about $5.00 per set if you sell it somewhere like eBay and include nice pictures in your listings. If you sell it to a dealer, the coins will have a total value of about $2-$3. If the coins have been cleaned, they have almost no value. If the individual coins are higher grade, or from the rarer dates, you can get more for your sets. Or if the sets are displayed in nice wall plaques, suitable for hanging, you could get more for them, but you're really just selling the pretty plaque. I would need more specific details about each of the coins in each of the sets to be able to offer more precise estimates of value. Magnified pictures of both sides of each set emailed to me would be a great help. You can click on the email link button (on the left side of the screen) to send the pictures to me. Subject : Cleaning Coins Question : What is the best way to clean pennies and silver dollars? Also, I recently obtained a large group of wheat pennies. If I find one that is valuable, should it be cleaned or should I leave it the way it is? Answer : Well, first of all, you do NOT want to clean your coins. If they have any value, you will destroy their value if you clean your coins. Collectors will often bypass a cleaned coin at any price, simply because it has been cleaned and no longer looks natural. When you clean a coin, you remove metal from its surface, whether you clean it by scrubbing it or if you use chemicals on it. Also, if you scrub or rub or polish your coin, you will leave scratch marks on the surface of the coin -- very bad for its value. If you just want to clean dirt off your coins, you can soak them in warm water with dish soap. Again, be careful about rubbing the surfaces, because the dirt may leave scratches if you try to rub it off. Pat dry with a soft towel -- do not rub, just pat If it's just toning (tarnish) that you want to remove, you're best off leaving it alone. A toned coin is still much more easy to sell than a cleaned coin. Above all, do NOT use any kind of polish or other abrasive on your coins. The tiny hairline scratches that will be left on your coins will just KILL their value. I hate to even say this, but if you MUST clean your silver coins, and don't care about destroying their value, you can use baking soda. Wet the coin, and your hand, then dip the tip of your thumb into the baking soda and rub it into your coin. After enough rubbing, your coin will come out bright & shiny, but will have almost NO resale value left. As for copper coins, there is really no good way to clean them. They are such a hard metal, that any polishing or abrasive will certainly destroy the surfaces of your coin. You can try soaking in olive oil for several days to see if surface dirt will soften up. If you find any valuable coins, PLEASE leave them as you find them. In the long run, you will be doing yourself and any future owner a big favor by not destroying the coin by cleaning. Subject : Cleaning Rare Coins Question : I have a number of old coins that are part of my great aunt's estate that are in near perfect condition, but need to be cleaned. What do you recommend I use to clean them with? Most of them date back to the early 1800's and go forward. Answer : Rule Number One of coin collecting: Do NOT clean your coins -- especially if they are high-grade or valuable. A cleaned coin will lose most of it's value to a collector -- you are much better off with a tarnished (toned) coin than a cleaned coin. Tarnish (toning) that you may see on your coins is due to oxidation of the metal on the surface of the coin, caused by the environment they have been stored in. Sulphur, moisture, Oxygen and other chemicals in the air will all change the color and luster of a coin. Some discoloration is expected on collector coins -- especially the older ones. In fact, high quality coins are graded and priced according to their original coloring. So if you clean them, you will adversely affect their value. The natural color for a old (circulated) copper coin is dark brown, and for an old (circulated) silver coin is grey -- the more circulated, the darker the grey. If a coin doesn't have it's proper color, then collectors won't buy it, because they know it has been cleaned. The WORST thing you could do is use some type of destructive cleaning method, such as any acid-based metal cleaner (like jewelry cleaner) or anything containing an abrasive (like scouring powder, baking soda, silver polish, or a pencil eraser). A buffing wheel is also a bad idea. These methods may give your coin a shiny surface, but will leave tiny scratches or pits in your coin. Any method which attacks the surface metal of the coin is a form of destructive cleaning, and should be avoided at all costs. Non-destructive cleaning can be beneficial, but has to be done with extreme care. This would involve the use of a neutral solvent, like acetone or lighter fluid. But you must be wary of causing stains on upper grade or proof coins. Some copper coins can be soaked in olive oil, for several days if necessary, to loosen up surface gunk. Soaking in soapy distilled water (use liquid dish soap, NOT detergent) followed by a thorough rinse in distilled water also works to remove dirt. Then pat dry, or air dry, but do not rub with a cloth -- the cloth will pick up pieces of remaining grit and scratch the coin. Most of these methods will work on worn coins, but use EXTREME caution on upper grade or proof coins, especially copper coins. Most methods of cleaning coins are destructive -- that is, they remove metal from the surface of the coin. Using chemicals or cleaners or rubbing or polishing will cause permanent and irreversible damage to your coins -- with a drastic reduction in their value. I DO NOT recommend cleaning your coins. There is no way to non-destructively clean your coins that will keep the original luster and patina on them that only time gives them. It's always better to leave the coin in its natural state. Subject : 1795 dollar Question : I have a silver dollar dated 1795. From what i've been told, the coin was a Spanish coin used by the United States until we started minting our own. This coin is in good condition. My dad was given it when he was a kid because it was 100 years older than him. I would like a value of it and maybe a place to sell it. Answer : The first dollars minted by the U.S. Mint were the Flowing Hair type of 1794-1795. Pictures : Obverse - Reverse Also, from 1795 to 1798 were minted Draped Bust type dollars, with the Small Eagle reverse. Pictures : Obverse - Reverse See if these pictures match your coin. If so, they are U.S.Mint coins -- worth hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on their exact condition (grade). There is a good history of the U.S. Silver Dollar HERE. If your coin does not match either set of pictures, then I'm not sure what it is. It may be a Spanish Dollar, but it may be something else. If you can describe it, or preferably send me a picture of both sides (just hit the Email button on the left), I will try to determine exactly what it is. In any case, before you attempt to sell it, at minimum you should have it examined by several coin dealers, and probably certified and encapsulated. This will remove any doubt about its authenticity and grade -- which can make a big difference in its value. You should find a large show where there are many dealers, and representatives from at least one grading service present. Then you can get several opinions about your coin, first-hand (which is the best), and you will also have the option of free, on-the-spot analysis from a grading service. And you will also be able to submit your coin for certification (for a fee) right there at the show. You can see a list of the certification services on the Links page of the Monroe Coin Club web site HERE. When you go to the services' web sites, look for their show schedules. I recommend either PCGS, NGC, or ANACS, but PCI and SEGS are ok too. You may also be able to find other, more local coin shows by following the links at the bottom of my Show Schedule page. Once you have determined exactly what you have, and approximately what it's worth, then you can decide how to sell it -- whether you sell it to a dealer, or in an online auction, or through a major dealer auction at a regional or national coin show. Subject : Lincoln/Kennedy penny Question : In what years did they produce the Lincoln/Kennedy penny? Answer : The Lincoln/Kennedy penny is a product of a manufacturing process applied to coins AFTER they have left the U.S. Mint. In other words, someone stamped Kennedy's image onto a normal penny, making it a novelty item. This was NOT something done at the mint. So, since any penny could be stamped, any year could be on the penny. It doesn't even have to be a penny -- it is possible to have a Jefferson/Kennedy nickel or a Washington/Kennedy quarter -- it just depends on what someone decides to stamp it on. There have been other things stamped onto Lincoln pennies -- like a Liberty Bell, a U.S. map, and a pipe -- but Lincoln/Kennedy pennies are probably more popular because of the "Astonishing Coincidences" between Presidents Lincoln & Kennedy. These are detailed HERE. I've sold these novelty coins for $1.00 each, or $2.50 each when attached to the Astonishing Coincidences card. Details and pictures can be seen HERE. QAId : 7679821 Subject : Currency Value Question : What is the value of a 1957A Silver Certificate, P80043793A? Answer : Unfortunately, silver certificates from 1957 are VERY common. In circulated condition, they are only worth about $1.10 each. Even nice, crisp, problem-free uncirculated notes are worth only $2-$3 QAId : 7803485 Subject : silver certificate dollar bill Question : I have a few 1935 silver certificate $1.00 bills how much are they worth? I also have a 1953 $2.00 bill. how much are they worth if any thing at all? Answer : 1935 Silver Certificates are not really rare. There are a lot of people who saved them, so there are a lot of them available to collectors. An average circulated note will be worth about $1.25 A note that has only the slightest hint of having been circulated is worth about $2.00 Crisp Uncirculated notes will be worth $3.00 to $8.00 -- depending on how nice they are. ----- 1953 $2 bills are also quite common. An average circulated note will be worth about $2.50 A note that has only the slightest hint of having been circulated is worth about $3.50 Crisp Uncirculated notes will be worth $4.00 to $7.00 -- depending on how nice they are. QAId : 7974665 Subject : silver dollars Question : I have two silver dollars, 1 has the date 1979 and the other has the date 1999.I was wondering,are these the silver dollars that were missprinted and worth money?please write back this time. Answer : What you have are common Susan B. Anthony dollars, minted in 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1999. There were many millions of these minted, so they have no added value. Up until the new Golden Dollars became distributed, you could readily obtain as many as you want of these S.B.A. dollars from Post Office vending machines. Now they distribute the golden dollars. QAId : 2834102 Subject : coins Question : Hi I am wondering what the word proof means? for example: I want to buy a 1983 *proof* set from paradisecoin.com. that proof Answer : Proof refers to the way a coin is made -- the method of manufacture, not the condition of the coin. While regular coins (those that are made to be circulated) are pushed through the minting process as fast as possible, more care is taken in the production of proof coins because they are being made for collectors. When proof coins are made, the mint uses specially prepared dies and planchets, that are highly polished. They repeatedly strike the coins, at a slower rate, with more pressure. All this gives the coins sharper details and a mirrored finish. In the past decade or so, the mint has gotten so good at making proof coins, that they all come out with striking cameo effects between the figure on the coin and the mirrored fields around the figure. The U.S. Mint's definition of proof can be found here : http://www.usmint.gov/collecting/Glossary.cfm#proof QAId : 2836021 Subject : coin Question : I have a silver coin on one side it says "United States of America" with an Eagle and some stars on it. The other side says "Liberty" on top and "1797" on the bottom, it is surrounded with stars and has a side view of woman. Can you tell me what type of coin it is? Answer : Your coin could be one of several possible coins minted in 1797 : Half-Dime, Draped Bust, Small Eagle Reverse, reeded edge, diameter 16.5 mm Dime, Draped Bust, Small Eagle Reverse, reeded edge, diameter 19 mm (there are 13 star & 16 star varieties) Half Dollar, Draped Bust, Small Eagle Reverse, Lettered Edge, diameter 32.5 mm (FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR will be stamped on the edge of the coin, and a 1/2 symbol should be visible on the reverse at the bottom) Silver Dollar, Draped Bust, Small Eagle Reverse, Lettered Edge, diameter 39-40 mm (HUNDRED CENTS, ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT will be stamped on the edge of the coin) Since all of these coins look pretty much identical and none of them have the denomination stamped on the face of the coin, the best way to determine your coin is by its size -- how many millimeters wide the coin is. Or if it is one of the larger coins, the denomination is stamped into the edge of the coin, and may still be readable. Values for these coins can be found at : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/fmv.shtml QAId : 2836178 Subject : coin value Question : Hello: I found a 1943s lincoln cent.It's in very good condition,with only a bit of rust on a cheek.If anyone could help me.I would like to Know if it's a counterfit and if not, the value for a coin like this.I'm interested in puting it for auction or selling it.How can I do this? Answer : In 1943, the composition of the Lincoln Cents was changed to steel, coated with zinc, to save the copper for the war effort. During this year, they made a lot of these steel cents -- over a billion altogether -- so they are pretty common. Even though your coin is in very good condition, with the rust on it, its value will be pretty low. I sell similar coins on my website for 25 cents each. Don't waste your time with an auction. Give the coin to a kid -- it'll make his/her day! QAId : 2972270 Subject : 1943 dime Question : Is a 1943 dime worth anything? Should I save it it is marked with a W and has a lady with wings in her hair? Answer : There were a lot of Mercury Dimes minted in the 1940's, so they are pretty common. It is, however made of silver, so at the minimum it will have is silver value -- currently about 30˘ If it has been circulated, showing any signs of wear, then it will only have silver value. If it is uncirculated, but has noticeable marks on it, it will be worth $2-$3 If it is uncirculated, and shows no significant marks, it will be worth $5-$8 For higher grade uncirculated dimes, the strength of the strike can add significant value to the coin -- double or triple or more. Strong strikes are normally determined by whether the horizontal bands on the fasces (on the reverse) are full and seperated. This is better known as full split bands. The coin designer's name is Adolph A. Weinman. His monogram, AW, appears on the obverse, to the right of the neck. The coins were minted at the Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver ("D" mintmark), and San Francisco ("S" mintmark) mints. The mintmark is located on the reverse, near the rim, between the word ONE and the bottom of the fasces (about 7 o'clock). QAId : 3330357 Subject : 1929 ten dollar bill Question : i have a 192 ten dollar bill issued from the union national bnk of houston texas can you please help me find its worth Answer : The value of your 1929 $10 National Bank Note will depend alot on the condition of the bill : If it's all worn out, crinkled, torn, etc. it will only be worth $11 If it's been circulated, but still appears to be in excellent condition (may have a light fold or 2), it will be worth about $20 If it's never been circulated, is clean & crisp like new, it will be worth $50-$60 QAId : 3853390 Subject : Value of old dollar banknotes Question : What is the value of the following Confederate Dollar banknotes, both in Used-Good condition: ------ $5 (Five Dollars) dated 1861 ------ $500 (FiveHundred Dollars) dated 1864. Many thanks. FV-K Answer : Generally, 1861 $5 CSA notes sell for $20-$30 each. You can find prices realized at recent eBay auctions here : http://search-completed.ebay.com/cgi-bin/texis/ebaycomplete/results.html?dest=&cobrandpartner=&ht=1&maxRecordsPerPage=100&category2=3414&query=1861+%245&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&SortOrder=%5Bd%5D 1864 $500 CSA notes sell for about $150 each. See this recent eBay auction : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=469392700&ed=972499565 These prices assume that your bills are authentic. Inspect both sides of your bills for the words "FACSIMLE" or "REPLICA". The presence of these words will greatly reduce the value of your notes. But even without the presence of these words, your bills may not be authentic -- there were alot of counterfeits produced. You will need to have a qualified expert examine your bills in person to determine if they are genuine. You may be able to locate an expert by looking at the locations listed for the dealers selling CSA notes on eBay and contacting a local one. QAId : 5574122 Subject : Ingots Question : Would anyone know about how much a complete 12 piece sterling ingot set of the European Theater would cost These are from the Lincoln mint, each one is 672 - grain of sold sterling, this set was purchased in 1973 & 1974 from the World War II Commemorative Medal Society out of Chicago. I also have an American Bicentennial Society Official Gold Commemorative medal with a registration card dated 11/28/75 and numbered 5074 that my dad would like to know about its worth. Thank You for any help Answer : While finding price lists for these types of items is one thing, finding an actual buyer is a whole different situation. How many buyers are there for a European Theater ingot set? Ingots, medals, tokens, rounds, etc. that are manufactured by private companies (like Lincoln Mint, Franklin Mint, Washington Mint, etc.) have almost NO resale market. It is VERY difficult to find anyone interested in buying them at a price that is any higher that the value of the precious metal they contain. If you take your ingot set to a coin dealer, you will be offered about $5.00 each ($60 total) -- the approximate melt value for them. If they are in a nice display case, you may be offered a LITTLE more. You have to understand that any dealer buying these will have to consider the fact that they will probably end up with them in their inventory for a long time -- unless they are sold as silver rounds. Therefore, the silver value is all that can logically be offered for them. The same thing applies for the gold medal. The actual gold content will be calculated, and you will be offered a price based on that. You may have a little better luck by selling them on one of the online auctions, like ebay or yahoo, but don't expect much. And it will cost you to list them there. QAId : 5702599 Subject : re-toning? Question : Hello.....I recently purchased an entire roll of liberty walking halves for my collection while at a flea market (big mistake, I know:). There were several in the roll that I didn't need (I already had them in my collection), so I took them to a dealer to sell or trade. He took one look at them and said they'd been cleaned and were worthless. I feel like an idiot because I hadn't noticed it before, but he said that I might be able to undo some of the damages by carrying them around in my pockets for a while. Will this really work? How long will it take? Is is safe for the coins (mostly in XF+ and above) to be carried around like that? Do you know of any other ways to fix this problem? Thank you so much for your help....I'll try anything to fix them, as they would have been quite valuable if not for the cleaning. Answer : From your description, it sounds like the coins were abrasively cleaned, leaving hairlines on the surfaces of the coins. It's very difficult to undo this damage. If you carry them around, effectively recirculating them, over the course of time, and with alot of handling, you can wear away the surface damage. However, you will also be wearing away the surface, reducing your coins from XF+ to VF or less, which will also reduce their value. The additional circulation and handling will probably give them more eye appeal, but the reduction in grade will offset that. Artificially retoning them -- either by smoking them or putting them in a wet, yellow envelope in the sun -- may help hide some of the cleaning marks, but most dealers will be able to detect this too. I think you're stuck :( Probably the best thing to do, if you can, is go back to the flea market dealer and see if he'll either buy them back from you (probably at some loss to you) or accept them in trade for something else. Answer : If the coins have been polished, then there will be tiny scratches all over the surfaces -- the abrasive cleaning I mentioned -- and will be TOUGH to fix. If the coins have been chemically dipped, they will not have the minute scratches. In this case, some gentle handling to "dirty" them up, or a little re-toning should help. QAId : 7306553 Subject : commemorative collectibles Question : Ihave a 1976 bicentennial day commemorative coin book distributed to members of congress and few others,signed by president ford,Nelson Rockefeller,all members of congress,justices of supreme court,etc.Can any one tell me of its value or a place i can find it.Possibly a book of these values.thanks for your help. Answer : Unfortunately, this item is not what you think it is. It is a fairly common Franklin Mint product, that regularly sells for about $5 The signatures are just printed in it. The coin is sterling silver. Here is an example of one that couldn't even get a $5 bid on eBay : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1329995590 There's another one included in this auction : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1332945322 I see these items up for auction on eBay every week or so, so they can't be that rare. Too bad there's almost no market for them, other than for the value of the silver contained in the coin. FUQuestion : this commemorative book with 1976 biccenteniial coin is not just a coin,and it is signed by the president and all the cabinet etc. at the back of the book.I recieved it from a then congressman,to whom they were handed out.It is called the official bicentnial day commemorative. Just inside cover it says The official bicentennial day commemorative metal.then it tells of the 200 centennial celebration.then the signing of pres. ford,vice pres. rockefeller,senate leaders,house of represenatives and so on.thanks for any help. Answer : Exactly. You are perfectly describing the Franklin Mint product. Did you look at the pictures in the auction listings I mentioned? Here's another one : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1333220498 If what you have does not match the pictures in the auctions, then send me a picture of what you have, and I will try to figure it out. QAId : 7703813 Subject : silver certificate Question : i have a 1928 siver certificate dollar bill in pretty good shape, can you give me an estimated value? thank you, mjn Answer : In average, well-circulated condition, your bill will be worth about $9.00 In Extra Fine condition -- very lightly circulated, with only 1 or 2 light folds -- it will be worth about $15.00 Crisp Uncirculated will be worth $20-$25 QAId : 7727519 Subject : Quarter double stamped Question : I found a quarter the other day while going through my change and checking dates. This quarter has the eagle stamped on both sides. I don't know what year this coin is. Could you please let me know if it is worth anything. Answer : What you have is commonly known as a Magician's Coin. This is not something that was made at the mint. The way the coin presses are designed, it is impossible to have two of the same side dies in the press. Heads side dies will only fit in the heads side of the press, and tails side dies will only fit in the tails side of the press. What someone has done, is taken two normal coins, modified them, and glued the two altered pieces back together, to give it the appearance of being one coin again. If you take a strong magnifier and examine the coin closely, you will be able to see the alteration. It will be evident in one of two possible places -- either along the edge, or just inside the rim on one side or the other. The first (older) method of creating this coin involves cutting two coins in half, then gluing the two halves together -- imagine two Oreo cookie halves, without the cream filling, being put together. This method will leave evidence of the cut all along the edge of the coin. Sometimes the edge will be filed down to smooth it out, but the cut is still evident. The second (modern & more common) method of creating this coin is to take one coin and hollow out a recessed area in one side of the coin, just slightly smaller than the diameter of the raised rim. Then another coin has the edge cut off, down to the width of the recessed area in the first coin, and the back grinded or planed down, until it has the same thickness as the depth of the recessed area in the first coin. With the accuracy of today's machinery, it is no longer a difficult task to alter metal disks to this accuracy. Then the two pieces are glued and fitted together. Evidence of this altering may be more difficult to detect, but it does still exist. You will find the cut marks just inside the rim on one face of the coin -- if you don't see it on one side, look on the other side. Again, you will need to use a strong magnifier to see it. Imagine if you were putting a coin into one of those push-in type coin folders -- you know, like the books or maps for the state quarters -- the coin fills the slot, but you can still see the edge of the coin within the slot -- just as you would still see the edge of the cut-down quarter inside the rim of the hollowed-out quarter. These coins have become much more common in the past few years. There are companies that now mass-produce them and sell them for a few dollars each -- depending on the denomination of the coin -- selling thousands of them every year. One company's name is Adams. I even talked to an older gentleman at a previous coin show, who makes them at home, out of nickels because they are big and cheap. I sold a pair of these coins -- half dollar size -- (one heads/heads and the other tails/tails) a few years ago for $10.00 but their value has gone down since then because they are now being mass-produced. Recent auction prices realized indicate that the cent, nickel, and dime versions of these Magicians coins are less desirable and are worth between $1 to $3 each. Quarter versions seem to be more desirable, receiving most bids of about $5 each. Kennedy Half Dollar versions are more common, receiving most bids of $2 to $4 each. And Silver Dollar sized coins are a little rarer, receiving bids around $10 each. Tails/tails coins are less valuable than heads/heads coins and will command lower prices. QAId : 6166875 Subject : estate sale Question : We have received items through a death in the family several are antiques, toys, comic books, coins, furniture What are the best steps to take to establish value Answer : For the smaller, portable items (like the coins & comics), you can take them to a show and get free appraisals from the dealers there -- as long as you don't bring too many, because the dealer's time will be limited. I would suggest keeping the number of items at 100 or less. Get 2-3 appraisals from different dealers to get a good idea of what your stuff is really worth. You might find listings for a local show in collectibles magazines. Like for coins, in Coin World magazine you'll find pages of listings for coin shows all over the country. Try checking out a magazine shop to see what's out there for your other collectibles. Upcoming shows will also get advertised in major newspapers around your area for a few days prior to a show. Many times shows in malls, etc. will combine collectibles (like coins, stamps, cards, comics, beanies, etc.) to gain a larger audience. You may be able to get appraisals for more than one type of item there. Being a coin dealer, I don't know of too many shows other than coin shows, but you can find listings for coin shows by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 7101639 Subject : 1890 indian head penny Question : I recently acquired a 1890 indian head penny and I was wondering what the value was if any. Thank you. Answer : Without knowing the actual condition of your coin, all I can do is give you a general idea. 1890 is not one of the rare dates. If well-worn, it will be worth about $1 If very lightly worn, it will be worth about $6 If uncirculated (absolutely no wear), it will be worth $25-$50 or more. A first-hand appraisal would be necessary. QAId : 7522589 Subject : new quarters Question : When are the new quarters due out? Answer : In 2002, the Tennessee quarters were released in early January, the Ohio quarters were released in mid-March, the Louisiana quarter will be released about early-to-mid-June, the Indiana quarter will be released about late-August to early-September, and the Mississippi quarter will be released about late-October to early-November. I have an informative page about the new state quarters, with pictures of all of them and links to information from the U.S. Mint about each of them, on my website here : /NewMoney/NewQuarters.htm The U.S. Mint's website has detailed information about each quarter and their corresponding states. Their main 50 States Quarter Program page is here : http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/index.cfm?action=50_state_quarters_program If you want to purchase any of the quarters, I sell them singly or in rolls here : /ForSale/Quar50St.htm QAId : 7688068 Subject : 1887, 1904,1921silver dollars Question : I have a 3 very old silver dollars and would like to know the value to ask for these dollars, I have an 1887, 1904 and a 1921 very nice silver dollars, very clear to read. You ask me to send my coins to be evaluated but I am afraid to send coins for fear of never getting them back. Could I use pictures to have them evaluated. Answer : You shouldn't have to send your coins anywhere to have them appraised -- just take them with you to a local coin show and show them to a couple of the dealers there. You may be able to find a local show by following the links near the bottom of my show schedule page : If you need more help finding a show, let me know what city you live in, and I'll see what I can find. Without actually seeing your coins, the only thing I can say is that if your coins are only very lightly worn, the 1887 & 1904 will be worth about $10 each, and the very common 1921 will be worth about $5. But they really need to be inspected first-hand to see if they have any mintmarks or if they could be considered uncirculated. Category : Coin Collecting QAId : 2823840 Subject : gold dime and steel pennies Question : What is the value of a gold dime, it looks exactly like a silver dime but is gold? Also, what is the value of a 1943 steel penny? thanks Answer : Your gold dime has most likely been gold plated, by some person after the coin left the mint. This does not add any collectible value to it. In fact, most collectors will steer away from this coin, since it has technicly been altered. It may, however, have a small novelty value -- perhaps a dollar or two. 1943 steel cents were minted in large quantities, and are therefore plentiful. You can go to just about any coin show and get rolls of them. In circulated condition, it will be worth about a quarter. However, if there is significant rust or corrosion on it, the value will drop -- depending on how much there is -- down to a couple cents. A nice uncirculated one will be worth a dollar or two. But you must make sure you don't have a reprocessed coin (one that has been re-coated with zinc). They will look like they are brand new, but an expert can tell the difference. They will have the same value as a circulated coin. QAId : 2823951 Subject : 1911 U.S. nickel Question : I believe the coin is a nickel: on the back appear the words (in a semicricle) "United States of American" and a "V" in a laurel wreath with the word "cents" under that. On the front appear a semicicle of stars and a woman's profile similar to Liberty. There is no mint mark. What might be the value of this coin. It is quite legible but has been worn smooth in some spots. Thanks for any info! Answer : You are correct -- it is a nickel -- a V Nickel, or Liberty Head Nickel. 1911 is one of the common dates for these nickels. Since you mention that it has been worn smooth in some spots, it will not qualify for the grade of Good, but would rather be graded AG (About Good). Pricing would fall in the range of average circulated coins. The most you should expect from a coin dealer is 25 to 50 cents. QAId : 2824055 Subject : coins Question : I have a coin which is approximately 3inches in diameter. It is silver and has an indian head on one side and a three legged buffalo on the other. It has the date 1937 on the front with the word Liberty above the indian's head. On the back it has United States of America, E. Pluribus Unum above the buffalo, and Five Cents with a D underneath under the buffalo. Is this a replica of a real coin or did they make them this large? Do you know if it has any value? Answer : What you have is most likely a replica coin -- there are no U.S. coins that large. The 1937-D Buffalo Nickel is a very popular variety for nickel collectors, and so is a popular date to use on replica coins. I've sold this type of replica coin in the past -- it's a great novelty item -- for about $2.00 each. You mention that your coin is silver. I suspect it really is made out some other kind of metal that looks silver -- like the copper-nickel alloy used in our coins today. If your coin really is made out of silver, it would fall into the classification of a silver round -- used mostly for its bullion value. You can tell this by examining the coin again and looking for something like "5 Troy Ounces" or ".999 fine". If you find this, then your coin is probably made of silver, and will have a value based on its silver content -- approximately $5.00 per ounce. QAId : 2824340 Subject : HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT A COIN THAT CAME FROM THE PITTSBURGH AREA IN 1922 IT WAS A RAILROAD COIN TO GET ON THE TRAIN Question : HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT A COIN FROM PITTSBURGH AREA? THE COIN IS FROM A RAILROAD IN PITTSBURGH DATED BACK TO 1922, IT HAS A TRIANGLE CUT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COIN, IS IT WORTH ANYTHING? ON THE FRONT OF THE COIN IT SAY'S GOOD FOR ONE FARE, AND IT HAS THE NUMBER 3 AT THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM OF THE COIN, AND THE BACK SAY'S PITTSBURGH AT THE TOP AND IT HAS A TRAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COIN AND AT THE BOTTOM IT SAY'S RAILWAYS CO AND BELOW THAT IS THE DATE OF 1922. Answer : What you have is called a transportation token. As you've probably guessed, they were used to pay fares on trolleys, trains, buses, subways, etc. in many cities in the U.S. and Canada. I think yours was used for a streetcar -- not a train. I've sold similar tokens before for 25 to 50 cents each. I've found a website that has your same token for sale for 75 cents : http://people.delphi.com/davemrr/ful_list.html You should be able to find more detailed information about your token in this book : Catalog of United States and Canadian Transportation Tokens, Vol. I, The Listing, by Atwood-Coffee 1997 EDITION: Detailed descriptions with retail prices for each variety. Highly recommended for all collectors and dealers. Hardbound, 5th edition, 870 pages, about $50.00 I don't know where you live, but you may be able to find this book in the library. Another excellent source for information about this specific token would be Rich Hartzog. You can email him at hartzog@exonumia.com QAId : 2828906 Subject : 1941 mercury dime Question : I have a 1941 merecury dime and was wondering if anyone can tell me its value. Answer : While I agree with everything that paperhistory said, it has been my experience that unless the coin is in uncirculated condition, a coin dealer will only offer you the silver value for your 1941 dime -- currently between 30 - 35 cents. An average uncirculated dime will earn you $2 - $3. And a flashy, eye-appealing dime with only one or two minor marks will get you $6 - $8. These are the realistic prices that you can expect to be offered by the average coin dealer. QAId : 2829245 Subject : odd quarter Question : 1995 quarter thats copper on the backside and nickle on the front...How much if anything is it worth other than face value... Answer : In the minting process, the blank planchets that coins are minted from are cut from long sheets of metal. These sheets are made of copper. One step in the process is to plate the sheets with the copper-nickel alloy that you see on normal coins. Sometimes the sheets do not get completely plated, either on one side or both. Then when the planchets are cut out of the sheet, they will be missing the plating on one side or both. These unfinished planchets will continue undetected, along the mechanized minting process, to the coin press, and have the design stamped into them -- giving you what looks like a normal coin, except for the copper color on one side or both. This happens more often than you think, because with the billions of coins produced every year, it is impossible to visually inspect every coin, and the mechanical processes to sort out error coins will not detect this error. The value of a one-side unplated quarter will be between $3 to $5 -- two-sided ones will be worth between $7 to $10 This error happens often to pennies also, leaving the zinc core exposed, making the coin look almost white. These are worth $1 - $2 each. For an illustrated explanation of the minting process, you can go to the U.S. Mint's website : http://www.usmint.gov/facts/coins.cfm QAId : 2829347 Subject : US STATE QUARTER DOLLARS, COSTS, Question : I WANT 6 FULL ISSUES OF EACH STATE QUARTER DOLLAR THAT HAS BEEN MINTED OR RELEASED, THEY CAN BE CIRCULATED BUT EXCELLENT CONDITION OR ABOVE, COULD I HAVE A FULL LIST WITH NOTATION OF FOUND OR KNOWN COINS THAT FOR SOME REASON ARE EXTRA COLLECTABLE, AND PRICES. Answer : I have been selling these coins (and related items) since they first came out. I only sell them in uncirculated condition. You can get all the details about them, including pricing, from my 50 State Quarters web page : QAId : 2830201 Subject : penny-dime Question : I found a 1999 dime size shaped one side and penny on other side. Worth Answer : It is also possible that you have what is called a "Magician's Coin". That is where two different coins are altered and glued back together to give the appearance of something that they are not. This is usually done with two of the same type of coin, but I have seen them done with a dime and penny before. To create the coin, one side of the penny is hollowed out (machined), and one side of the dime is ground down or planed off. Then the two pieces are glued and fit together. This gives the appearance, if you're not too close, that you can magicly make a penny turn into a dime. With a close inspection of the coin, under a good magification (10X or more), you will be able to detect if the coin has been altered to give it this appearance. Check out the side that looks like a dime for the tell-tale appearance of the cut just inside the raised rim. Magician's Coins are manufactured by several companies and many individuals -- they are pretty common. The value for this novelty item will be about $2 - $3 If you don't find any evidence of altering, then I would suggest you get your coin authenticated. There are several certification services available -- some let you submit your coin directly, others require you to go through an authorized dealer. You can see a list of their websites here : http://www10.ewebcity.com/monroecoinclub/Links.htm QAId : 2831695 Subject : The most valuable to collect Question : I would like to start to be a coin collector. What is the set of coins you would suggest to collect starting now that would be valuable? Answer : I would agree with paperhistory's answer, you should start small and work your way up as you become more comfortable with the collecting hobby. Knowing what will become valuable is like predicting the stock market -- who really knows what will jump up in value in the future? If we did know, we'd sure be buying alot of it ourselves! :) My suggestion is to buy quality coins -- those without problems. While a problem coin may seem irresitably low-priced, it will still be a problem coin when you try to sell it later, and will thus only command a discounted price then. As I have told many other beginning collectors, the first thing you should buy is a book! Knowledge is about the most important thing you can posess in this hobby. You should begin with a general, all-encompassing book, that will show you all the coins available, and give you other information about them, like history, pricing, and grading guidelines. I would recommend "A Guide Book Of United States Coins" by R.S.Yeoman. This is a good beginner book, and provides a lot of helpful information about all the coins made in the U.S. Then get familiar with your guide book. Look at all the different coins available. Pick a couple of favorites -- ones that you like the looks of, the history of, (or whatever), and that you can afford. Remember, start small. You should also get yourself some kind of album for storing and displaying your coins. There are many different kinds available -- from a used press-in Whitman folder for about $1, to brand-new Dansco albums (for nicer coins) that run $20-$30. Get an album that is appropriate for the value of your coins. I would suggest you visit a coin show, and find a supply dealer there, and see what's available. You may be able to find a local show listed in the newspaper, or you may find one by following the links on my Show Schedule page : Another potentially vital book you should own is a grading standards guide. Some coins have huge price differences between each grade (or even partial grade). For example, a 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar is worth about $25 in Very Good, $95 in Fine, $550 in Very Fine, and $3500 in Extra Fine! You can see that a small error in grading can cost you a lot of money. For a grading standards book, there are two that are widely used : "Photograde : A Photographic Grading Encyclopedia for United States Coins", by James F. Ruddy and my personal favorite : "The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins", by Kenneth Bressett & Abe Kosoff Any of the above books can be purchased either at a coin show, or online. I have a page devoted to numismatic books here : Clicking on the book covers will take you to Amazon.com, where you can purchase the books directly. But before you buy, if you've never been an Amazon customer, send me an email to request a gift certificate, and I'll have one emailed right to you. That will knock $5 off the price of your book. You may also want to consider joining a coin club. There may even be one local to you. You can learn alot from presentations given at the meetings, and from the social interaction with fellow coin collectors. Try visiting the ANA website to locate a club that may be local for you : http://www.money.org/ Click on the Club Listings link. There is also an excellent online coin club -- CoinMasters. It's a free club with over 3,000 members worldwide. They have a website with an online monthly newsletter, a library of information, a monthly auction, and email discussion groups, where you can ask questions and get responses from other members. You can learn alot! Their address : http://www.coinmasters.org/welcome.html This should give you plenty of things to do to get started. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Remember ... Have Fun! QAId : 2832689 Subject : U.S. currency Question : What is the origin of the symbols on the rear portion of the one dollar bill? Answer : The Bureau of Engraving & Printing website -- http://www.moneyfactory.com/ -- offers the following explanation from their Facts & Trivia section : The Great Seal was first used on the reverse of the one-dollar Federal Reserve note in 1935. The Department of State is the official keeper of the Seal. They believe that the most accurate explanation of a pyramid on the Great Seal is that it symbolizes strength and durability. The unfinished pyramid means that the United States will always grow, improve and build. In addition, the "All-Seeing Eye" located above the pyramid suggests the importance of divine guidance in favor of the American cause. The inscription ANNUIT COEPTIS translates as "He (God) has favored our undertakings," and refers to the many instances of Divine Providence during our Government's formation. In addition, the inscription NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM translates as "A new order of the ages," and signifies a new American era. If you are interested in a more detailed history of the Great Seal of the United States, you should contact the Department of State directly. QAId : 2833043 Subject : Widow's Mite coins Question : I have a Widow's Mite coin and I was wondering how much they would be worth if I was to sell it. Answer : Widow's mites are relatively common ancient coins, and have been selling regularly on eBay for $10 - $15 each. You could probably expect to get $6 - $8 from a dealer. QAId : 2833266 Subject : 1910 $5.00 gold coin Question : I have a 1910 $5.00 gold coin in Excellent (near mint) condition, and was wondering how much it is worth. Answer : 1910 is a relatively common date for $5 Indian gold pieces. In lightly circualted condition, it will be worth about $175 wholesale (to a dealer) or about $200 retail. If your coin has an "S" mintmark -- located on the reverse, to the left of the arrow heads, at about 8 o'clock near the rim -- you can add about $20 to the price. QAId : 2835434 Subject : mercury dimes Question : I have a 1916 mercury dime with no mint on it the date is very clear, I also have a 1908 Denver mint mercury dime , what is the price for theres? Answer : The condition (grade) of your coins can make a significant difference in their values. Since you did not include your coins' grades, I will provide dealer values for different grades : 1916 Mercury Dime : Good (full rims both sides) - $2.00 Fine (vertical lines visible in fasces) - $4.00 Extra Fine (light wear) - $6.00 Uncirculated - $20.00 1908-D Barber Dime : Good (full rims both sides) - $1.00 Fine (LIBERTY visible in headband) - $3.00 Extra Fine (light wear) - $20.00 Uncirculated - $100.00 These prices come from the current Coin Dealer Newsletter. I'm assuming that you have a 1908-D Barber Dime (it looks different than your 1916 Mercury Dime). If you had a typo on the date, let me know, and I'll respond with the accurate prices. QAId : 2869394 Subject : coin prices Question : I have a 2 cent coin that is clearly dated 1864 with what seems to be no dents or nicks in the coin. The coin is of dark brownish color that I am assuming comes from age. It has not been cleaned excessively and is in a clear case. All of the writing on the coin ("2", "United States of America", and the date) are very readable. From this information how much money do you think that I could get if I were to sell this coin? (if it helps any, this specific coin was made at the United States Mint) Answer : As an addition to the previous response, I would add this information on how to tell the difference between large & small motto coins : Small Motto : The "D" in GOD is smaller with a more-rounded center, and the left side of the first "T" in TRUST is very close to the ribbon crease : http://homepages.go.com/~hdsklar/1864-2-Cent-SM.JPG Large Motto : The "D" in GOD is taller with a narrow vertical center, and the left side of the first "T" in TRUST is 1mm away from the ribbon crease : http://www.freepichosting.com/Freeimage/967983230.jpg Values : In Fine grade ("WE" visible in IN GOD WWE TRUST motto), you could expect to get from a dealer : Small Motto - $80.00 Large Motto - $10.00 In Extra Fine grade ("WE" strong), you could expect to get from a dealer : Small Motto - $200.00 Large Motto - $20.00 You should be able to get slightly higher prices by selling these on eBay, but that may be offset by the fees you pay eBay to sell your coin. QAId : 2912034 Subject : Rare coins Question : My nephew has a two headed penny. The dates are 1969 on one side and 1970 on the other. Would it be possible for someone to tell me if this coin has any particular value? And if it is indeed a rarity? Answer : What you have is commonly known as a Magician's Coin. This is not something that was made at the mint. The way the coin presses are designed, it is impossible to have two of the same side dies in the press. Heads side dies will only fit in the heads side of the press, and tails side dies will only fit in the tails side of the press. What someone has done, is taken two normal coins, modified them, and glued the two altered pieces back together, to give it the appearance of being one coin again. If you take a strong magnifier and examine the coin closely, you will be able to see the alteration. It will be evident in one of two possible places -- either along the edge, or just inside the rim on one side or the other. The first (older) method of creating this coin involves cutting two coins in half, then gluing the two halves together -- imagine two Oreo cookie halves, without the cream filling, being put together. This method will leave evidence of the cut all along the edge of the coin. Sometimes the edge will be filed down to smooth it out, but the cut is still evident. The second (modern & more common) method of creating this coin is to take one coin and hollow out a recessed area in one side of the coin, just slightly smaller than the diameter of the raised rim. Then another coin has the edge cut off, down to the width of the recessed area in the other coin, and the back grinded or planed down, until it has the same thickness as the depth of the recessed area in other coin. With the accuracy of today's machinery, it is no longer a difficult task to alter metal disks to this accuracy. Then the two pieces are fitted together and glued. Evidence of this altering may be more difficult to detect, but it does still exist. You will find the cut marks just inside the rim on one face of the coin -- if you don't see it on one side, look on the other side. Again, you will need to use a strong magnifier to see it. Imagine putting a quarter into the slot of a push-in lever on an old laundermat washing machine -- you know, the kind where you have to push the lever in to make the washer start -- only you put glue into the slot first. The quarter fills the slot, but you can still see the edge of the quarter within the slot. These coins have become much more common in the past few years. There are companies that now mass-produce them for a few dollars each -- depending on the denomination of the coin -- selling thousands of them every year. One company's name is Adams. I even talked to an older gentleman at a recent coin show, who makes them at home, out of nickels because they are big and cheap. I sold a pair of these coins -- half dollar size -- (one heads/heads and the other tails/tails) a couple years ago for $10.00 but their value has gone down since then because they are now being mass-produced. Recent auction prices realized indicate that the cent, nickel, and dime versions of these Magicians coins are less desirable and are worth between $1 to $3 each. Quarter versions seem to be more desirable, receiving most bids of $8 to $18 each. Kennedy Half Dollar versions are more common, receiving most bids of $3 to $5 each. And Silver Dollar sized coins are a little rarer, receiving bids around $10 each. Tails/tails coins are less valuable than heads/heads coins and will command lower prices. QAId : 2912358 Subject : MS 66 or 67 Question : I have a 1886-S liberty half eagle. I am not a collector so I am not well versed in grading.I have compaired it with photos on the net and it appears to be an MS66 or 67. The grading services on the net want me to mail it to them for inspection. This makes me very uncomfortable. Is this normal? Seems a bit risky, Can you advise? Thanks, Greg Long Answer : As the other responses have stated, in order to be able to readily sell your high-grade gold coin, you will need to get it certified. But, as a word of caution, most grading services, like PCGS or NGC, will not encapsulate an altered coin. By altered, it could be as minor as a cleaning in a light chemical dip, which may not be evident to the untrained eye. But if it is detectible, they will not encapsulate your coin. You'll get it back in a zip-lock baggie -- better known as "body bagged". They will, however, keep your submission fee! Also, comparing your coin to scans on the internet is no way to accurately determine a high-grade coin -- scans can be altered. You must have it examined first-hand by reputable graders. If you can find a local coin show with dealers that have some high-grade gold coins, show it to them and get their opinions. And get multiple opinions (2-3 or more) if you can. If you can find other high-grade certified half-eagles that you can do a side-by-side comparison with, all the better. That way you can see first-hand the quality that the coin needs to be to receive the high grade. I have a Show Schedule page on my website, with links at the bottom to a few other websites that list coin shows all over the coountry. You may be able to find a local upcoming show on one of those websites. QAId : 2912816 Subject : composition of pennies Question : what were pennies made of before 1983 Answer : Taken from "A Guide Book of United States Coins", by R.S.Yeoman (AKA "The Red Book") : Lincoln cents had the following characteristics : 1909-1942 (bronze) : weight - 3.11 grams composition - 95% copper, 5% tin & zinc 1943 (steel) : weight - 2.70 grams composition - steel, coated with zinc 1944-1946 (copper from cartridge cases) weight - 3.11 grams composition - 95% copper, 5% zinc 1947-1962 (bronze resumed) : weight - 3.11 grams composition - 95% copper, 5% tin & zinc 1962-1982 : weight - 3.11 grams composition - 95% copper, 5% zinc Both types of alloys (copper-zinc above and zinc-copper below) were produced in 1982. 1982-Present (copper-plated zinc) weight - 2.50 grams core - 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper, with a plating of pure copper overall - 97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper All Lincoln cents have a diameter of 19mm with a plain edge. QAId : 3025873 Subject : liberty gold coin/1986 Question : I have a coin that i was wondering the value of it if it has any? The coin is gold and dated 1986, on one side it has the libertys head which is enlarged and on the other side it has a flying eagle, the value of the gold coin is $5 dollars, that is what it states on the coin. If there is anyone that can help me value the coin i would appreciate it. Thank you, Answer : What you have is a 1/10th ounce Gold American Eagle. The U.S. mint has been producing these bullion coins every year since 1986. It's value is based mostly on the current spot price of gold, but some of the earlier dates, like yours, are a little more difficult to find and therefore command a small premium over its gold value. At the current spot price of gold, the common dates are listed in the Coin Dealer Newsletter (price guide) at $28.00 each. Your slightly better date coin is listed at $43.00 If you sell your coin to a dealer, you will get slightly below the listed price -- probably about $40.00 -- and if you sell your coin at active auction site (like eBay) you could get slightly more -- maybe $45.00-$50.00 You can see current spot prices for gold (and other metals) here : http://www.kitco.com/market/ QAId : 3029402 Subject : Silver Value Question : I have a big pile of American silver coins. I don’t think there’s anything very rare in there and I suppose they’re worth as much as the silver in them. Does anybody have a formula that I could use to value the silver content by using the weight or face value? Answer : Don't worry about the weight of the coins -- that's not how they are generally valued. All fellow coin dealers I know base the price solely on the face value -- and that's how it's listed in the Coin Dealer Newsletter. You will need to seperate your coins into 4 piles : 1) Silver Dollars : 1878-1935 2) 90% Silver Coins : pre-1965 half dollars, quarters, and dimes 3) 40% Silver Coins : 1965-1969 half dollars (1970 is worth more) 4) Silver Nickels : 1942-1945 (will have mintmark on reverse above dome) Each type of coin will have a different value. To get the value you can reasonably expect to get from a coin dealer for circulated coins at the current market prices, add up the face value of each pile and multiply by the following numbers : 1) Silver Dollars : 5.5 2) 90% Silver Coins : 3.2 3) 40% Silver Coins : 1.2 4) Silver Nickels : 3.7 At the current time, the value of silver is rather low. If you can, you may want to wait for awhile to see if the spot price goes up, in which case all these numbers will go up. You can see the current spot price for silver (and other metals) here : http://www.kitco.com/market/ QAId : 3032733 Subject : 1943 Penny Question : Someone told me that the 1943 steel penny is worth $15,000! I cannot hardly believe this because I have a good hand full of them myself. If they’re really worth this much I can get rich off selling what I have but logic dictates that if I have a lot of them they must not be very rare. What is the story behind these coins? Answer : 1943 steel cents were minted in large quantities -- over a billion -- and are therefore plentiful. You can go to just about any coin show and get rolls of them. In circulated condition, one will cost you about a quarter. However, if there is significant rust or corrosion on it, the value will drop -- depending on how much there is -- down to a couple cents. A nice uncirculated one will be worth a dollar or two. But you must make sure you don't get a reprocessed coin (one that has been re-coated with zinc). They will look shiny like they are brand new, but an expert can tell the difference. They will only have the same value as a circulated coin. There were, however, a few dozen or so 1943 cents that were struck on copper planchets -- probably left over from the 1942 mintage. Since there are so few available, they do have a high value. But there are also many counterfeits -- copper plated 1943's (which you can detect with a magnet) and altered-date 1948's (which can be detected with a magnifier) are the most common. To get back to your question, the story is : A while back there was a poorly reported and incorrect story, that was all over the newspapers and TV, and caused alot of confusion for most people. It was about a man who supposedly had a 1943 copper cent that he left on top of his refrigerator, until his wife spent it. In the story it was blown way out of proportion that this coin was worth up to $500,000! In reality, the highest amount ever paid for one of these 1943 copper cents was $80,000 for a unique Denver Mint specimen. But most have been commanding about $15,000 So, as you already thought, you're not going to get rich from your steel cents. QAId : 3034898 Subject : 50 State Quarters Question : I have one roll of each of the 50 state quarters that have come out so far, they are uncerculated, and I was woundering if any of them are worth much? Answer : Right now, the Pennsylvania quarters are worth the most, even though the New Jersey quarters have the lowest mintage. The first 3 states -- Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey -- will probably always have the highest value. This is due to the fact that after the first 3 states, the mint determined that so many of the new quarters were being hoarded away that too few were staying in circulation, so they DOUBLED the mintage of all the following states. Even though we're talking hundreds of millions of coins here, since the first 3 have half the mintage, they will remain the most valuable. Current values for original uncirculated rolls : State-Mint / Wholesale / Retail DE-P / $38.00 / $50.00 DE-D / $38.00 / $50.00 PA-P / $45.00 / $60.00 PA-D / $43.00 / $58.00 NJ-P / $17.00 / $25.00 NJ-D / $29.00 / $40.00 GA-P / $12.00 / $17.00 GA-D / $12.00 / $17.00 The rest of the states - $11.00 / $15.00 As time goes on, the higher mintage states may increase in value, but with approximately 1.5 billion (with a B) minted for each state, I wouldn't expect them to make any huge increases. The first 3 (or maybe 4) are the only states I would expect to return a significant premium in the future. Perhaps, when the program is over, if you are able to assemble some complete sets in a nice display, you may be able to get an extra premium for them. QAId : 3035138 Subject : What is this red book? Question : Someone told me to buy the red book but I can't find it where it is or what it is or where to buy it. Answer : The 2001 Red Books have recently been published. They are available from Amazon.com in either hardcover ($12.55) or paperback ($8.95) Here's a picture of the book cover : http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1582380651.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg You can use these links to check out the Red Books available at Amazon : Hardcover : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582380651/theworkimansrare Paperback : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582380643/theworkimansrare Another similar book by the same author that has prices that are more realistic as to what dealers will pay for coins is the 2001 Handbook of US Coins (AKA the "Blue Book"). Amazon sells this book for $8.05 in paperback : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582380686/theworkimansrare QAId : 3043792 Subject : coins Question : I have a lot of old coins, what is the best way to evaluate and value them? Answer : You basicly have three choices : 1) Have your coins professionally appraised by one or more coin dealers. 2) Learn how to grade & price coins yourself. 3) Sort out the common stuff and have the rest professionally appraised. 1) Let a dealer do the work: ---------------------------- The easy route would be to have a dealer do all the work for you. But if you have a lot of coins (more than would fit in a cigar box), you cannot expect a dealer to do this for free. For a professional appraisal you can expect to pay $25 to $50 per hour, but they can go through alot of coins in an hour. 2) Do the work yourself: --------------------------------- If you would like to do it yourself, you will need to be willing to commit to a lot of hours of learning -- reading, examining coins, grading, and looking up prices in tables. You will also need to buy a grading guide, a pricing guide, a good magnifier, and some coin holders. Grading Guide: I suggest "The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins" by Kenneth Bressett & Abe Kosoff, or "Photograde : A Photographic Grading Encyclopedia for United States Coins" by James F. Ruddy. Pricing Guide: I suggest "2001 Handbook of US Coins" by R. S. Yeoman (AKA "The Blue Book"). The prices listed in this book are the closest to what dealers will actually pay for your coins. Magnifier: There are many kinds to choose from. I suggest a 10X power to be strong enough to see minute details, yet not too strong to distort the overall view of the coin. You can find these at eBay in the U.S. Coins:Supplies section. Do a search on magnifier or loupe. Coin Holders: I suggest cardboard 2X2's or vinyl flips. They protect your coin, you can write on them, and they only cost a few cents each. They can be found at eBay in the U.S. Coins:Supplies section. Do a search on 2x2. Once you have all this together, you can begin. Seperate your coins by denomination & type, so you can focus on one type at a time. Then sort the one type of coin by date, to make price lookups easier. Then read the grading guide for the type of coin you're working on, to familiarize yourself with which points to look for (like many old coins use the completeness of the letters in LIBERTY to help determine grade). Then get out your magnifier and have at it! When grading your coins, be careful not to overgrade them. If a coin seems to fall between two grades, choose the lower grade. While it will be priced lower, it will more realisticly reflect how much you will be able to get for your coin. As you go through your coins, you'll need to record what you've got, or you'll be wasting your time. For any coins that you find have any significant value, put them into a holder and write the date and grade on it. For the coins you find that are worth very little (like wheat cents from the 1930's through 1950's and circulated silver coins from the 1960's), don't bother putting them in holders. Just make a pile of the same kind of common items, that you can count later. While you go through your coins, make a list. For each of the coins you've put into holders, write down the date, grade, and price. Do this either as you put each coin into its holder, or once you've finished one type go back through them, looking up the prices and writing everything down. Remember to include the count of the common items. After all your hours of work and eyestrain, you will now have a complete list of all your coins and their values -- and probably a sore neck! Ahhhh, but you'll have had such fun, and you'll be so knowledgeable now :) 3) Sort out the common stuff: -------------------------------------- This alternate combines the above choices. You use a basic coin guide, sort out the common coins, and have the rest professionally appraised. You will again need a pricing guide -- either the Blue Book described above, or the Red Book ("A Guide Book Of United States Coins" by R.S.Yeoman). You're not going to closely inspect each coin -- you're just sorting out the common stuff. Seperate the coins into piles by denomination and type. Then look through the coins in each pile, checking date & mintmark combinations for rarer dates, as listed in the price guide. Also consider coins that look better than the other coins in the pile. Put these rarer or better coins into a seperate pile. Once you've finished with one type, count the coins left in the common pile, write it down, and set the pile aside. Repeat this procedure for all the different types of coins you have. Once you've finished, you will have one pile of your more valuable coins, and a bunch of other piles of common coins. Package each of these piles seperately -- like in ziplock bags -- this is how you will present your collection to a dealer for appraisal, along with your common coin counts list. Depending on how big your better coin pile is, you may be able to take it to a coin show and get free appraisals from the dealers there. As long as you have fewer than 100 coins or so in your rarer pile, I would recommend getting 2-3 opinions from different dealers. If you have more than that, you should either break it up into smaller piles, to be appraised at different shows, or make an appraisal appointment with a dealer. If you don't plan to sell right away, you don't even need to bring your common coins to the show -- just the list. If you decide on a private appraisal, find a dealer you feel comfortable with. Take a good sample of your coins to the show, show them to several dealers, and pick the one you like best. You should be able to choose by the prices quoted, the dealer's personality, and the interest he shows in your coins. ------------------------- The above mentioned books and magnifiers can usually be found at a coin shop or at a supply dealer's table at a coin show. Or you can purchase them online. You can either bid for the items on eBay (see above links), or for the books, you can buy them directly from Amazon. I have a page devoted to numismatic books here : Click on a book cover to go to Amazon.com, where you can purchase it directly. But before you buy, if you've never been an Amazon customer before, send me an email to request a gift certificate, and I'll have one emailed right to you. That will knock $5 off the price of your book. ------------------------- Local coin shows should be listed in your local newspaper. Or you may find one by following the links on my Show Schedule page : ------------------------- All you have to do now is decide which way you want to proceed. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me at Working.Man@usa.net QAId : 3044660 Subject : 1924 and 1891 coin Question : I have 1 dollar 1924 and 1 dollar 1891 coin.How much the value?Thank you Aida Answer : Currently, for common date Morgan Dollars (1878-1921) in circulated condition, most dealers will offer you $5-$8 apiece. For common date circulated Peace Dollars (1921-1935), they will offer you $5-$7 apiece. However, having the right mintmark on your coin can make it very valuable. For example, an 1889 with no mintmark is very common, but an 1889 with a CC mintmark is very rare and valuable in any condition. To locate the mintmark on a Morgan Dollar, look at the reverse, above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR and below the ribbon in the wreath -- in that little open area. Possible Mintmarks : (none) - Philadelphia Mint CC - Carson City Mint O - New Orleans Mint S - San Francisco Mint D - Denver Mint (1921 only) To locate the mintmark on a Peace Dollar, look at the reverse, between the word ONE and the end of the eagle's wingfeathers, to the left of the last ray. Possible Mintmarks : (none) - Philadelphia Mint S - San Francisco Mint D - Denver Mint (1921 only) Once you know the date and mintmark, you can now determine whether you have a rare or common date by looking it up in a price guide. To find current retail prices for Morgan Dollars, you can go here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/mordlr/pricesgd.htm To find current retail prices for Peace Dollars, you can go here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/peadlr/pricesgd.htm These are the prices that a dealer might sell his coins at -- not the prices he will offer you. Next, to get an idea of what grade your coin is, you can go to the eBay auction site and search through the dollar coins for listings in different grades. Look for listings by dealers with higher feedback ratings that have a picture included. You can then compare your coin to the picture to get an idea of what grade it is. Look at several listings, because grading is subjective and pictures will vary widely in quality. Current listiings for dollar coins can be found here : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/all/category523/index.html Note that this method will work well for circulated coins, however, grading uncirculated coins this way can be very difficult, if not impossible. You will probably have to show your coins to a dealer to determine an uncirculated grade. Once you've determined your coin's grade, you can refer to the above links to find retail prices, or you can go to the Completed Auctions section at eBay to see what similar coins have been selling for recently. Go here : http://cayman.ebay.com/aw/listings/completed/category523/index.html If you follow these steps, you should be able to get a good idea of what your coins are worth. QAId : 3044812 Subject : pennies Question : are unminted pennies worth less than a cent? What is the value of an unminted penny? Answer : You can find prices that these have been recently selling for (at eBay) by going here : Click Here QAId : 3047138 Subject : 1885 Silver Dollar Question : I have an 1885 silver dollar coin. I looked under NumisMedia for a price listing. When I looked under Liberty Dollars, the dates stopped short of 1885. I looked under Morgan Dollars Proof coins. There was a listing for 1885. The coin has lady liberty on the front and an eagle on the back. What kind of dollar do I posess? Thank you for your help Answer from FAQ : 3044660 1924 and1891 coin 9/14/2000 My answer (from my FAQ) assumes you have already determined that you have a Morgan Dollar (Liberty's head only) and not a Trade Dollar (Liberty's full body, seated facing left). Having an 1885 Trade Dollar is very unlikely, since there were only 5 minted. QAId : 3051417 Subject : coins Question : who's face is on the dime coin Answer : From 1946 to present, the person on the U.S. dime is the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He served from 1933 until his death in 1945, and was then honored by the placement of his portrait on the dime. Prior to 1946, all U.S. dimes featured artists' renderings of the head or figure of Miss Liberty -- all the way back to the first dimes minted in 1796. Even the one commonly known as the "Mercury Dime" is in fact a representation of Liberty -- the wings on her cap are intended to symbolize liberty of thought. QAId : 3051802 Subject : Selling a coin collection. Question : I'm in the process of selling my late fathers coin collection. I have been told by the only local coin and stamp dealer in my area, that the way he values a coin or collection is to first take 20% off of the book price and another 20% for a profit margin for himself. Is 40% off what a collection is worth the rule of thumb for such a transaction? Answer : While 40% below book does not seem out of line, it depends on which "book" he is using. If his "book" is a retail price guide, like the Red Book, then you're probably getting a fair deal. If his "book" is the Coin Dealer Newsletter (wholesale price guide), then 40% overall is quite a healthy discount. As the other experts stated, with most dealers the discount percentage will depend on the resellability of the item. Common or low-grade or unpopular coins will have a higher discount percentage than rare-date or high-grade or highly popular coins will. I would recommend you try to find a coin show, take your coins there, and get appraisals from 2 or 3 different dealers. The prices at a show will be more competative, simply because there is more competition there. If you don't like the appraisal from one dealer, you just walk 10 feet to the next table and get another appraisal. What's the competition for your only local coin dealer? You may be able to find a coin show by looking in your local (or a nearby) newspaper. Or you might find one by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 3164228 Subject : penny collection Question : I have pennies with indian heads on them would they be worth anythin? thank you Claudette Mayne Antlers. Ok. Answer : If you offer your average circulated indian head pennies (dated 1887 or newer) to a coin dealer, you will be offered about 50˘ to 75˘each -- assuming the coins are not damaged, corroded, or cleaned. If you sell them yourself (like on the eBay auction site), you should get about $1 each. Coins dated 1886 or older will be worth more. There is an exception. For coins dated 1908 or 1909, it is possible that there may be an "S" mintmark on the back side at the bottom. If so, these are rare dates and will be worth much more. Current market values can be seen here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/indcnt/pricesgd.htm QAId : 3164385 Subject : gold coins Question : I have six gold coins which I inherited. They were assessed about 20 years ago at considerable value. I am interested in selling them. Is a coin dealer the way to go? Does the price fluctuate daily? And do dealers all pay basically the same price? Answer : As previously stated, in the 1980's the coin market was experiencing a wild upswing, and the bullion value of gold was way up. This caused many rare (and not-so-rare) coins to be greatly inflated in price. More recently, the value of gold (and silver) coins and bullion has stabilized -- in fact, it's on the low side right now. So fluctuations in the prices of your coins will be small. To find out what your coins are really worth and to sell them, I would recommend you try to find a coin show, take your coins there, and get appraisals from 2 or 3 different dealers. The prices at a show will be more competative, simply because there is more competition there. If you don't like the appraisal from one dealer, you just walk 10 feet to the next table and get another appraisal. A local coin dealer may have no competition, and usually will have higher overhead to consider. You may be able to find a coin show by looking in your local (or a nearby) newspaper. Or you might find one by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 3164554 Subject : Silver coins Question : I am looking for imformation on the value of silver coins. If you can tell me where I can find this information or tell me the value (if any) of a 1964 silver half dollar. Answer : In 1964, the U.S. Mint produced a lot of coins (for the times), and this was the last year for regular issue 90% silver coinage. Therefore, this makes the silver coins from 1964 the most common silver coins of all. In fact, over 400 million of the half dollars were produced that year. Being so common, your coin will only be worth the silver it contains -- which is just about 1/3 of an ounce. At the current value of silver, that is about $1.75 worth. In order to still be able to make a profit, most coin dealers will currently offer you about $1.50 for your coin (3 times face). An exception to this is if your coin is in absolute pristeen uncirculated condition -- brilliant, lustrous, and mark-free. Then you may be offered a whopping $2 to $3 for your coin -- they're still very common. The other exception is if you have a proof coin. Proofs are made differently than regular issue coins. They use highly polished dies and planchets, extra striking pressure, and repeated striking to give the coin a mirrored finished with very crisp details. These coins will be worth $4 to $5 to a dealer. In any case, you're not going to get much for your coin. I would recommend that you find a deserving kid, who may collect coins, and give it to them -- it'll make their day! QAId : 3164600 Subject : coins Question : has anybody seen the new gold dollar with the indian ladies head on both sides and how much would she be worth? Answer from FAQ : 2912034 Rare coins 9/6/2000 You may be confusing this with the Sacagawea Dollar / Washington Quarter "mule" coins that were recently in the news. They had Washington's head on one side and the eagle from the back of the dollar coin on the other side. Three of them have been sold at auction for $31,000 to $41,000 each. The only way for the indian lady's head to be on both sides of a coin is if that coin has been altered, after leaving the mint. For a complete explanation of two-headed coins, please see my attached FAQ. QAId : 3164685 Subject : misprinted coin Question : i was wondering if anyone knew how much and HOW TO FIND WHERE TO SELL IT ,, a quater that i have that is misprinted!!! I heard it is worth alot of money,thanks-brandi Answer : Without being able to see your coin, it will be impossible to accurately determine the type of error and its value. You may be able to find a similar item for sale or recently sold on the eBay auction site, in the U.S. Coins - Errors section. You may also decide to sell your coin there, but get a picture first for the best results. To find out what your coins are really worth and to sell them, I would recommend you try to find a coin show, take your coins there, and get appraisals from 2 or 3 different dealers. The prices at a show will be more competative, simply because there is more competition there. If you don't like the appraisal from one dealer, you just walk 10 feet to the next table and get another appraisal. A local coin dealer may have no competition, and usually will have higher overhead to consider. You may be able to find a coin show by looking in your local (or a nearby) newspaper. Or you might find one by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 3164934 Subject : how to sell a couple of old coins Question : We have a couple of old coins and would like to sell them. How do we do that? Answer : Several of the other answers recommend selling your coins on eBay. This could be good or bad. While selling your coins on eBay may yield the highest prices for you, there is also the chance that they will yield the lowest prices -- it is an auction. And putting your coins up for sale there will cost you money, even if they don't sell -- eBay charges fees. Also, unless you have set a reserve price (which costs extra to do) that didn't get reached, or you have a high enough starting price, once the auction is ended, you are required to sell your coins at the bid price. If you don't like the amount of the bid, that's too bad. By listing your coins, you've agreed to a contract to sell. And being an inexperienced eBay seller, with a non-existant feedback rating, many buyers will hesitate to bid on your items, especially if you have no pictures. Then there's all the work of preparing your listing, sending & receiving the necessary emails, and packaging & mailing the coins. And you may have to wait to see if a stranger's check will clear or bounce. Is it worth it? Maybe -- maybe not. You have another alternative. To find out what your coins are really worth and to sell them, I would recommend you try to find a coin show, take your coins there, and get professional appraisals from 2 or 3 different dealers. The prices at a coin show will be more competative than taking them to a coin shop, simply because there is more competition there. If you don't like the appraisal from one dealer, you just walk 10 feet to the next table and get another appraisal. A local coin dealer may have no competition, and usually will have higher overhead to consider. Selling to a coin dealer may yield a lower price than you MAY get on eBay, but you're letting the coin dealer do all the work and take all the risk for you. You may be able to find a coin show by looking in your local (or a nearby) newspaper. Or you might find one by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 3173372 Subject : The New quarters Question : Hi my name is Max. I am trying to collect the new quarters . I am running into a problem. I am trying to collect the quarters from both mints, Denver, and Philadelphia. I am having a hard time finding quarters from Philadelphia. I think it is because I live so close Denver. How can I get quarters from Philadelphia mint? Is there some way I can trade with some one on the East Coast? and how would I find someone to trade with? Answer : The reason you only get D-mint quarters is because you live in a western state -- not because you're close to Denver. The distribution of coinage -- including quarters -- is determined by which mint services your state. All the western states are served by the Denver Mint, and all the eastern states are served by the Philadelphia Mint. Therefore, you have the opposite problem if you live in the eastern part of the U.S. -- you only get P-mint quarters. To find a trading partner, I would recommend joining the CoinMasters free online coin club, sign up for the Swap-n-Sell email list, and send an email to the group, stating exactly what you're looking for and what you have to trade. Members of the club will be more trustworthy than the general public, because they will be removed from the club for dishonest activity. The club's website is located here : http://www.coinmasters.org QAId : 3338734 Subject : paper currency value Question : where can i find a web site that will list the current value of old u.s. paper currency? i tried www.currencyuniverse.com but was unable to locate..kept getting page not found... Answer : Along with doing your own book research, you should also visit a coin show and talk to some dealers, to get a real feel of what kind of prices you can get for your currency. While researching in books is good, and you should do it to learn about what you have, you should also have a feel for the real market. Books will tell you if you have a rare or common note, and an approximate retail value, but the prices may be outdated or extremely inflated. Believe me, dealers are not paying the prices listed in the books -- they buy at wholesale prices because they're in the business to make a profit. Dealers base the prices they pay for most currency on a monthly wholesale price list called the "Green Sheet". For $4.00 You can order a current copy of it from the publisher by going here : http://www.greysheet.com/cdn/green.asp You may be able to find a local coin show listed in your local (or nearby) newspaper, or by following the links on my Show Schedule page : Once you've done your book research, got your green sheet in hand, and visited some coin shows, you should be fully knowledgeable of exactly what your currency is worth. QAId : 3360393 Subject : misprinted 2000 gold dollar Question : I have an uncirculated 2000 gold dollar that is misprinted 90 degrees from either side. How much is it worth? Need More Information : Thank you for your question, but I need a clarification of the type of error on your coin. I need to know whether your coin is a rotated reverse or an off-center. On a rotated reverse, all the coin's details are visible, it's just that the two sides are not aligned up & down when the coin is flipped top to bottom. On an off-center, the coin did not get fully inserted into the minting press, and so did not get fully stamped, therefore leaving an area of the coin unstamped. Please let me know which type you have, and I'll find out what it's worth. FUQuestion : The two sides are not aligned up & down when the coin is fliped top to bottom. Answer : If your golden dollar has the same kind of rotation seen on this Connecticut quarter : http://members.aol.com/JStrot7740/CTR.jpg then I would estimate its value at about $150 It's very hard to put an exact price on something like this, because they are so rare, and are seldom seen up for sale. Who knows, it could be worth more! Often, it's a matter of timing. It just depends on who is looking for this kind of error when it goes up for sale. If there happen to be a lot of people looking for it, the the price will go higher. If there are very few people wanting it, then the price will be low. I can refer you to another couple of dealers who specialize in error coins. They may have dealt with this exact error coin before, and can give you a more exact estimate. They will probably need to see a picture of both sides of the coin, though. Ken Potter : Kpotter256@aol.com Rich Schemmer : RichErrors@aol.com You may want to consider having your coin certified, but you should talk to the other two dealers first. QAId : 3398411 Subject : valuable coins Question : I have two coins that are over 100 years old, and would like to know the value of the, the one coin is from the year 1899, and I can't remember the year of the other... p.s. I would really like to know its worth. Answer : Unfortunately, from the tiny amount of information you've provided, it is impossible to give you any idea of your coins' value. There are many factors involved in determining a coin's value : What country is it from? What is the denomination (face value) ? What is its date? Does it have a mint mark? What condition is it in? Is it well-worn, lightly worn, or unworn? Does it have any damage, corrosion, discoloration, cleaning? If you can provide the above information for your coins, then it should be possible to determine their value. A clear picture would be extremely helpful, too. QAId : 3462153 Subject : old coins Question : what is the value of a 1898, 1899, 1901, and a 1903 indian head us penny? Answer : The dates you listed are relatively common dates for Indian Head cents. In average condition (wel-worn) they are worth about 50˘ each. If you can read all the letters in LIBERTY on the headband, then they will be worth about a dollar each. If they have almost no wear on them at all, they will be worth about $10.00 each. These prices assume there is no damage, corrosion, or cleaning |