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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 on any of the coins. To be more specific, I would need to see the coins first-hand. QAId : 3462376 Subject : coin collector Question : That is the value of the 1923 Silver dollar coin that has a closed wing eagle on one side and Miss Liberty on the other? Answer : What you have is one of the most common silver dollars made. To sum it up, if your coin shows any sing of having been circulated, a dealer will only offer you $5-$6 for it. Even if it looks like barnd new -- no wear, bright & flashy, and almost no marks on it -- you still only have a $15 coin. QAId : 3462491 Subject : 1898 Silver dollar Question : What is the value of an 1898 silver dollar in good condition? Answer : 1898 is a relatively common date for Morgan Dollars. In circulated condition a dealer will offer you $5-$8 for it. If it looks like new, you can expect $15-$20 -- unles it has an "S" mintmark (on the back, above the "DO" in DOLLAR), which will be worth $100-$150 Hope you got the "S"! QAId : 3463480 Subject : Proof & Uncirculated coins Question : Hi, I have a few questions: 1. I have seen some proof sets refered to as silver proof. They use 90% silver, also called "coin silver." Is the appearance of these coins any different from "normal" proof coins? Are they more valuable than non-silver proofs? Is collecting proof coins considered a good investment? Does their value increase more than non-proof coins? 2. I read that the US mint doesn't sell uncirculated coins directly to the public. If so, how can coin collectors obtain rolls of uncirculated coins? 3. Is a mint coin the same as an uncirculated coin? 4. Can you recommend an online coin shop where I can buy a 1999 50 state quarter proof set from the US mint? (The US mint doesn't have any more) Thanks for your help! Answer : 1. Disregarding the proof sets from 1964 and older, and the special 3-coin 1976 Bicentennial set, the mint has been making Silver Proof Sets since 1992. All of these sets are worth more than their non-silver equivalents from the same years. But they did also have a higher issue price from the mint. As a correction to the previous answer, in the silver proof sets, there are 3 denominations made out of silver -- the dime, the quarter(s), and the half dollar. The silver proofs look essentially identical to the non-silver proofs, with the exception that the non-silver proofs will have the copper stripe visible on the edge of the coins. But you can't see this if the coins are still in their original packaging. Fortunately, the packaging for the silver sets is either black or red, where the non-silver sets come in either purple or green packaging. Collecting proof coins vs. non-proof coins is probably a better idea. But until the recent price surge for select dates, proof sets were generally a losing proposition. With few exceptions, most mint issues (including commemorative coins) lose value. And picking the exceptions that will gain in value may require the services of a psychic :) If you want to collect coins as an investment, I would suggest that you will have better success buying key date coins (the rarest ones in a series) that are medium-to-high grade and problem-free. They will be more expensive, but will be more easily sellable and have the best chance of gaining in value. And remember, this type of investment is long-term. If you really want to get some proofs, I would recommend you order some of the year 2000 silver sets directly from the mint -- www.usmint.gov -- they will have a lower mintage than the non-silver sets, and if they perform like the 1999 silver sets, they could double in value in less than a year. But there are NO guarantees. 2. Along with the uncirculated sets, the mint has started selling uncirculated rolls and bags of the new golden dollars and the new quarters directly to the public. They charge a significant premium, so I don't know if there will be any room for profit in the long-run. For other denominations, you will either have to hook up with a bank, an armored car service, a big retail store that orders a lot of coin rolls for change, a coin dealer, or a coin auction (like eBay, Yahoo!, Amazon, etc.) With the billions of coins minted for circulation, this will probably end up being a money-losing venture, unless you plan to start retailing these coins one at a time, sometime in the future. Even then, it would only be a modest investment at best. 3. "mint" (or "mint state" {or "MS"}) and "uncirculated" (or "UNC" or "BU") are generally interchangable terms, meaning the coin has not been circulated and exhibits no visible wear. 4. I have 1999 5-coin quarter proof sets available. Please visit the Coin Sets page of my website for more details : QAId : 3463773 Subject : 1937 buffalo nickel Question : i just was wondering how much a 1937 nickel is worth it is in pretty fair shape no rust Answer : The prices you've been previously quoted are retail prices. If you took your circulated 1937 nickel to a coin dealer, you will be offered between 25˘ and 50˘ for it -- unless you happen to have the rare 1937-D 3-legged variety, in which case you would likely be offered $100 to $200, depending on the condition of the coin. Keep searching! QAId : 3465516 Subject : who is on the dime? Question : Who is on the dime and what is on the back? Answer : The dime currently in circulation, features the portrait of past President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served from 1933 until his death in 1945. His portait was placed on the dime in 1946 to honor his service to the country and to memorialize his death. Prior to 1946, all dimes had different interpretations of the head or figure of Miss Liberty on them. On the back side of the Roosevelt dime, in the center, is the Torch of Freedom. Next to it, on the left is an olive branch (symbolizing peace), and on the right is an oak branch (symbolizing strength). The coin was designed by John R. Sinnock. His initials (JS) appear just below the truncation of Roosevelt's neck. QAId : 3812755 Subject : coins Question : Would like to know what these coins that we have are worth. One 1923 silver dollar, 1953 silver half dollar, 1945 silver half dollar, 1915 silver quarter with 3 scraches in it, 1936 silver quarter lettering on back is missing, 1947 silver fairlier good shape. Thank you very much. Answer : The coins that you listed are all fairly common dates. Assuming they've all been circulated (worn), their values are : 1923 silver dollar = $5.00 1953 silver half dollar = $1.50 1945 silver half dollar = $1.50 1915 silver quarter = 75˘ 1936 silver quarter = 75˘ 1947 ??? = if a quarter 75˘, if a dime 30˘ The only exception to the above prices would be if the 1953 half dollar looks almost like new. If so, and if it does NOT have a mint mark (a D or S above the bell), it will be worth about $6. Or if it looks almost like new and it has an S mint mark, it will be worth about $7. QAId : 3851538 Subject : silver dollars Question : How are silver dollars made? Answer : A detailed explanation of how a coin is made can be found at the mint's website : http://www.usmint.gov/kids/tour/preshow.html Kiddie versions : http://www.usmint.gov/kids/tour/index.html http://www.usmint.gov/kids/tour/birthcoin/pg1.html QAId : 3851709 Subject : Silver Proof Sets Question : The 1999 9 coin Silver proof set sold for $31.95 from the US mint. These sets now sell for $61-66 on auction sites. Do you think the 2000 (and later yrs) Silver proof sets will also increase this much? Answer : While the 1999 sets jumped way up quickly, I would not expect the 2000 sets to jump so high. I agree that they will go up in value -- at least in the short term -- I also believe they will come back down eventually, just like 90% of all the other government offerings. There will be a strong demand, and thus higher prices, for the length of the quarter program and a short time after. But I believe once this demand has diminished (when collectors have moved on to some other "hot" item), the prices on these sets will fall back down -- probably below their issue prices. Just look at the price for a 1992 silver proof set. In general -- over the long-term -- the mint offerings (proof sets, mint sets, comemmorative coins, etc.) have all dropped in value below their issue prices -- with few exceptions. While some enjoy brief popular demand price hikes, some just fall right away. For example, the 1992 White House Comemmorative enjoyed values of over $100.00 per coin for a short while. They are now around $20.00 each. It has been my experience that the more popular an item is when it's issued, and the more the mint manufactures, the farther it will fall over time. In regards to the 1999, 2000, and beyond silver sets, 800,000 to 1,000,000 sets will surely satisfy the collector demand for them -- again over the long-term -- since so many collectors will only remain interested for a few years, and by far most collectors (hoarders) are gathering only the non-silver types. To sum it up, in the short-term I believe there will be profits to be made from the 2000+ silver sets, but not as much as much as for the 1999 set. And in the long-term these sets will surely fall in value like so many of the other mint offerings have. FUQuestion : Thanks for an excellent answer. I agree about the falling prices in the future. I notice these coins are getting a fair amount of criticism over their designs (artwork). I have a hunch in the future these quarters may be looked upon as a novelty. I have also noticed the American Eagle silver dollar proof (2000) has gone up in price to around $45-56. Any reason for this? What about this coin as an investment? Maybe it increased because it's the 1st silver dollar of the "new" century? Answer : The reason the 2000 Proof Silver Eagles jumped up in price so quickly is that when the mint "suddenly" sold out, it caught a lot of dealers by surprise. The 1999's stayed in stock for a lot longer, and many dealers figured the 2000's would too. So they got caught without sufficient inventory to fill orders and for Christmas on-hand stock. This caused alot of activity in the market, with dealers trying to make up for their shortcomings. And in a supply vs demand economy, with no more new supply and an increasing demand, the prices jumped up accordingly. The wholesale price on these has actually come down a little, now that some of the demand has been satisfied, but they're still hard to find on the coin show floor. I would expect that there will be a small rise in the price of them before Christmas, but that it will fall back off after. And with the price you'd have to pay to get into them now, you'll probably not make alot of profit. In the long-term, the 2000 proof eagle will probably remain one of the higher priced dates, but I don't know how you're going to get any profit out of them now, since they're already high priced. You needed to get them from the mint, when they were $24 each. You might try the 2001's when they come out next year -- we'll see how many they mint. QAId : 3852437 Subject : coins to dollar Question : How many ways can you make change for $1.00 only using amenican coins (quarter, dime, nickle & penny)? The reason I ask is because my son was asked that and I don't think his teacher is right. Can you help? Answer : Assuming only the use of quarters, dimes, nickels, and cents, the number of combinations is 242. If you add the use of half dollars, the total combinations is 292. If you include the dollar coin, add 1 more. If the teacher wants to get crazy and use coins like half-cents, 2-cent pieces, 3-cent pieces, and 20-cent pieces, then the number will grow tremendously. I can send you a text file that contains all the possible combinations for cent through half dollar, if you wish. Just send me your email address. QAId : 3852804 Subject : U.S. Silver Coins Question : I have a number of silver coins. Until now I have not attempted to determine their value. The oldest coin I have is a Liberty Head 1882 silver dollar. What is the approximate value? Are you a buyer? Would you like a list of what I own? Answer : You've gotten some collectors' points of view, now here's a dealer's point of view : I deal in silver dollars (and other U.S. coins) on a regular basis, and if someone were to bring me an 1882 silver dollar, here is what I would offer : If the coin is worn to the point that the rims are worn flat, or if there is some kind of significant damage to the coin, then it's $5.00 If the coin shows visible wear, and is from the Philadelphia Mint (no mint mark), the New Orleans Mint (O mint mark), or the San Francisco Mint (S mint mark), then I would offer $6.00 to $8.00 If the coin shows visible wear, and is from the Carson City Mint (CC mint mark), then I would offer $30.00 to $35.00 If the coin shows only the slightest amount of wear (AU condition), and has either the plain, O, or S mint mark, I would offer $10.00 If the coin is in AU condition, and has a CC mint mark, I would offer $45.00 If the coin is in AU condition, and has the popular O over S mint mark variety, I would offer $25.00 If the coin is in uncirculated condition, showing no wear but significant contact marks (MS-60), for a plain, O, or S, I would offer $15.00 -- for a CC, I would offer $65.00 -- for an O over S, I would offer $100.00 If the coin is uncirculated, with only smaller marks (MS-63), for a plain, O, or S, I would offer $22.00 -- for a CC, I would offer $70.00 -- for an O over S, I would offer $650.00 For coins that would grade higher, personal first-hand evaluation would be required. There are other significant factors that have to be considered, before determining a fair price -- such as strike, luster, toning, and overall eye appeal. All of the above prices are based on the current Coin Dealer Newsletter -- the weekly wholesale price guide for coin dealers -- with a normal discount percentage taken for this date coin. In general, more common date coins -- such as 1882 dollars -- will receive a greater discount percentage than rarer date coins. This is because it is more likely the dealer already has the coin in question -- maybe in quantity -- and with it being more common, there will be a lower demand for the coin. This means that the dealer will probably be holding on to this coin for a longer period of time, and will need to make up for the slower inventory turnaround because of it. With rarer, higher demand coins, the dealer will offer a higher percentage relative to the wholesale price guide. This is simply due to the fact that the dealer will be able to sell the coin quicker, thus requiring a smaller margin on the sale. Also, the rarer coins are harder to get ahold of, therefore the dealer will be willing to pay a little more to be able to get it. These principles can be followed for all of your coins. You won't get much for the common stuff. In general, the coins you have that are dated after 1933 can just about all be considered common -- with few exceptions. The coins you have that are older than that have a chance of being valuable -- especially if they have a mint mark. Space does not allow me to get into the details of which are more valuable -- you should get a Red Book for that, or check out an online price guide like the one here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/fmv.shtml With the current price of silver, your common date silver coins will only earn you about 3 times their face value ($3.00 per $1.00 face value) from just about any coin dealer. After you've done a little research on your own -- seperating out the common stuff -- I would be happy to discuss the value of anything you feel might be worth anything. You can contact me directly at : Working.Man@usa.net QAId : 3852944 Subject : Handling Proof Coins Question : I've been collecting the 1999 & 2000 proof sets produced by the US mint. A quarter in one of the sets has rotated in the plastic holder. This really bugs me! I would like to open up the plastic holder (if I can do it w/o breaking it) and realign the coin. I've been told that if touched with fingers, a proof coin will be ruined. What's the best way of handling a proof coin? Should I use gloves? How do the pros do it? Answer : You should definately NOT try to open your proof set. You WILL break the seal and significantly reduce the value of your set. If it's the 1999 set, it's too late to get the mint to replace it. They may replace a 2000 set, but you'll have to pay to send it to them, and there's no guarantee that you'll like the set you get in return. I would suggest, instead, that you find a local coin show, take the set with you, and offer a dealer (who has the same set) a couple of dollars to trade it with you. It would cost you this much to send it back to the mint, and you'll get to see the replacement set before you make the deal. You can probably find a local show by following one of the links at the bottom of my Show Schedule page : If you decide that you MUST break open your set, you WILL decrease its value. As far as handling proof coins (or any coins), the oils in your fingers will cause a chemical reaction with the metal in the coins, forever leaving fingerprints on them, that cannot be removed. They may not show up right away, but they will show up. You should definately use soft cotton gloves whenever you touch the surface of your coins, and try to handle them only by the edges -- even cotton gloves will leave hairline scratches on proof coins. I hope this answers all of your questions, and gives you a viable alternative to opening your set. FUQuestion : Thanks for the great answer! I bought a few state quarter proof coins individually off ebay. Each came in a 2x2 mylar/cardboard holder. I paid about $2-3 ea (way too much!) Where did these proof quarters come from, a busted proof set? Answer : Actually, $2-$3 each is relatively cheap. They had to have originally come out of either a 9-coin proof set or a 5-coin quarter proof set -- that's the only way they were distributed from the mint. This means the previous owner almost positvely paid about $3 per coin if they came out of a quarter set -- maybe a little less if they came out of a 9-coin set, and if the owner made some profit from the other coins already. QAId : 3852998 Subject : COIN VALUE Question : I have a 1998 dime that is coated in gold. Is it worth anything ? Answer : Your dime was gold plated after it left the mint, by a private company or individual. It is now only a novelty item, worth maybe a dollar or two to the right person -- not a coin collector. The amount of gold it takes to gold plate a coin is insignificant -- maybe a couple cents worth. In fact, I recently received an offer from a company in Indiana to gold plate any quarter I wanted for 30˘ each -- I'm sure they would do a dime for no more than 15˘ -- and I'm also sure that they're making a healthy profit from this. So you can see your gold plated dime has very little value -- sorry. QAId : 3853166 Subject : Coin Appraisal Question : How much is an 1887, mint condition, one dollar coin worth today? Answer : You can find an online retail price guide for your Morgan Silver Dollars here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/mordlr/frame.html Being a retail price guide, you should only expect about 70% of the prices listed for your coin, from a dealer. Also, common date coins will command a lower percentage of their retail value, compared to rarer date coins, due to the lesser demand and thus slower inventory turnaround rate that they have. QAId : 5029257 Subject : coins Question : I was just recently given some coins by my mother to see if they are worth anything. There are 4 coins all american dated 1886,1883,1925 and 1922. They are all silver dollar coins. They all have a face of a women on them who I cannot identify might be Susan B. Anthony but I'm not sure.They are all American cions.I'm not sure if you need any more information than what I have given you. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much!!!!!!! Answer : The Morgan and Peace dollars you specified are from pretty common dates. In circulated condition, they will be worth $5 to $8 each. If uncirculated, they will be worth $10 to $20 each. QAId : 5152668 Subject : How can you evaluate a collector? Question : How can you evaluate a coin or banknote colletor as beginner, intermediate or professional in the term of the number of pieces he/she has? or at least what is the average number of bills/coins an intermediate collector has? Which is more commonly preferable, an uncirculated bill or a circulated one? Answer : There is no absolutely correct answer to your question. You cannot gauge the level of a collector simply by the number of pieces in their collection. With enough money, you can buy complete sets of coins or currency, without having any knowledge whatsoever about what you have. The gauge of a collector's level is more accurately defined by the knowledge they possess, not the items they possess. A beginning collector is one who is just starting to acquire knowledge about whatever they collect. An expert will have enough knowledge to be able to answer most questions -- even obscure ones -- and be able to help those less experienced to gain knowledge. An intermediate collector will have a working knowledge of their collection, will know most of the facts and history about their collection, and will have the ability to find answers to questions about their collection. While it is true that most beginning collectors will have a smaller number of pieces in their collection, it is not unusual for an expert to have only a few pieces in their collection also. But those few pieces will hold noteworthy significance in relation to the type of collection, minting process, time in history, pedigree of the item, specific historical place or event, or any number of other relevent factors. So, you can see that it is not valid to say that (for example) you are a Walking Liberty Half Dollar expert, just because you own a complete set. There is no "average" number of items in a beginner/intermediate/expert collection. It's all relative to what's being collected, the amount of money (and time) spent, and what the collector considers to be required for their collection. In relation to circulated vs. uncirculated, while the uncirculated item will be more valuable, and many collectors strive to compile uncirculated collections, there are also a significant number of collectors that prefer their collection to contain circulated items, because they portray a more realistic view of what the coin or bill was to the people of its time. They are also more readily obtainable, and more affordable. Lastly, no two people are alike. Different collectors collect different things.. Just because someone is collecting Lincoln cents, that doesn't mean they collect ONLY Lincoln cents. More likely, they also collect something else -- be it another denomination of coin, paper money, stamps, ball cards, or even beanie babies -- whatever. They may be a beginning coin collector (for now), but they could also be an expert stamp collector (in their desired area of stamps). QAId : 5152717 Subject : silver dollars Question : what is the approx. value of a 1922 silver dollar? Answer : Speaking from a dealer's point of view, if you walked up to me at a coin show, offering your CIRCULATED 1922 Peace Dollar for sale (regardless of mint mark), my offer would be $5.00 If the coin is damaged -- $3.00 If the coin is UNCIRCULATED, and again regardless of mint mark, it would have to be highly lustrous, almost mark-free, and very eye-appealing for me to even consider offering any more than about $10.00 1922 is just too common of a date. As a dealer, if I buy that coin from you, just how long am I going to be sitting with it in my inventory (along with the pile of other 1922 Peace Dollars) before I am able to sell it? Even if I'm able to get $20 for it, five years down the road, is it worth it to me? How many other ways could I have spent my capital to gain a bigger return? To a dealer, this is a business, required to make a profit. This may seem harsh, but it is reality. Common coins will always be common coins, therefore having a slower turnover, and thus a smaller investment potential. QAId : 5152796 Subject : coins Question : what is the approx. value of a 1857 half dime? Answer : 1857 is a relatively common date for half-dimes, but without knowing the actual grade and condition of the coin, it is impossible to assign a value to it -- it could be anywhere from a couple of dollars to hundreds of dollars. I recommend you visit an active marketplace for rare coins -- a coin show is one place, eBay is another. You can take your coin to a local coin show, have it appraised by a few dealers, and you will know what you can sell it for. You may be able to find a local show by following the links on my show schedule page : eBay (http://www.ebay.com) is another alternative. Thousands of coins are sold there every day and you can visit from home. Go to the half-dimes section of the U.S. coins area and do a search for 1857. Then click on the link to view the completed auctions. Click Here Once there, look for the auctions that had bidders and have a picture. Find a picture that closely matches your coin. You should be able to then have an idea what a similar coin recently sold for. QAId : 5152918 Subject : numismatics Question : I recently inherited many morgan silver dollars and other coins. Because I do not have any desire to collect these, I would like to sell them. How do I get the true value from these without getting cheated? I have bought a coin book with a black cover but have been told that these prices are unrealistic. Is this true?. Answer : Speaking as a coin dealer -- and knowing that different dealers have different pricing policies and will have varying interest in your coins -- I recommend you take your coins to a local coin show. There you will find a number of different dealers in one location, and the pricing will be more competative. Depending on how large your collection is, you may need to seperate it into workable chunks (100 or less coins), because a dealer cannot spend hours & hours appraising your collection at a show -- especially if he is doing it for free. If you keep it down to a manageable-sized chunk, you will be able to get a few different free appraisals from the dealers at the show. If you have a large collection, you may be able to bring a good sample of what you have to a show, get a few appraisals, and select the dealer you feel most comfortable with to appraise your entire collection. A private appraisal will probably not be free. Usually, an hourly rate will be charged. But that appraisal fee will usually be waived if you accept the dealer's offer for your collection. To start you off, you may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my show schedule page : QAId : 5185478 Subject : Coins & Art Question : How can coins, or the act of collecting them, exhibit art in any way, shape, or form? (I am primarily referring to United States coins ranging from the mid-19th century to the present.) Answer : There are several ways that coins and collecting coins can be considered art. First, there is the beauty of the intricate designs found on many coins -- especially those that are still in uncirculated condition. Take for example, the flowing design of Miss Liberty on the Walking Liberty half dollar and the fine detail of the eagle on the reverse. Or how about the Saint-Gaudens $20 gold piece? Or the Winged Liberty design on a Mercury Dime? Or even a Peace Dollar? All these coins, and others, exhibit a great deal of artistic beauty (in my opinion) in their designs. Second, especially with uncirculated silver coins, the oxidation of the metal in coins (called toning) can produce breathtakingly beautiful colors that can transform even the most boring of coin design into a beautiful work of art -- created by nature, no less. Also, with the many different ways to collect and display coins, there are numerous methods for creating art. You can collect a series or type set, showing all the different designs available. You can collect a specific coin type in varying grades, showing different amounts of wear, providing an artistic insight into how the coins wore down as they were circulated. Other possibilities include collecting by die state to show the degradation in quality of minting as the dies wear, collecting different strike qualities (strong, normal, weak), collecting varieties, and collecting any of the multitudes of types of errors. This only scratches the surface. There are untold numbers of other ways to consider the artistry of coins -- comemmoratives, proofs, patterns, hobo nickels, so-called dollars, love tokens, wooden nickels, and a vast number of other kinds of tokens -- to mention just a few. So you can see, coins & coin collecting can be considered to be one of the most artistic of hobbies you can indulge in. QAId : 5245643 Subject : web site Question : Is there a good web site with information on coin collecting in general? - not just US coins to tell the truth, I know absolutely nothing about it all, but hey, I'm always up for a new hobby and, of course, any info on the subject anyone would like to add in response would be appreciated. thanks, you all have a good one! CJK Answer : I would recommend the Internet Encyclopedia of United States Coins : http://www.coinfacts.com/ While their emphasis is on U.S. coins, they have a lot of good information about coin collecting in general. You can find a lot of information at The Coin Library : http://www.coinlibrary.com/ You could also try the Coin World Online Edition : http://www.coinworld.com Coin Today provides daily online news about coin collecting : http://www.cointoday.com/ There is also the Celator website for info about ancient coins : http://www.celator.com/cws/index.html Dan Drew provides a lot of interesting information on his website : http://128.192.145.172/dan3.html And, of course, there's always my website :) QAId : 5261722 Subject : US Mint Medals Question : I'm looking for a source of medals minted by the US mint. Someone other than the US mint. Is there such a source. Answer : I would recommend Rich Hartzog. He has a website at : http://www.exonumia.com/ If he doesn't have what you want, he should be able to point you to someone who does. QAId : 5270987 Subject : booker t. washington-- half dollar 1945 Question : Have you ever heard of such. How can I find out more about it and its value. Answer : The Booker T. Washington Memorial Commemorative Half is actually one of the more common of the older commemorative halves. They were minted from 1946 to 1951 at all three mints -- Philadelphia, Denver & San Francisco. The highest mintages, in order, are : 1946, 1950-S, 1951, 1946-S, 1946-D, and 1947 P,D,S The rest of the date/mints have under 10,000 mintages, and are relatively scarce. This commemorative coin was issued to perpetuate the ideals and teachings of Booker T. Washington, and to construct memorials to his memory. The obverse shows his portrait. The reverse has the legend FROM SLAVE CABIN TO HALL OF FAME. His log cabin birthplace is shown beneath. It was designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway, as was the Washington-Carver half dollar issued under the same authority. To get back to your specific question, if you have one dated 1945, I can say with 99.9% surety that it has been altered. Inspect the date with a magnifier of at least 20 power magnification, looking for little tool marks within the digits or the addition of the 5 digit from another coin. If you cannot find any evidence, then I would suggest you submit the coin to ANACS for authentification -- see http://www.anacs.com for details. For values, if you have one of the common dates, then if circulated, it will be worth $5-$7. If uncirculated, it will most likely be worth $10-$15. There is not a very high demand for these coins, so even the rarer dates do not command a large premium. QAId : 5330892 Subject : Price of quarter standing liberty 1920 etc. Question : price of standing liberty quarter 1920 1923 1929 1930 1930s 1929s Answer from FAQ : 5314475 Value of a Penny I have 3/31/2001 I assume you are looking for values for coins that you have. If I am mistaken, please let me know. QAId : 5344124 Subject : old nickel Question : I found an old 1911 nickel and it's not in bad condition. I can read everything on it. Could it be worth anything? Answer : Your 1911 Liberty Nickel -- also known as a "V" nickel -- is a relatively common date. A well-worn coin will be worth 50-75 cents. If you can make out all the letters in LIBERTY on Miss Liberty's headband, it will be worth $2-$4 If LIBERTY is strong, and no flat spots are visible with the hair detail, you coin will be worth $15-$25 If your coin has no wear at all (uncirculated), it will be worth $40-$70 or more. QAId : 5345176 Subject : 1943 silver penny Question : I have a 1943 silver penny. Can you tell me what it's worth? My e-mail address is zzzzzzzzzzz@aol.com Answer : In reality, your 1943 cent is made of steel, coated with zinc -- not silver. It just has a silvery color. They were minted out of steel to save the copper for the war effort. 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 (worn) condition, one would cost you about a quarter. However, if there is significant discoloration, 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 shiny like they are brand new, but an expert can tell the difference. They will only have the same value as a circulated coin. QAId : 5349092 Subject : coins I have Question : I have several silver dollars one form 1899. 4 from 1922. Could you tell me the value on these things? Answer : The 1922 Peace Dollars are very common. Unless they look like they are brand new, they will be worth about $5 each. The 1899 is better, but it will depend on the condition of the coin (remaining details) and if it has a mint mark. The mint mark will be on the reverse, above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR. It could be "O" (New Orleans), "S" (San Francisco), or no mint mark (Philadelphia). For 1899, the rarest is the no mint mark until you get to the better condition coins -- then it is the "S" mint mark. Values : If most of the details are worn away, then the value will be less then $10 If most of the hairlines above Miss Liberty's forhead still remain, and all the feathers in the eagle's wings are well-defined, then an O-mint will be worth $11; S-mint $25; no-mint $40 If all the original details are still visible -- no flat spots in Miss Liberty's hair, all dots visible in two cotton bolls, all feathers fully defined on eagle's breast, and no flat spots on eagle's claws -- then an O-mint will be worth $20-$25; S-mint $170-$200; no-mint $70-90 QAId : 5361838 Subject : new quarters Question : are there any new quarters that have a flaw that would make them more valuble? Answer : In short, the answer is yes. Collectiing errors and varieties of the new quarters has become very popular. There are many things collectors look for, such as unfinished planchets, unstamped planchets, off-centers, double-strikes, peeled planchets, missing letters (and other details), brockages, out-of-collar stamps, laminations, foreign objects on die, and a whole ton of other errors. Just take a look at them selling on eBay (www.ebay.com). Go to the U.S. Coins category, then into the errors section, then search for quarter. You can also search the completed items, to se what prices the error coins have sold for. It's a hot market! QAId : 5367190 Subject : Morgan Dollars & ACG Question : I have 2 old Morgan Dollars (1891 & 1900). I am interested in finding out their value. In addition, I keep seeing ACG rated, but have no idea what this is, or how I go about having my coins rated. Honestly, the 1891 looks quite worn. Thie 1900 is not too bad. Is it worth attempting to sell these, or do they only have centimental value? In addition, I have a 1925 Peace dollar in pretty good shape. These have all been in circulation. Any ideas as to where I should go from here? Need More Information : For me to accurately appraise your coins, I will need to know if they have a mint mark. On the Morgan Dollars, look on the reverse, above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR. There could be an "O", "S", "CC", or nothing there. On the Peacec Dollar, look under the word ONE and above the eagle's tail feathers. There could be a "D", "S", or nothing there. Let me know what you find, and I will be happy to give you an appraisal. FUQuestion : Both Morgan Dollars have an "O" mint mark. The Peace Dollar has none. Thanks for your help in this matter. I look forward to hearing from you again. David Answer : Hi David, Here's what I can tell you : The 1891-O, well-worn, will be worth about $6-$7 The 1900-O, in a medium circulated grade, say VF to XF, will be worth about $10-$12. But take a close look with a strong magnifier at the "O" mint mark. If you can see evidence of part of a "CC" mint mark, kind of underneath or on either side of the "O", you have what is known as an "O over CC" mint mark, and the coin will be worth about twice as much. The 1925 Peace Dollar is very common, and will be worth $5-$6 These are the prices you could expect to receive from a coin dealer. You may be able to get 10%-20% more if you sell them yourself on ebay. It's up to you what you want to do with them. As far as ACG, they are a coin grading service, and in the opinion of many, they are the worst coin grading service. They are notorious for over-grading their coins, artificially inflating their values, thus causing major disappointment when the time comes to re-sell the coins. It's been my practice to avoid ACG coins as much as possible. There are several other grading services. The most popular and respected is PCGS. Next would be NGC. After that would be ANACS, PCI, or SEGS. You can visit the websites of these companies by following the links on this page : http://www10.ewebcity.com/monroecoinclub/Links.htm QAId : 5372564 Subject : silver dollors Question : can u still get large silver dollors thru your local bank or have they all been recalled Answer : The large silver dollars were never recalled, they've just stopped being circulated. Therefore, it's pretty difficult to find any, other than at a coin show. You can usually find them there, in circulated condition, for $1.25 to $1.50 each, depending on how many you buy at once. As far as finding them at a bank, all I can say is good luck -- you'll need it. Since the coins don't circulate, it is very rare that you'll find any at a bank. They do come in, once in a great while, usually from some little old lady that cleaned out a drawer -- or something like that. To have any success at getting them from a bank, assuming someone hasn't already done so, you'll need to get in good with the tellers -- ask them to save them for you. Then keep checking back every month or so to see if any have turned up. You may not be the only person trying to do this, though. p.s. if you are looking to get a quantity of them, try checking the links on my coin show schedule page to see if you can find a local coin show : QAId : 5382752 Subject : 1912 coins Question : i have a 1912 nickel with 13 stars around stars around a lady's face on the back theres a v on it i wanted to know if it was worth anything Answer : You have what's known as a Liberty Nickel -- or "V" Nickel. They were minted from 1883 to 1912. Other than the early low-mintage dates, and the extremely rare 1913, the only other significantly valuable date is the 1912 -- but only if it has an "S" mint mark on the back. If you look at the back of the coin, between the words CENTS and UNITED, you will see a raised circle. Between the circle and the rim, you MAY find a small letter. It will either be an "S", a "D", or there will be nothing there. If you find the "S", that is the rare one. In a well-worn condition, they will be worth $30-$40 each. If you can make out all the letters in LIBERTY on Miss Liberty's headband, it will be worth about $70. If all the letters in LIBERTY are strong, and you can see almost all the detail in her hair and in the wreath on the back, then it will be worth $400-$550. In uncirculated condition -- no wear at all -- they are worth $700-$1000 or more, depending on things like marks, spots, luster, and strike. If you find a "D" mint mark, then well-worn is worth about $1, visible LIBERTY is worth $3, strong LIBERTY & details is worth $35-$80, and uncirculated is worth $160-$300 If there is no mint mark, then well-worn is worth about 75˘, visible LIBERTY is worth $2, strong LIBERTY & details is worth $15-$30, and uncirculated is worth $40-$125 QAId : 5391145 Subject : Dad's coin inventory Question : My father recently passed away and he was coin collector for over 30 years. His interests were primarily in proof sets(1975-2000), uncirculated sets(1975-2000), morgan dollars (pre-21) and American Eagle Proof silver dollars ('90-99). I've browsed auction sites in order to assess the value of the coins but found it vary time consuming and tedious. I recently visited two coin dealers whom both appraised the coins at approximately $5,300 to $5,500, 20% below what is sold on auction sites. Do you have any recommmendations as to how I should sell the coin? (auction or dealers). Email me at zzzzzzzzzzzz@yahoo.com Answer : The proof sets, mint sets, and proof silver eagles are fairly common commodities in the coin collecting world. The prices you will get for them are pretty standard. The Morgan dollars will vary widely, depending on date, mint mark, and condition. Common, circulated dates will only be worth $6-$8 each from a coin dealer. If you don't already have one, you should get yourself a copy of the current Greysheet. It is the wholesale guide for coin dealers. You can request a free copy by going to www.greysheet.com Everything you listed will have values given for them on the greysheet. For the sets and the eagles, take the BID price that you see, and subtract 10% -- this is how much you can expect a coin dealer to give you for them. If what the coin dealers offered you is close to what you calculate, then I would just sell them to the dealer. For the Morgan Dollars, it's a bit more difficult, because you have to be able to accurately grade the coins to find the proper column for the price on the greysheet. For some dates, this can make a BIG difference, from one column to the next. The best place to go to sell your Morgan Dollars would be a coin show. With multiple dealers in one location, the competition is greater -- and so will be the prices. You can also get an appraisal from one dealer, then walk 10 feet and get an appraisal from another dealer, and so on. You may find that a certain dealer has more interest in some of your coins, and offers a significantly higher price. You can also take your sets and eagles to the show, but don't expect much variation in the prices you are offered for them. I don't know where you live, but you may be able to find a listing for a local coin show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : Now, as far as auction sites, you have to weigh the variables. While you will probably get higher prices for most of your coins, auctions are unpredictable. Some of your coins will sell for significantly less than what they are worth, or not sell at all. Also, you have to factor in the amount of time it is going to take you to list the items, take pictures of all the Morgan Dollars (front & back), monitor your auctions, email all auction winners, pack & ship everything, deal with non-paying high bidders, handle returns, hassle with bounced checks and lost shipments, post feedback, and all the other joys of auctioning coins online. If you have the time, go for it. You could be pleasantly surprised by an incredibly high bid on something. If you don't have the time, or the inclination, then sell your coins to a dealer and be done with it. QAId : 5391190 Subject : Dad's inventory (part 2) Question : Regarding my previous email, are there any coins I should be looking for that a dealer may not disclose to me as being of higher value. Again, my dad collected pre-21 Morgans, proof sets, American Eagle proofs, commemorative coins, mercury dimes (over 1000), franklin halves, jefferson nickels (full books), various coins packaged by Littleton. Regarding coins packaged by Littleton, the clear packages have prices on them. Do these prices represent the true value of the coins? I was told that these individually packaged coins are relatively worthless and used solely as a marketing tool for Littleton. Answer : If you get the free copy of the greysheet, it should include a Monthly Summary. In this you will find values for the lower denomination coins. You will still need to be able to grade your coins to find the right column for pricing, but you can tell whether you have a common date or a rare date. Don't forget to check for mint marks! For example, a 1916 Mercury Dime is pretty common, but a 1916 with a "D" mint mark is THE rarest one -- worth hundreds of dollars! You can buy a basic guide to U.S. coins here : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582380643/theworkimansrare It will give you the information you need to find mint marks and grade your coins. It also has a retail price guide, but the prices are on the high side of retail -- not what you could expect from a dealer. But still, it will give you an idea of whether you have a rare date or not. It is true that the coins from Littleton are basicly overpriced marketing tools. Their niche in the market is to place ads for common coins at a cheap price, then get you hooked into their coins-on-approval service. They target the novice collector or non-collector, who don't really know any better. Most people, who gain a little knowledge about collectiing, soon realize the Littleton coins are way overpriced, and drop their service. But they do get a lot of new collectors into the hobby. So you can pretty much forget any prices printed on the Littleton packages. However, if they list a grade on the package, that is generally pretty accurate. QAId : 5393289 Subject : rarepenny Question : i have a 1943 penny that i hear may be rare because they only made about 100 of these, is this so and if so, what is it's worth and i would like to sell it. thanks Answer from FAQ : 3032733 1943 Penny 9/13/2000 If you have one of the rare 1943 COPPER cents, you need to have it appraised first-hand by an expert, and certified as genuine. Find a local coin show, take it there, and show it to several dealers. You may be able to find a show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 5394921 Subject : Silver Dollars Question : My husband and I have a collection on silver dollars: Mint condition from I think 1916 to present. I think they are called silver eagle coins. Could you please possibility give me a value on the whole collection. Answer : If I am reading your question correctly, you're telling me you have a collection of U.S. Silver Eagle dollars in uncirculated condition, from 1986 to 2001. If this is true, then your collection is currently worth about $110 If instead you have U.S. Silver Eagle dollars in proof condition, from 1986 to 2000, then they will be worth about $600 If you have something other than this, I will need more information from you, like dates, mint marks, and grades. FYI, you can see a picture of a silver eagle dollar to compare with here : QAId : 5400015 Subject : coins and their value Question : I have a dilema having to do with (real) silver coins that my father (who recently passed away) saved for years and years. The coins are at his house on the East Coast. I live on the West Coast, but will be spending about 3 weeks this summer to clean out and sell the house, and at that time will have to "cash in" the coins. I was there recently, and for the first time saw the boxes and boxes of coins - dimes, nickles, quarters, half dollars and dollars. They were stored in sacks and boxes (in otherwords he did not take care of them, just stashed them away). I do not want my elderly mother to get "ripped off", so I need to know how - between now and July - I can prepare myself to speak somewhat knowledgebly about these coins and their value. How is this usually done - especially when there are SO many?! Do the coin dealers look at them one at a time and determine their value (it would take a huge amount of time to go through all of them) - and even if they did, how would I know whether they are being ethical with me? Should I somehow clean them off, or polish them to make them more presentable? If so, what kind of cleaner should I use? There is no way that I can ship, or carry these coins on the plane with me, so any ideas that you have about how to deal with this in the most efficient manner would be very much appreciated. - Oh, and I do rate ALL answers! Thank you very much. Answer from FAQ : 3043792 coins 9/13/2000 With your limited time frame, I would suggest you sort out the common stuff and schedule 2-3 appraisals from different coin dealers for the rarer stuff. Information about how to sort out the common stuff can be found in my (below) FAQ. However, generally speaking, anything minted after 1932, in circulated condition, is going to be common -- with few exceptions. QAId : 5430035 Subject : identify this coin Question : an elderly friend showed me a coin recently which i'd never seen. he has inherited 100 of these still in plastic sleeves. they are marked with "Universaro" on both sides. minted in 1972. each is one troy ounce of .999 fine silver. on the front is a weight scale with 5 (unidentified male faces/heads)grouped beneath the scale. the back has "world trade" printed on either side of a sphere with a + centered in it, overlapping images of the earth beneath. the front has three branches spreading from the bottom center. the back has a single branch edging each side but encircling the whole back side of the coin. are these coins worth more than their weight? as a collector's item? please advise as soon as possible. thank you! diane Answer : In actuality, these are not really "coins" -- they're not spendable currency for any country -- they are silver rounds. These relatively common "World Trade Units" are only worth the silver they contain -- one ounce. Their value will vary with the price of silver -- currently about $4.50 FUQuestion : thanx for answering so quickly Dan! could you fill me in regarding the "history" of these particular World Trade Units. also, this same person has buckets of silver bars! what is the best way to go about collecting the monetary value for these coins and bars? thankx for your time. diane Answer : I don't know a whole lot of history about that particular silver round, but I do know that in the early-to-mid 1980's they (silver rounds) were minted like there was no tomorrow! Yours were probably minted in the 1982-1984 period. As for selling them, if you have the time, patience, ability, and either a scanner or digital camera, you might try taking pictures of some of the more interesting ones and selling them on eBay. There are silver bar collectors, and an interesting design may earn you $8-$10 or more, with a nice picture. You can expect to pay eBay at least 5% for listing fees. You can look through current listings at ebay for examples here : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/all/category3361/index.html For the rest, or if you just want to sell them all at once, I would suggest you find a local coin show, and take them there. That way you can get bids from several dealers in the same place, and take the highest bid. You may be able to find a local show by following the links on my Show Schedule Page : If you're not in any hurry to sell them, you may want to consider waiting for the price of silver to rebound. It's currently $4.36 per ounce -- which is quite low. For 100 rounds, if you wait for silver to get back to $5.00 per ounce, that's $64 more dollars in your pocket. QAId : 5436165 Subject : US coins Question : How can I locate Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver coins. Answer : These are relatively common commemorative half dollars, and are available at virtually any coin show. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : They will range in price from under $10 for a well-circulated coin, to about $40 for a real nice uncirculated coin. Also, most coin shops will have these coins too. Check your Yellow Pages for Coin Dealers. Lastly, these coins are always available on the online auction sites, like eBay and Yahoo. Try looking in the U.S. Coins / Commemorative categories. Or, if you prefer, I can pick them up from a show, and sell them to you. Just send me an email at Working.Man@usa.net and let me know. QAId : 5448045 Subject : 1978 Dime Question : I am trying to find out if I can get a coin appraised, and don't know where to look. The head of the coin is out of porportion, it is too big, and I am just trying to find out what the coin is worth. Answer : From your description, it's hard to tell exactly what kind of error coin you may have. To get a better idea of what you've got, I would recommend you spend a little time looking through the error coin listings at eBay -- you'd be surprised at what you can find there! Here's the address to go to : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/all/category524/index.html Most listings will have pictures that you can compare to your coin. Then, once you've found out what kind of error you have, you can search the completed listings to see how much they've been selling for. Your other alternative would be to take it to a local coin show and show it to a few dealers. They wiil give you a free appraisal there at the show. You may be able to find a local show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 5492285 Subject : 1964 copper nickel Question : I have a 1964 nickel that appears to be made of copper. The cion has no mint mark or anything unsual.Please reply with info. Answer : There are two possibilities to explain your coin : 1) it has been copper-plated by someone, after the coin left the mint. 2) There was an error in the minting procecss. If it is copper plated, it will have no added value. If it is an unfinished planchet (mint error) it will be worth about $5 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. 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/kids/index.cfm?FileContents=/kids/coinnews/preshow.cfm To determine if your coin is an unfinished planchet or just copper-plated, you should take it to a coin dealer and have it inspected. You can try a local coin shop, or better yet, a local coin show -- where there will be many dealers who can appraise it for you. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 5512488 Subject : 1995 $1 star notes Question : I have 25 1995 $1 star notes in consecutive order starting at # L 05110226 * thru # L05110250 *.All notes are UC mint quality.Could you please tell me the value of these notes?I also have a 1928-A $5.00 note *J* (Kansas) with a red seal on the LEFT side.It is signed by Woods & ?????(ight start with W or V. Answer : Based on recent sales of similar items at eBay (which is a good indicator of current market prices), your 1995 star notes are worth $3 to $5 each. Click Here to see these results. The value of your 1928-A $5 Woods-Mills U.S. Note will vary on its condition and whether it is a star note. Non-star notes will be worth about $7 for a well-worn note, $30 for a very lightly circulated note, and $55 for a Choice Unc note. Star notes will be worth $25 well-worn and $100-$150 uncirculated. QAId : 5514871 Subject : double stamped 2000 coins Question : are double stamped 2000 coins worth anything Answer : The short answer is yes! Exactly how much they're worth will depend on the denomination and how exactly it was double struck. A coin that exhibits only a small restriking near the edge of the coin will be worth considerably less that one that shows the restriking thoughout most of the surface of the coin, or has flipped over in the press and shows an obverse restrike on the reverse (or vice-versa). You can see many examples of prices realized for double struck coins from recent eBay auctions HERE. QAId : 5535723 Subject : Morgan Dollar Question : I have a 1879 Morgan Dollar that has no letter above the D on the back; could you tell me more about this coin? Answer : A history of Morgan Dollars can be found here : /History/DolMorgH.htm 1879 is one of the more common dates for Morgan Dollars. In well-circulated (worn) condition it will be worth $6-$8. In lightly circulated condition (only slight wear) it will be worth $10-$12. In uncirculated condition (no wear and only a few light marks) it will be worth $25-$35. These are the prices you could expect, if you were to sell your coin to a coin dealer. More information about the 1879 can be found HERE. More information about Morgan Dollars in general can be found HERE. QAId : 5543530 Subject : rare coin Question : I have a coin dated 1965 Quarter Dollar and i want to know its worth. Have seen in a catalogue in New Jersey its value to be $5000 in 1985. I would like to know its current worth. Answer : I don't know what catalog you were lookiing at, but they are WAY off base. 1965 is a very common date for Washington Quarters -- they minted almost 2 billion of them! Therefore, as you would expect with something that there were so many made, it is not rare at all. The current Coin World Trends -- a widely used coin pricing guide -- lists the 1965 quarter in MS-65 (the highest grade listed -- uncirculated, with virtually no marks on the coin whatsoever) at $3.00 Like I said, I don't know where that catalog got their prices, but there is NO 1965 quarter that ever was or ever will (in the forseeable future) be worth anywhere near $5,000 QAId : 5553534 Subject : Maintaining Coin Quality Question : How do you keep coins from getting worn out (such as the letters on the coin wearing away to nothing)? Answer : The wearing away of coins is caused by the coins being in circulation -- rubbing against other coins, bouncing around in your pocket or a cash register change drawer or in a bank bag, being handled by people, and passing from one hand to another. They will also degrade if stored improperly -- like if they get buried, they will eventually corrode away to nothing, or in a region with a high sulfur content in the air or water, exposed coins quickly turn black as the metal on the coin's surface oxidizes (like a car rusts). To prevent this, you need to put the coin into a hard, air-tight container of the correct size. The hard container will protect the coin from the wear caused by the friction of handling -- it must be the correct size, so that the coin does not rattle around inside the holder, again causing wear. And being ait-tight will protect it from chemicals in the air -- like sulfur -- that will speed up the oxidation of the metal in the coin. Lastly, they need to be stored in a climate-controlled area. An old can in the basement, attic, or garage is one of the WORST ways to keep your coins -- the changes in temperature & humidity will cause condensation to form, which will again corrode your coins. You need to keep them somewhere that is warm & dry all year round -- in some room that is kept heated or cooled for human comfort all the time. These air-tight containers are available from most coin shops or coin shows. Make sure you get the right size for your specific coin. You can check your phone book for a coin shop, and you may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my show schedule page : QAId : 5556396 Subject : Is this a good deal? Question : Along with my credit card statement, I got a special offer to buy a 2001 American Eagle $5 gold coin. The price is $99.96 Is this a good deal? Answer : It's been my experience that these kind of ads selling coins are almost always bad deals. The marketer has to make up for the cost of the advertising (which can be enormous) and does so by charging an enormous price. Sure, there's lots of fancy sayings and quasi-facts -- pulling on your emotions or patriotic feelings -- but in the end, you are overpaying for something that is either extremely common or has virtually no resale value at all -- compared to what you pay. There is another ad floating around, on TV and in print, that touts the rarity and patriotic symbolicy of the Morgan Dollars that this (unnamed) company is selling -- at a whopping $30 apiece for coins that grade anywhere from "Brilliant Uncirculated to Fine". With their ambiguous wording, how many do you think will grade BU? In the ad, they quote certain facts that make you think that you are getting something that will soon be unavailable -- "... one of the last mint bags ..." -- when in fact there are so many millions of Morgan Dollars available from so many different sources, that this borders on fraud. But to the new collector or non-collector, they don't know any better, so they believe it. You also have to watch out for the fine print. There are a number of ads being marketed that offer a nice coin (like a silver eagle) or set of coins (like a Walking Liberty Half and a Mercury Dime) at what seems like an extremely low price. But the catch is that by ordering them, you agree to join an on-approval program -- where the company will send you a package of coins (monthly or so), and you are supposed to look through them and buy what you want -- of course, at extremely high prices -- and send back the rest. This hooks a lot of people -- at least for awhile -- into buying these on-approval packages, and makes the seller tons of money on common coins. If this is something you want to get into, fine. But compare the prices for the on-approval coins with identical coins at a coin show -- you will not be pleased. Lastly, there's the shop-at-home TV coin selling shows. In short, STAY AWAY! They charge the highest prices for their coins than anybody else. I have watched many of these shows, comparing prices, and on average the amount they charge is THREE TIMES the amount you would pay at any coin show for the identical item. Put away your credit card, avoid the temptation, go to a coin show! QAId : 5572324 Subject : COIN APPRAISAL Question : I HAVE A PENDANT THAT IS VERY OLD, IT HAS A (1927) SILVER DOLLAR INCASED IN IT. HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH? JUST ESTIMATE.... Answer : Even though 1927 is a little bit better date for Peace Dollars, the fact that it has been encased in a jewelry piece, and probably worn for a significant length of time, means the coin is going to have problems. If the coin was polished before (or after) it was put into the pendant, evidence of that will show on the coin as tiny hairlines across the surface of the coin, best seen under magnification. Wearing the pendant, over time, will also have the same effect of polishing the coin, again giving it the hairlines, and possible nicks. And depending on how the pendant is constructed, it will most likely either : 1) inpress a ring mark aroung the outer edge of the coin's surface 2) leave indentations in the coin where the supports for the pendant are, or 3) leave some kind of residue (like glue or solder) on the back side of the coin (and possibly into the surface of the coin), where it is attached to the pendant In any of the above cases, these problems will cause the coin to no longer be considered a collector coin, and move it into the area of a bulk item. As such, it's value drops to that of a circulated, common-date Peace dollar. Depending on how bad the coin is, once removed from the pendant, it will be worth $3-$5 at current prices. The only exception is if the coin still has almost all of it's original details and very minor damage -- the net grading from being a jewelry piece will knock it down a couple grades, but it still may grade high enough to command a premium. Being that it currently is a jewelry piece, and assuming the pendant looks nice, you may get more for it by leaving it in the pendant. QAId : 5575737 Subject : BICENNTENIAL QUARTERS Question : I HAVE A ROLL OF BI-CENNTENIAL QUARTERS-NEVER OPENED...HOW MUCH ARE THEY WORTH? Answer : An original, uncirculated roll of Bicentennial Quarters has a retail value of about $20. Individual uncirculated coins sell for about $1 each. Circulated coins have no significant premium, although I occasionally am able to sell one for 50 cents, in a holder. They minted the Bicentennial Quarters for two years -- 1975 and 1976 -- so they made alot of them -- almost a billion from each of the Philadelphia and Denver mints. Therefore, they are not rare. The recent interest in the State Quarters Program has, however, increased the wholesale price for uncirculated rolls from $11 to $14 in the past year or so. QAId : 5583381 Subject : coin appraisel Question : what is the value of a 1858 one cent piece in excellent condition? Answer : There are two varieties for the 1858 Flying Eagle Cent -- Large Letters and Small Letters. You need to distinguish which variety you have. On the Large Letters variety, the bases of the letters "AM" in AMERICA will be joined. On the Small Letters variety, the bases of the letters "AM" in AMERICA will be separated. Values for the different varieties do not vary significantly, until you get to the higher uncirculated grades. Based on the coin's condition, and assuming it has no problems (like corrosion, rim dings, nicks or cuts, etc.), it will have the following values (to your average coin dealer) : Grade Good : $11 Details worn but readable, and rim complete on both sides. Grade Very Good : $12 Outline of feathers in right wing ends show, but some are smooth. Eye shows clearly. Grade Fine : $15 Some details show at breast, head, and tail. Outlines of feathers in right wing show with no ends missing. Grade Very Fine : $23 Breast is mostly worn flat. Feathers in wings will show more than half of details. Head worn but bold. Feathers in tail complete. Grade Extra Fine : $70 Feathers in wings and tail are plain. Wear shows on breast, wing tips, head & thigh. Grade About Uncirculated : $120 Traces of wear show only on the highest points -- breast, left wing tip, and head -- some mint luster will show. Uncirculated Grades : There will be NO wear on the coin. MS-60 : $180 Will show numerous marks, scuffs, or spots. MS-63 : $400 Will have a few noticeable marks. Eye appeal. MS-65 : $2,500 No easily noticeable marks. Strong strike. Lots of eye appeal. QAId : 5583409 Subject : California Gold Coin Question : I have a coin that on one side says it was minted in 1858, on the other it says California Gold 1/2 and has some kind of animal walking. Is this coin valuable? Answer : Your California Gold coin COULD be valuable (worth hundreds of dollars), however, with so many copies and counterfeits in existance, the odds say yours is not real. The only way to accurately tell whether you have an authentic coin or not, is to take it to a coin show and have an expert authenticate it first-hand. Assuming it IS real, you may then wish to send it in to a grading service to have it certified. They will encapsulate and grade the coin, helping to preserve it and making it much easier to sell later on. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my Show Scedule Page : The certification services also list the shows they will be at, giving free appraisals and taking submissions. Check out the list of websites on the links page here : http://www10.ewebcity.com/monroecoinclub/ QAId : 5593861 Subject : Penny Question : My brother-in-law has what appears to be a "silver" or "nickel" penny 1994 D. Do you have any information on any mint errors of this type? How can I check on this? Answer : There are two possibilities to explain your coin : 1) it has been replated by someone, after the coin left the mint. 2) There was an error in the minting procecss. If it is replated, it will have no added value. If it is an unfinished planchet (mint error) it will be worth about $1-$2 In the minting process, the blank planchets that coins are minted from are cut from long sheets of metal. These sheets are made of zinc. One step in the process is to plate the sheets with the copper 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 missing 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. For an illustrated explanation of the minting process, you can go to the U.S. Mint's website : http://www.usmint.gov/kids/index.cfm?FileContents=/kids/coinnews/preshow.cfm To determine if your coin is an unfinished planchet or just replated, you should take it to a coin dealer and have it inspected. You can try a local coin shop, or better yet, a local coin show -- where there will be many dealers who can appraise it for you. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 5601466 Subject : NEW QUARTERS Question : THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWER ABOUT TNE BI-CENNTENIAL QUARTERS! NOW......I AM HAVING A VERY TOUGH TIME FINDING NEW ROLLS OF THE NEW STATE QUARTERS--BOTH MINTS! WHERE CAN I BUY THEM? FROM YOU? THANKS....ED Answer : I don't usually keep rolls of the older states in stock -- just singles. I do usually have the most current state, and diminishing numbers of rolls of preceding states. That's generally how the demand goes. If you need to catch up from the beginning, I recommend trying this eBay auction : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1234494587 The price is a little high, but it gets you caught up immediately. Or, if you want, I can work with you to put together whatever rolls you need, perhaps in smaller quantities of rolls, so the price doesn't hurt so much at once. Send me an email directly, at Working.Man@usa.net with a list of what you need, and we'll see what we can put together. QAId : 5601609 Subject : gold nickels Question : i came across two nickels that look like theyve are gold or gold plated they are dated 1998 and are both from denver i was wondering if they were worth anything could you answer this question online without seeing the coins? i would really appreciate an answer about them most of the coin dealers around here arent very straight so i thought perhaps you might be of more help :-) thank you, alicia m. fox Answer : Most likely they are gold-plated, by a private individual or company, after they left the mint. Being such, they have no collector value. They may have a novelty value of up to $1 Another possibility is that they have toned -- that is, the metal on the surface has oxidized and changed color. To some collectors, this adds value, but the value of a 1998-D nickel is negligible. You could take them to a coin show, to see if the dealers there can tell exactly what you have. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 5601614 Subject : odd 2001 New York Quarter Question : I have a 2001 New york quarter that is nickel on the back and copper on the front. the face is stamped into the copper. Is this worth something? Thanks 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 for older unfinished planchet quarters has been in the $5-$10 range. However, the new state quarters have been hot -- selling for $50-$100 each! I don't know how long this will last -- just six months ago these quarters were not demanding anywhere near these prices -- so it might be a good idea to get a nice picture of both sides of your coin, and put it up for auction on eBay. See how much you can get! 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/kids/index.cfm?FileContents=/kids/coinnews/preshow.cfm QAId : 5602601 Subject : newly minted state quarters Question : How many newly minted state quarters have been minted so far and what are they? Answer : You can see all the state quarters released so far, with pictures, and a schedule of when the remaining quarters will be released, by visiting my web page about the new quarters : /NewMoney/NewQuarters.htm You can also find out more information about the 50 States Quarter Program from the U.S. Mint's website here : http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/index.cfm?action=50_state_quarters_program QAId : 5618182 Subject : silver dime Question : i have a 1906 liberty head dime what is it's estimated value? thank you. Answer : Along with the date, the value of your Liberty Head (or Barber) dime will depend on which Mint it came from and what condition it's in. Most dimes minted after 1900, including your 1906, are relatively common -- with the exception of some S-mints and a few better-grade O-mints. So, the first thing you need to do is find out which mint your coin came from. When you look at the back of the coin, near the bottom, you will see a bow. Beneath this bow, you may find a small letter. It will either be a "D" (Denver Mint), an "O" (New Orleans Mint), an "S" (San Francisco Mint), or there will be nothing there (Philadelphia Mint). Next you need to determine the grade of your coin : AG (About Good) : Rims are worn flat, merging with the details of the design near the rim. G (Good) : Rims are complete on both sides, but details of coin are worn flat. VG (Very Good) : Most details are worn away, 3 letters in LIBERTY are clear. F (Fine) : Some details show in hair, cap, and face. All letters in LIBERTY are weak but visible. Upper row of leaves is outlined. VF (Very Fine) : Over half the details in leaves will show, LIBERTY is complete. XF (Extra Fine) : Only light wear shows on leaves, cheek, cap, and hair above forehead. LIBERTY is sharp and band edges are bold. AU (About Uncirculated) : Only slight traces of wear will show on the highest points of features. MS-60 (Uncirculated) : NO traces of wear, but with significant blemishes or spots. May be dull and lacking luster. MS-63 (Choice Uncirculated) : NO wear, attractive luster, but noticeable marks. MS-65 (Gem Uncirculated) : No wear, full luster, a few barely noticeable marks. If your coin has been cleaned, or has significant damage or corrosion, you will need to drop down AT LEAST two grades to arrive at a realistic market grade for your coin. Now that you know the date, mint, and grade, you can now determine the value. Your 1906 dime will have the following values (to the average coin dealer) : GRADE ___P___ ____D___ ___O___ ___S___ AG... ..$0.30 ...$0.50 ..$0.50 ..$0.30 G.... ..$1.00 ...$1.25 ..$2.00 ..$1.00 VG... ..$1.00 ...$1.50 ..$5.00 ..$3.00 F.... ..$2.00 ...$3.50 .$27.00 ..$6.00 VF... ..$3.50 ...$7.50 .$40.00 .$10.00 XF... .$12.00 ..$18.00 .$55.00 .$25.00 AU... .$40.00 ..$50.00 .$85.00 .$60.00 MS-60 .$65.00 .$110.00 $130.00 $160.00 MS-63 $100.00 .$240.00 $200.00 $320.00 MS-65 $425.00 $1200.00 $900.00 $900.00 There are a couple retail price guides for Barber Dimes here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/bardim/frame.html http://pcgs.com/prices/frame.chtml?type=date&filename=barber_dime http://www.collectorusa.com/price_guide/barber101.shtml Through comparison of the above prices to the retail prices for 1906 dimes listed in the (above referenced) retail price guides, you can extrapolate approximate prices for other dates. QAId : 5622455 Subject : Finding the Worth of Coins Question : We've recently received from a family member, several coins, many are Proof sets in plastic and some are loose coins sealed in celephane. Can anyone give me some leads on where, online I can find lists that proveide the approximate value of these sets and loose coins? Thanks so much! Answer : To see how much your proof sets have actually been selling for on eBay, go here : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/all/category3359/index.html Then put in the date of your set in the Search box, and click on the Search button. Then click on the link to Search Completed Items. This will bring up a list of the prices realized for proof sets for that year over the last month. This will give you a good idea of what you can expect to get, if you sell your sets on eBay. Don't forget, though, that ebay charges fees to sell items there, so you have to figure that in. If you don't want to deal with eBay, another alternative is to go to the website for the company that publishes the wholesale price guides coin dealers use. You can request a free copy of the price lists, and see the current going rates that dealers pay. Keep in mind that a dealer needs to make a profit, so when viewing the price guides, subtract 10%-20% from the BID price to arrive at the actual price that most dealers will pay. Go here : http://www.greysheet.com/web_order/sample_form.asp QAId : 5629603 Subject : coins Question : I am living in Southern China. Sometimes I make it down to Hong Kong, where there are alot of U.S. silver dollars at the night market, but I don't know which ones are worth any thing or how to find out what they are worth. How safe is it to invest in them. I recently bought eight of them for about a $1.50 U.S. So the risk aren't much but I need another piece of worhtless junk to carry back home like I need another hole in my head. Some of the coins I have collected are 2--- 1922 Peace coins, an 1840 silver dollar with a sitting statue of liberty, an 1846 sitting statue of liberty, a 1908 silver dollar with a standing woman in a flowing gown and a sun on it on back it says one ounce of fine silver on it, an 1885 liberty headcoin(dollar), and one with out a date but it says 0ne ounce of fine silver 999, and on the front it Lady librty head and in God we trust, the last one is a 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar. Are any of these worth any thing, and what should I look for in Silver dollars that are worth more. Answer : When buying coins overseas -- especially very rare or valuable ones -- you need to be extremely wary of counterfeits. The rate of counterfeiting is MUCH higher in foreign countries, than it is within the U.S. I would recommend you arm yourself with some knowledge before you spend any significant amount of money buying coins. A good, basic general guide to U.S. coins can be found here : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582380651/theworkimansrare A handy book about the grading standards for U.S. coins can be found here : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307090973/theworkimansrare And an excellent reference for detecting counterfeit coins can be found here : http://www.pcgs.com/bookpromo.chtml You can also find three sources for retail U.S. coin prices online here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/fmv.shtml http://coinuniverse.com/prices/index.xhtml http://www.collectorusa.com/pricelinks.shtml When you feel comfortable with the knowledge you've gained, then you'll feel better when you buy one of the rarer coins you seek. As for the coins you listed, it looks like you got a lot for your money : The 2 - 1922 Peace Dollars, in circulated condition are worth about $5 each, and uncirculated $10-$20 each. The 1840 & 1846 Seated Liberty Dollars -- IF they are authentic -- are worth at least $100 each, but they are commonly counterfeited, or may be just silver rounds. The 1885 Morgan Dollar, in circulated condition will be worth $7-$8, and uncirculated $15-$25 The 1971 Eisenhower Dollar is common, and woth about $1 The other two are silver rounds, and their value is based on the price of silver. They would currently be worth about $4.50 each. The one dated 1908 is meant to represent the design on a St.Gaudens $20 gold piece. Overall, it looks like you got a good deal for your money, but you need to examine the Seated Liberty Dollars to see if they are counterfeit, or if they have any markings signifying silver content -- making them silver rounds. As far as looking for more valuable silver dollars, be VERY careful. Hong Kong is a hot bed for counterfeiters. High value coins at giveaway prices should raise a red flag in your mind. You gotta ask yourself why they are selling so cheap with a readily available internet market? Remember the old saying : If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. QAId : 5633700 Subject : Draped Bust Quarter Question : I am looking for a 1805-07 draped bust quarter in good to very good condition. I am wondering, if I were to go to a coin show would I be able to find one for $155 or less? Do you have any? Answer : Thank you for your question. If you were to go to a coin show, you could probably find one of the quarters in grade Good for $155 give-or-take $20. However, one that grades VG will probably cost over $200 I don't currently have one, but you may be able to find a local coin show by following the links near the bottom of my Show Schedule page : Or if you want to contact me directly -- at Working.Man@usa.net -- we can see about working something out for me to search one up for you. QAId : 5634710 Subject : US Mint Quarter Rolls Question : I have a number of US Mint packaged rolls of state quarters and wonder whether it would make more sense to leave them in the mint rolls or put them in inert plastic rolls -- would that negatively affect their value? Answer : There are advantages and disadvantages to storing your quarters either way. Inert Plastic Rolls : Will protect your quarters better over the long-term, as long as you don't finger the coins as you transfer them into the plastic rolls -- wear cotton gloves. Plastic tubes are not as popular or in demand as bank-rolled, but will provide the purchaser to see all the coins before purchase. Machine-Rolled Paper Rolls : You won't have to additionally handle your coins. But depending on the sulphur content of the paper, it is possible for the coins to tone after a few years. However, if stored in a cool, dry place, they should be fine for many years. The demand for machine-wrapped paper rolls is significantly higher now, compared to the demand for tubed rolls, and probably will be years from now. But from a purchaser's point of view, they can't really tell if there are non-state quarters in the middle of the rolls, unless they break open the rolls. So, it's really up to you. Myself, I have my rolls stored in my safe in the original machine-wrapped paper. It's dry and temperature-controlled, so I expect them to be fine for a long time. QAId : 5650830 Subject : 1964 silver half dollar us what is the value Question : what is this coin worth Answer : 1964 is THE most common year (and the last year) for 90% silver half dollars. There were so many minted, that unless it is in absolutely perfect uncirculated condition, it will only be worth the silver it contains -- currently about $1.50 Sorry ... no retirement money there :) QAId : 5659954 Subject : information about a coin Question : I was told by some people at work that the coin I have been carrying arround with me is worth something just wondering what its worth ,it is a 1884 liberty dollar coin thanks Answer : If you've been carrying it around, it probably has a significant amount of wear. So, unless it has a "CC" mintmark, it will be worth $5-$7 If you look on the reverse, above the "DO" in DOLLAR, and find a "CC" mintmark, then it will be worth $30-$40 QAId : 5667685 Subject : value of 1964 silver half dollar us Question : what is the value of 1964 silver half dollar us Answer : Speaking from a coin dealer's point-of-view, this coin is SO common, that unless it is in absolutely pristine uncirculated condition, it will only be worth the silver it contains. And with the current very low price of silver, you would be hard-pressed to find any dealer that would give you more than $1.50 (3 times face) for it or any other common 90% silver coins. QAId : 5685213 Subject : American Silver Coin Question : I have purchased a coin that appears to be an early American silver dollar. On the one side it has the Liberty head surrounded with 9 stars on the one side and twelve on the other side. On the opposite side there is the view of an old typy of scale (sort of the scale of justise). On the top of the coin it says ONE TROY OUNCE, and on the bottom, 999 FINE SILVER. The coin does not have a date. I have checked catalogues and can not find this coin. Could you tell me about it and what its value can be? Appreciate your responce. Answer : What you have is a common silver round -- containing one ounce of silver, they are bought & sold as bullion. It's value is based entirely on the price of silver -- currently at about $4.50 per ounce. There are thousands of different designs put on these silver rounds. Yours is one of the more common ones. These are not made by the U.S. Mint. They are created by private companies (like mining companies and smelters) and sold for their silver content. Any future value of your silver round will be based on the price of silver. If silver goes up, the value of your silver round will go up. If silver goes down, your round's value will go down. QAId : 5690356 Subject : half stamped penny Question : I was curious about a penny that I received in some change. It looks like it missed the stamper. Only half of the coin is imprinted and the other half is just smooth. Answer : What you have is referred to as an off-center strike coin. This is a mint error. Generally, its value will vary on how far off center it has been struck. WHat happened is that the penny blank did not get fully inserted into the press before it was stamped, therefore only part of it got stamped. Those that are about 50% off-center generally sell for $2-$5 each. QAId : 5711120 Subject : Double stamped quarter Question : Recently I was looking through a box of change and found a double stamped quarter,it is an older quarter dated in the 70's and Liberty is doubled backwards, I understand that these minted coins are rare, do you know the value of this type of coin? If you don't is there somewhere I can take it to have a value put on it? I also have two silver walking liberty coins dated 1920 and 1940 that I found under a sink in an old Barber shop that we were renivating, what are there value? I live near Roanoke, VA. Thank you. Maria Answer : I don't know how it is possible for LIBERTY to be doubled BACKWARDS on your coin. I would suggest you take it to a coin show, and show it to several dealers. Maybe by first-hand inspection, it can be determined how this happened. As for value, it is impossible to say. I don't believe there would be a sale of a similar item to compare it to, so it all depends on how many interested buyers you can gather together at the same time to bid against each other. You may be able to find a coin show to take it to by followinig the links on my Show Schedule page : The 1920 half will be worth about $2.50 if well worn, $40 if lightly worn, $200 or more if uncirculated. The 1940 half will be worth $2 if well worn, $3 if lightly worn, and $20 or more if uncirculated. QAId : 5718165 Subject : Silver Nickels Question : I would like to know the value of silver nickels, from 1939-1949? I have nickels all the way up to the year 1964 and would need to know the value of those nickels as well. Answer : Silver nickels -- from 1942 to 1945 -- are quite common. There were millions minted. In fact, in circulated (worn) condition, they are worth only the value of the silver they contain -- currently about 15 cents each. You can tell which nickels are silver nickels by the mint mark on the reverse. The silver ones will have a large "P", "D", or "S" above the Monticello building. If there's no big letter, it's not silver. With the possible exception of a 1942-D in an upper circulated grade (XF or better), silver nickels do not gain any collector value until they reach the grade of uncirculated -- MS-60 or higher. And for nickels after 1945, there are very few that have any significant value, unless they reach the higher uncirculated grades. You can see an online retail price guide for Jefferson nickels here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/jefnkl/prices53.htm QAId : 5726278 Subject : VAM Keys Question : Could you explain the VAM Keys and how it relates to the value of Morgan Dollars Answer : VAM's are varieties found on Morgan (and Peace) Dollars. They have been extensively catalogued and published in a book by Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Mallis -- hence the "VA" from Van Allen and the "M" from Mallis, combine to form the acronym "VAM". Their book is the "Comprehensive Catalogue and Encyclopedia of U.S. Morgan and Peace Silver Dollars." The latest edition, their 4th, is over 500 pages, and can be special ordered directly from Amazon here : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966016823/theworkimansrare The VAM Keys are also referred to as the VAM Top 100, or "The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties", as listed and illustrated in the book of the same name, authored by Michael Fey and Jeff Oxman. This is a pocket-sized field guide with detailed photos, prices and condition census information about the 100 rarest, most popular and desirable Morgan Dollar varieties. More info about the latest edition, their 3rd, and be found here : http://shop.coinworld.com/RCI/RCI%20-%20RCI%20-%20Top%20100%20Morgan%20Dollar%20Varieties.htm There are a significant number of collectors who attempt to collect the VAM Top 100 Morgan Dollars, which has increased the public knowledge of, and thus the demand and prices for these variety dollars. There was even a contest once to see who could be the first to assemble a complete Top 100 collection. There's an interesting website with LOTS of information about VAM Morgan Dollars here : http://www.vamlink.com/ That website was created by The Society of Silver Dollar Collectors. More information about the Society can be found here : http://www.vamlink.com/WhatistheSSDC.htm What it boils down to, is that if you are lucky enough to be able to find some of these VAM Keys, there are enough collectors of them to make it a profitable experience for you -- as well as an enjoyable passtime. QAId : 5732739 Subject : collectable coins Question : I want to find if the coin that I have holds any value but I dont know how.I have searched a couple of websites,but they all just state what they have and they are for sale. I just want to find info on my coin. Answer : An excellent online source for information about U.S. coins is CoinFacts. Their website is here : http://www.coinfacts.com/Administrative/home.html There are also three different online retail price guides : Numismedia Fair Market Price Guide : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/fmv.shtml Coin Universe Daily Price Guide : http://coinuniverse.com/prices/index.xhtml Collector USA Price Guide : http://www.collectorusa.com/pricelinks.shtml To use these guides, however, you will need to know the date, mint, and grade (condition) of your coin. You may be able to find an approximate grade match for your coin by searching through the eBay listings until you find a picture of a coin that matches the condition of your coin. Their search page is here : http://pages.ebay.com/search/items/search.html Be sure to specify "Coins" in the "Search in Categories" box. Once you find a match, then you can use the grade specified in the listing when you look up your coin in a price guide. The eBay listings are USUALLY pretty accurate (within a grade either way) as to the grade listed, but to be safe, you could go by one grade lower than the listing. To get an exact value, you really need to have your coin appraised first-hand by a dealer. I would recommend finding a coin show, taking the coin, and showing it to a couple of dealers. You may be able to find a coin show by following the links at the bottom of my Show Schedule page : I would also be happy to provide you with an appraisal for your coin. All I need is denomination, date, mint mark, a detailed description of the visible details on the coin, and any damage, cleaning, corrosion, etc. visible. If you can provide a magnified picture or scan of both sides of the coin, that would be optimal. Send it to Working.Man@usa.net QAId : 5754932 Subject : Coin values Question : I found a coin - not sure of what its called. It's a 1927 silver quarter with a flying eagle on the back. Could you tell me what its called and how much it might be worth? Thank you. Dawn Answer : 1927 is a relatively common date for your Standing Liberty Quarter -- unless it has a "D" or "S" mint mark. Compare your coin to the picture HERE. You can see, next to the bottom star on the LEFT side, there is an "S" mint mark on this coin. Next to the bottom star on the RIGHT side is the letter "M" -- this is the coin designor's (Hermon MacNeil) initial, and appears on EVERY Standing Liberty Quarter. Much more information about Standing Liberty Quarters can be found HERE. An online retail price guide can be found HERE. QAId : 5755249 Subject : coins Question : There's been a recent anonymous sale of the "King of Siam set" of coins, which includes the famous 1804 dollar, for $4.14 million-plus. Of course, this being a private sale, there's no way to verify the price, but the seller claims it's the largest-ever sale of a set of coins. They've said that while some treasures and collections have been sold for more, no SET -- that is, a group of coins from the same year in one container -- has sold for more. I'd like to know a few things: 1) IS this true? 2) More importantly, can anyone provide a list of the largest selling coin transactions of all time? I'm told that there have been at least two sales, that of gold from the USS Central America and a Trompeter collection, that sold for more. But I don't have dates or amounts. Please let me know what those figures are. Answer : There's an interesting article about the King of Siam set here : http://www.coinfacts.com/press_releases/05142001.htm The King of Siam set of coins will be on display at the upcoming Long Beach Coin and Collectibles Exposition on May 31-June 3, 2001. I don't know where you live, but you might find it very interesting & informative to attend. There is a compilation of the Top 10 sales of U.S. Coins (as of March 2000) here : http://www.coin-gallery.com/topten1.htm There have been a few higher-dollar sales since then (like the 1804 Dollar and the re-sale of the 1913 V Nickel), but it gives you an idea of the top 10 at that time. QAId : 5763724 Subject : Old German Money Question : My dad has old German money collection that he wants to sell. Thay are a set of paper money, 1921/1922. I have some scanned pictures that I can send if anybody want to see them. We're not sure how much it worth and where should we sell it. Any suggestion? Answer : I would suggest you do some searching on eBay to find matching items. Then you can see what they are selling for, and determine if it's worthwhile to try to sell yours there. Go to the German Paper Money category : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/all/category3434/index.html Then put 1921 (or 1922) in the search box and click on the Search box. This will bring up the current listings. You can look through these to find a match with yours. If you click on the "Show Completed Items" link, you can see what these items have been selling for. If you decide to, you can sell your currency right there on eBay too. QAId : 5768504 Subject : coin collecting Question : Hello. I posed a question asking what were the top-selling coin transactions of all time earlier this week. I didn't get what I was looking for (but thanks for your answers, I do appreciate the help). I thought I would try again, rewording it more specifically ... Here's my question: What were the dates and amounts of the largest coin transactions of all time -- the Trompeter collection and the Central America gold sale? Thanks, Jon Blackwell P.S. Can anyone recommend any sources that will help me track down more information about how the "King of Siam" coin set surfaced in 1962? (I have already read the material at cointoday.com and the press release issued by Spectrum Numismatics.) Answer : The only other place I could recommend trying is the coin collecting newsgroup -- rec.collecting.coins There are many active posters there with a lot of combined knowledge. I'm sure your questions have been touched on there in the past. If you don't have access to news groups, you can go to Google Groups to read & post to the group : http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&group=rec.collecting.coins QAId : 5780334 Subject : 1980 Silver Penny. What is this? Question : I recently came across something odd. It is a silver penny. I know that these were made in the 40's during the war, but this one is dated 1980. There is no trace of copper on it at all. It feels thinner than a regular penny does too. Is it possible that this is an error coin, or was someone having fun trying to counterfit pennies or what? Also, does anyone know if this type of thing is worth anything? Answer : There are two possibilities to explain your coin : 1) it has been plated by someone, after the coin left the mint, with silver, nickel, zinc, or some other metal. 2) There was an error in the minting process. If it is plated, it will have no added colector value. Try lightly scratching the edge with a pin to see if any copper is revealed. If it were dated 1982 or newer, it could be easily explained as an unfinished planchet. Since pennies from 1982 on are composed of 99% zinc, with a pure copper plate, if a coin did not get the plating, it would appear white -- like silver. These coins have a value of a couple dollars. However, since your coin is dated 1980, this does not explain it. Pennies from 1982 and older are composed of 97.5% copper and 2.5% zinc (both types were made in 1982). Therefore, to appear white, they would have had to had a serious problem with the metal mix. This would be a very valuable coin. It is also possible that your coin was minted on the wrong planchet -- like a dime planchet for example, which would make it seem thinner than normal. You can detect this by the weight -- a normal planchet will weigh 3.11 grams. This would also be a quite valuable coin. Most likely, you have a plated coin. But if you have eliminated this possibility, then you need to get your coin appraised first-hand by an expert. First, take it to a coin show and show it to several dealers. Then, depending on what they tell you, you may want to get it certified and encapsulated. This will authenticate it, protect it in a hard plastic holder, and make it much easier to sell in the future. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the coin show links on my Show Schedule page : Certification service web site links are listed here : http://www10.ewebcity.com/monroecoinclub/Links.htm Most of them will have a list of the shows they will be appearing at, giving free appraisals and accepting submissions. QAId : 5783334 Subject : 1851 cIII coin Question : How are you grade this type coin? Answer : I assume you are referring to an 1851 Silver 3-Cent Piece, like the one pictured here : http://www.coinfacts.com/three_cents/three_cents_silver/1851o_three_cents_silver.htm 1851 is the only date that MAY have a mint mark. Look for a small "O" to the right of the opening of the big "C". If there, then it means the coin was minted in New Orleans and with a lower mintage, it is worth more. Here's the grading specs from the ANA : About Good : Obverse: Design is outlined with nearly all details worn away. Date & legend readable but very weak and merging into rim. Reverse: Rim is merged with stars. Only parts of the design in C are visible. Good : Obverse: Entire design well worn with very little detail remaining. Half the shield lines are weak but visible. Rim merges with legend. Reverse: Design is worn nearly flat but is completely outlined. Design in C is weak but visible. Stars merge with rim. Very Good : Obverse: Outline of star and shield shows but parts are smooth. Shield lines are weak and incomplete. Only a few vertical shield lines show separations. Reverse: Design in C is complete but very weak. Numeral and stars well worn but fully outlined. Most of rim is visible. Fine : Obverse: Some details show in scroll and outer shield lines. Central shield lines are nearly all visible. The entire star is plain but very weak. Reverse: All details are visible in the C. Numeral is very smooth and stars are well worn. Very Fine : Obverse: Shield shows considerable flatness, but all features are clear. Over half the details show in star edges. Legend worn but bold. Reverse: Numeral, C, and stars are worn. Design within C is all visible. Extra Fine : Obverse: Slight wear shows on outer edge of shield. High points of the star points and ridges are worn but show all details. Reverse: Entire central design is lightly worn but all details are visible. About Uncirculated : Half of the mint luster is still present. Obverse: Traces of wear show on star ridges and points. Edges are distinct on 5 of the 6 star points. Reverse: Traces of wear show on numeral. Uncirculated (no trace of wear): MS-60: Obvious blemishes. May lack full mint luster and surface may be dull or spotted. MS-63: Attractive mint luster. Noticeable detracting contact marks or minor blemishes. MS-65: Nearly perfect, except for some small blemish. Full mint luster, but may be unevenly toned or fingermarked. A few barely noticeable nicks or marks may be present. Once you've determined your coin's grade, you can use this online price guide to get an approximate retail value : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/fmv.shtml QAId : 5787724 Subject : Estate - 1880-1921 Silver Dollars Question : How can I learn how much some silver dollars from my mother's estate are worth. I have 9-10 dating from 1880 thru 1925. I looked at coinfacts.com and pcgs.com. It mentioned that they would not appraise "cleaned" coins. What does this mean? My mother had cleaned them with Flitz or a similar non abrasive jewelry cleaner. Does this mean they are not worth anything? Some of the coins have retained a great deal of detail. Aren't those worth more than the worn ones? I guess you can tell that I know nothing about what I have, so any information you can give me would be appreciated. This is just a starting point. There were pennies and nickles from the 1940's, and several half dollars. Also, some proof sets and other miscellaneous coins. Is there a simple book I can buy to just get a feel for what I am doing? Thanks for any help you might can provide. Answer from FAQ : 3043792 coins 9/13/2000 The answer from my FAQ (below) should cover your question. Just remember to lower the value for cleaned coins by 50% QAId : 5792911 Subject : 1967 0.50 cent silver coin U.S Question : I was told the last year was 1964, so what does that make my 1967 coin worth. Also my 1943 silver penny and 1941 silver dime also. Thanks, Brian Hamilton Answer : The last year for regular issue 90% silver coins was indeed 1964. However, Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 were minted from 40% silver. At the current price of silver, you could expect to get about 65 cents apiece for them from a dealer, with the exception of those from 1970, which were made only for the mint sets and proof sets -- those are worth about $7 each. As for your 1943 cent, it is actually minted from steel and coated with zinc. There were over a billion minted that year, so they are not rare. Well-circulated specimens are worth about 5 to 10 cents each. Lightly circulated, about a quarter. Lastly, 1941 was a very common year for Winged Liberty (Mercury) dimes. In fact, throughout the 1940's mint production was greatly increased. Therefore, Mercury dimes from the 1940's that have any significant amount of wear (circulation) will only be worth the silver they contain -- currently about 30 cents. If there is almost NO distinguishable wear, they will be worth about a dollar. QAId : 5797268 Subject : Roosevelt Dime Question : What is a 1946 Roosevelt dime worth ? It feels very light probably all silver ? Answer : Yes, it is made of silver. There were millions of them minted in 1946, so unless yours looks like brand new (uncirculated), it will be worth only the silver it contains -- currently about 30 cents. If it is in uncirculated condition, it will be worth about a dollar, unless it has an "S" mint mark (on the reverse, at the bottom-left of the torch), then it will be worth about $4 QAId : 5801169 Subject : 1976 2 dollar bill stamped with Post Office Stamp & 13 cent Chemistry Stamp Question : One more interesting thing I have found. I have five two dollar bills - 1976 series. There is a "Chemistry", 13 cent postage stamp affixted to it. It is stamped by the US Post Office, Downtown Branch April 13, 1976. Of course it is uncirculated. Why would she have done this or kept them? (There are 5 of these, consecutive serial numbers, and all stamped with this postage stamp and the post office official stamp.) Answer : The previous answers explain the origination of these first day issues, but they have become much more popular lately, raising their value. They have been selling for $5 each or more on eBay over the last month or so. Check out the listings HERE. QAId : 5801693 Subject : 1885 silver dollar Question : can you show me all silver dollars in circulation in 1885???? Answer : The main silver dollar in circulation at that time was the Morgan Dollar -- minted from 1878 to 1921 -- but technically, any of the silver dollars minted since the 1790's could have been found in circulation. Here are pictures of each different type of dollar : Flowing Hair Type (1794-1795) Draped Bust Type (1795-1804) Seated Liberty Type (1840-1873) Trade Dollar (1873-1885) Morgan Dollar (1878-1921) QAId : 5808054 Subject : gold penny Question : i have a 1974 gold penny with the state of Rhode Island on it. i would like to know is it worth anything and where can i sell it. Answer : I believe what you have would now be classified as a novelty item -- no longer a collectible coin. Somebody has stamped the image of Rhode Island into the coin after it left the mint, then gold plated it. On the bright side, it may have more value now as a novelty item than as just a 1974 penny, since so many were minted. I have some similar items I've been selling -- they have Kennedy's image on them (instead of your Rhode Island). I've been (slowly) getting $1 apiece for them. See here : /ForSale/Others.htm Over the years, these kind of novelty items have surfaced with just about anything you could think of stamped into them. They were all done by somebody after the coin left the mint -- it is NOT a mint error. If you want to sell it, you could put it up on eBay, but I'm not sure it would be worth the effort. You would have to have a clear picture of it, create the listing, and go through the process of selling, emailing, collecting payment, packaging & shipping, and whatever else pops up. And you can't really expect to get more than about a dollar for it -- if you get that much. Is it worth it? Keep it as a novelty, or give it to some deserving kid -- they'll get a kick out of it! QAId : 5808212 Subject : prices Question : how much is a buffalo/indianhead nickle worth? Answer : Without knowing the specifics of your coin -- date, mint mark, condition, etc. -- it is impossible to give a value for it. It's like asking "What's my used car worth?" All I can tell you is : Buffalo Nickels that are so worn that the date is no longer visible are worth about 7˘ each. Common, partial dates are worth about 10˘ each. Common dates worn mostly flat, but with a complete date are worth about 50˘ each. Common dates with the buffalo's horn fully complete (to a point) are worth about $1 And Common dates that look like the day they were minted (uncirculated) are worth $10-$20 I can point you to an online retail price guide, so you can see if you have a rare date : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/bufnkl/pricesgd.htm The mint mark (if it has one) will be located on the reverse, at the bottom, under "FIVE CENTS". It will be either a "D", an "S", or nothing. If you can provide the date, mint mark, and detailed description of your coin -- or better yet, a magified picture of both sides sent to Working.Man@usa.net -- I can provide a more exact estimate of its value. QAId : 5808783 Subject : coin,piece of eight Question : Where di I find information on a piece of eight that I have. thank-you janet Answer : There is some excellent information about 8 real coins (pieces of eight) and the history of the U.S. silver dollar here : http://www.coinfacts.com/historical_notes/history_of_the_silver_dollar.htm QAId : 5830678 Subject : silver dimes Question : I wrote to you a few days ago but I didn't think I wrote the question here for some reason, I have a 1943 woman silver dime, with a niche between the 43, I also have a male dime where a piece of his face is not on the dime, you can see where the outline of the face should be, there just seems to be a piece missing? any clue as to if these are of any value? thank you for your help and have a nice day : - ) Answer : If the nick on the 1943 dime was caused by contact with something, after the coin left the mint, then it has no added value. And being a very common date, in circulated condition, it will only be worth the silver it contains - currently about 30 cents. In order to evaluate your 1963 dime properly, I would have to see it -- either in person or through a highly magnified picture of it. It may be a minting error or it may have been caused by contact after it left the mint. To tell the difference, I need to see it. If you can send pictures of your coins to me -- at Working.Man@usa.net -- I will try to help you further. QAId : 5858636 Subject : White penny Question : I would like to know whats the value on this penny serie D 1943 white Lincon, feters on back of penny and spell one cent. Please Reply. Answer : 1943 Lincoln Cents are made of steel, coated with zinc -- this gives them their white color. They were minted out of steel to save the copper for the war effort. These 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 (worn) condition, one would cost you about a quarter. However, if there is significant discoloration, 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 shiny like they are brand new, but an expert can tell the difference. They will only have the same value as a circulated coin. QAId : 5862696 Subject : old currency Question : how much is a 1934 twenty dollar bill worth Answer : Assuming you have one of the regular issue 1934 Federal Reserve Notes, it would have to be in like-new condition to be worth any more than its face value. Even choice crisp uncirculated notes are only worth about $30 If your note is one of the replacecment "star" notes (has a star instead of a letter in the serial number), you can add about 50% or more to its value. However, if you have one of the WWII Emergency Issue Hawaii notes (brown seal with HAWAII stamped on it), they are worth considerably more. A well-worn note will be worth at least $30 ... a lightly worn note will be worth about $90 for Series 1934 and $40 for Series 1934-A ... and a choice crisp uncirculated note will be worth about $600 for Series 1934 and $350 for Series 1934-A If your note does not fit into these categories, let me know, and I'll try to figure it out for you. QAId : 5862860 Subject : coin books Question : We are looking for the "coin books" used for collecting pennies. We have the following: 1. Lincoln Head Cent (1909 - 1940) #1 2. Lincoln Head Cent (1941 - 1960-D) #2 We are looking for additional books to get us up to the year 2001 or later. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your assistance! Kathy Winter Answer : You can order these Lincoln Cent coin folders directly from Amazon here : Lincoln Cents Folder #1, 1909-1940 : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307090043/theworkimansrare Lincoln Cents Folder #2, 1941-1974 : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307090302/theworkimansrare Lincoln Cents Collection Starting 1975 : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307090337/theworkimansrare Lincoln Memorial Cents (1959-1998) : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307090000/theworkimansrare QAId : 5869096 Subject : 1945 nickel Question : I FOUND A 1945 NICKEL THAT HAS A "D" ON THE BACK UNDER "E. PLURIBUS UNUM". I WAS JUST WONDERING IF IT MEANT ANYTHING AND IF IT DOES IF IT IS WORTH ANYTHING. THANX, OLD CROW Answer : Your nickel is made of silver -- the mint mark above the building signifies that. These silver nickels were issued from 1942-1945 (during WWII). Before and after these dates, the mint mark was located to the right of the building. But there were so many millions of these silver war nickels minted (making them pretty common), that in average circulated condition, their value is based solely on the silver they contain -- currently about 20 cents each. They need to be in almost uncirculated condition to reach any significant collector value (a couple dollars) So, assuming your nickel is circulated (worn), then what you have is an interesting type coin, minted only for a few years during World War 2, that's not really worth alot. QAId : 5874661 Subject : Silver Coin Question : Friend has a large silver coin with Indian Head on one side and buffalo on other. Says One Troy Ounce and Liberty on coin. No Date. Do you have any info? Answer : What you have is classified as a silver round. It is not a coin -- it has no (spendable) face value -- it was not made by the U.S. Mint, but rather a private company. Its value is solely based on the current value of silver, which is currently under $4.50 per ounce. Since your silver round contains one ounce of silver, its current value is about $4.50 Some silver rounds (yours included) are more popular than others, and therefore sometimes will receive a small premium from buyers -- maybe a dollar or two on top of the silver value. QAId : 5879002 Subject : 1982 Panda coins Question : what is value of 1982 Chinese Panda coin...1 oz. and 1/2 oz...I have one of each for possible sale... Answer : These do seem to have a significantly higher value than just the gold they contain. To see recent sales of these items on eBay, go HERE. QAId : 5882804 Subject : 1964 Kennedy Half - Rarity Question : We have a Kennedy half dollar with a "3-d" molded 3/4 turn bust face. Appears to have been hand sculpted as it has a perfect likeness. Have you ever seen this type of coin, and if so, would you know what it would be called and or the value of such a coin. I have scanned images of the coin, and would be happy to send it to your e-mail. Answer : I have seen these raised face Kennedy Half Dollars before, selling in the $15-$25 range. In fact, one recently sold on eBay : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1242786605 More of these have been popping up lately -- there must be some company making them. They don't come from the mint this way. QAId : 5885698 Subject : Found coin Question : I found a US half dollar coin with a picture of a man riding a horse or donkey with the year 1925 and is in great shape. Could you tell me What it is and what it could be worth? Thanks Answer : What you have is a Stone Mountain Memorial Commemorative Silver Half Dollar. They were issued to fund the carving of figures of Confederate leaders and soldiers on Stone Mountain in Georgia. Obverse : Mounted Figures of Generals Lee & Jackson Reverse : Eagle on Mound With Wings Spread There were 1.3 million of them minted, so they are not extremely rare. In circulated condition, they are worth about $20 QAId : 5898975 Subject : SILVER DIME Question : I HAVE FOUND A 1944 LIBERTY DIME. HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT ITS WORTH ? Answer : In the 1940's there were millions of these Mercury Dimes minted every year, so they are not rare. I sell circulated ones for 40 cents -- the value of the silver they contain. You could probably get about 30 cents from a dealer for yours. Even in uncirculated condition -- like the day they were minted -- most are worth only $3-$4 and even an almost mark-free uncirculated one is only worth about $10 There is an online retail price guide here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/mrcdim/pricesgd.htm QAId : 5914753 Subject : dime Question : I have a dime dated 1865. it has the liberty head on one side facing left and three bars on the reverse side. I cannot find any information about this coin. There is no mint mark. Please tell me what you can about this coin and it's worth. Thank you. Answer : Actually, what you have is a U.S. copper-nickel three-cent piece -- the three bars on the back stand for the roman numeral 3. They were minted from 1865 to 1889. In well-worn condition, it is worth $8-$10 Almost like-new, it is worth about $30 QAId : 5927629 Subject : 1941 quarter Question : I have a 1941 quarter. I don't know much more about it. There are no letters of any kind to suggest what mint it comes from, or anything else. The quarter seems to have no copper in it. Someone suggested it might be steel, which he teold me would make it valuable. I wonder if it is silver, but it is light. Can you give me a primer on 1941 quarters, and things to look for? Any idea of value? Thanks. Answer : Your coin is made of 90% silver -- all quarters from 1964 and older were. If it has a mint mark, it would be on the back, directly above the letter "R" in QUARTER. It could be "D" (Denver), "S" (San Francisco), or no mint mark (Philadelphia). During the 1940's, the mintages for these quarters really increased -- tens of millions were produced every year -- thus making the coins pretty common. So unless your coin is in like-new condition, it's really only going to be worth the silver it contains -- currently about 75˘ If it is a nice, uncirculated coin, it will be worth about $10 QAId : 5947325 Subject : pennies Question : i have a 1901 indian head penny are they rare Answer : The mintages for Indian Head Cents increased significantly in the early 1880's and again in the late 1880's, making most dates from then on pretty common. With the exception of the 1908-S and 1909-S (mint mark on reverse), well-circulated coins from the late 1880's on will be worth less than $1 If your coin has been cleaned, damaged, or corroded, its value drops off to almost nothing. Collectors avoid these problem coins, so they are difficult to sell at any price. If most of the original details are still visible -- LIBERTY in headband strong & bold, most diamonds visible in ribbon, details in wreath strong -- your coin will be worth about $5 If there is only slight touches of wear on the highest points of the coin, it will be worth about $12 If there is no wear at all -- a nice, uncirculated coin that looks like the day it was minted -- it will be worth about $20 Prices are slightly higher for the higher grade coins minted in the late 1880's to early 1890's. QAId : 5948884 Subject : Proof Susan B. Anthony Dollar Question : I am interested in acquiring the avaiable Proof sets with the SBA, or individual Proof mint issues along with the matching Proof sets of that year. I am confused on the facts about what was minted and is avaiable in Proof SBA dollars, and why there doesn't seem to be many dates. I also understand that there are some varieties. Any information will be appreciated. Thank you for your time. Answer : Susan B. Anthony Dollars were only originally minted for 3 years -- 1979 to 1981 -- then brought back briefly in 1999 to fill the gap in demand until the Sacagawea Dollars came out in 2000. In 1979 and 1981, due to changes in the mint marks used, there are two different varieties available for each year. They are referred to as "Clear S" and "Filled S". The 1979's are easy to tell apart, because it looks like the filled S is up on a mound of metal. But the 1981's are difficult to tell apart -- even dealers mistake them. Both "Clear S" proofs are expensive -- $125 to $180 each. But the "Filled S" proofs (as well as the 1980-S proof) are generally available for about $12 each. When the coin was brought back in 1999, it was done mid-year -- after the proof sets were already released. Therefore the coin is not included in the 1999 proof set. This proof was minted in Philadelphia (not San Francisco) and has a "P" mint mark. It was made available seperately, in its own little display box. So, all-together, there are 6 different Proof Susan B. Anthony Dollars available : 1979-S Filled S 1979-S Clear S 1980-S 1981-S Filled S 1981-S Clear S 1999-P I have most of these coins available, either singly or in the proof sets. SBA Dollars : /ForSale/DolSBA.htm Proof Sets : /ForSale/Sets.htm If you would like to order anything, please feel free to send me an email at Working.Man@usa.net QAId : 5952951 Subject : American Buffalo Commemorative Question : The American Buffalo Commemorative silver dollar. Good investment or not? What do you think? BTW, the coin & currency set has already been sold out. Answer : In my opinion, they could make a good SHORT-TERM investment. There is alot of interest, it's based on a popular coin, and there is a limited mintage. Some collectors are going to get caught without one when the mint sells out. I could forsee a significant price increase for a short time (a year or less) after the mint sells out. But over the long-term, it will probably fall back down in price -- just like 95% of all the other mint-issued commemoratives have done. Take for example the 1992 White House commemorative. Shortly after the mint ran out, the price of this coin skyrocketed to over $150. But look at it now -- it's below mint issue. If you're looking for short-term profits, the Buffalo Commemorative could bring them for you. But if you're looking for a long-term investment, U.S. commemoratives have a VERY POOR track record. QAId : 5980124 Subject : 1807 silver dollar Question : I'm looking for the value of a 1807 liberty head silver dallor in fair condition. Answer : The reason you can't find a value for your 1807 dollar is because there were NONE MINTED with the 1807 date. So what you have is either a silver round (worth about $5), a counterfeit (worth ???), or a half dollar (worth $25 - $100) If it is a silver round, it should say something like 1 troy ounce fine silver, or .999 fine If it is a counterfeit, then it's up to the whims of the consumer to figure a value for it. I've seen them sell anywhere from a couple dollars to a few hundred dollars -- it's hard to tell what they'll sell for. It is very possible that you have a half dollar. Back then, the halves were larger than the half dollars today. Two types of half dollars were minted in 1807 : 1) Draped Bust half dollars (Miss Liberty's portrait faces to the right) did not have the denomination marked on either face of the coin -- it was put on the edge of the coin. As you read the edge, it should say FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR. An 1807 Draped Bust half in fair condition will be worth about $100 2) Capped Bust half dollars (Miss Liberty's portrait faces to the left) would have the denomination -- 50 C. -- on the reverse, below the eagle. An 1807 Capped Bust half in fair condition will be worth about $25 QAId : 5985190 Subject : Buffalo Coin and Currency set Question : Can you get a set of the Buffalo Coin and Currency set and if so how much? Answer : Due to the limited production and EXTREME popularity of this set, the mint sold out of them within a few hours, on the day they opened up internet orders for them. They have become a very high demand item, but have a limited 50,000 production -- there simply aren't enough to go around. They were originally sold by the mint for $55, but have already skyrocketed in value. Recent internet auctions have them selling in the $200-$300 per set price range, still going up, with no end in sight. So, unless you're willing to pay the high price now, it's not likely you will be able to get one. I didn't order any of these sets (I wish I had!), so the only thing I can do is refer you to these high-priced internet auctions : HERE. QAId : 5993487 Subject : silver certificate Question : I have a silver certificate without any date on it, how can I find out the value Answer : Unless there was an error in printing -- in which case a lot more than just the date would be missing -- all silver certificates have a date. Look for "Series of ..." If you can send me a detailed description, or better yet a magnified picture of both sides, I will try to help you more. Send to Working_Man@pridigy.net QAId : 6007033 Subject : 1937 Buffalo Nickel Question : Is this nickel worth anything? Thank you Answer : 1937 is a common date for Buffalo Nickels. A well-circulated one will be worth 50 cents to a dollar -- almost like new, about $5 QAId : 6007775 Subject : silver certificate Question : There is a date listed on the front. Series of 1928A and the serial number is x34140088A does it have any value? 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 : 6008442 Subject : Copper faced quater Question : Hi, recently I found a New York quater that is silver on the back and copper on the face can you tell me if this is worth anything and if there are many out there like this? Answer : This kind of error on the 50 State Quarters has become very popular with collectors -- many selling on the $200-$400 range. You can usually find a few of these up for auction at any time on eBay. Here's a prime example of one that recently sold for over $400 : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1244367333 Try checking for more matching items HERE. If you find a quarter with the same kind of error -- even if it's from a different state -- check back when the auction ends to see what it sold for. This will give you a good idea of what you could expect to get for yours. You can see completed auction listings HERE. I would also recommend you get your coin certified & encapsulated (preferrably by PCGS or NGC) -- it will protect the coin, and the increased return when you sell it will be worth the cost. PCGS website : http://www.pcgs.com/ NGC website : http://www.ngccoin.com/ QAId : 6019825 Subject : SILVER PENNY Question : I HAVE A SILVER PENNY AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT IT IT IS A SIVER 1976 PENNY WITH IMPRINT OF THE LIBERTY BELL AND AN IMPRENT OF THE USA ON IT PLEASE TELL ME IF THERE IS ANY THING TO TELL. OR EVEN IF IT IS NOT LET ME KNOW SOMETHING ANYWAY. Answer : What you have is a novelty item. Someone took a normal penny, stamped the bell & USA into it, then silver plated it. I have seen many of these. As a novelty item, it has a value of about $1.00 In fact, I have a similar item -- a Lincoln Facing Kennedy penny -- available for sale on my website. See here : /ForSale/Others.htm QAId : 6020287 Subject : 2001 American buffallo Siver dollar Question : Want to purchase American buffalo Commemorative Silver Dollar. Any Info Answer : These HOT coins sold out at the mint almost instantly. I was unable to get any myself. They are currently selling on the internet auctions in the $90-$100 range, and going up all the time! If you want me to, I will bid on one for you. But I will need a $50 deposit, and your agreement to pay the rest of the costs to obtain one, plus a 10% commission -- of course, I will try to get one as cheaply as possible. Let me know if you want to pursue this, and we'll get the ball rolling. Contact me directly at Working.Man@usa.net You are, of course, free to bid in the auctions yourself, but I am willing to do that part for you (for 10%). There is one available, with a $85 Buy-It-Now price, on eBay right now. But you'll have to act quickly : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1252500546 You can find listings for these on eBay HERE. QAId : 6040090 Subject : Value of 1934 US dollar and other US currency Question : While attempting to buy travellers checks the other day, the gal at the AAA office informed me that some of the currency that I was attempting to pay for the travellers checks with, may possibly have quite a bit of value. My parents owned a store, and my father has bills dating back to as early as 1934 (it is a 50 dollar bill andsays series of 1934 with a B underneath, it also has a large number 3 under that. Just to the left ofthat is C10 There is a picture of Grant on the front, and I don't know what else to tell you to describe this 50 dollar bill. There are also several 50 dollar bills with Grant's picture on it, and it is series 1950 There is a capital letter L above where it says "This note is legal Tender,(etc.) Also there is a large letter B surrounded with the words 'federal reserve bank of New York" in the lower right hand corner, just to the left of the number 50,there is printed L27 Again, I don't know what other info would help to identify the value of these, and other paper currency - - I have not been able to find a web site where someone like me who is not familiar with old paper money can easily get a ballpark idea of the value. Thanks so much for your help, and I generously rate ALL answers! Answer : These notes are not extremely rare, and the collector demand for them is low, due to the higher face value of them -- there are simply alot more people collecting 1's, 5's, & 10's than 50's (or 100's). A currency dealer will know this and take it into account when purchasing your notes. For your 1934-B note, unless it is a nice, crisp uncirculated note, it's not likely that any dealer will give you more than a dollar or two premium over it's face value. Most collectors will want choice or gem crisp uncirculated, so it will take the dealer a long time to make a $10 or less profit on that note, Therefore he will be only marginally interested in purchasing it at all. If your note is choice uncirculated (may show slight aging) you could expect to get about $75 from a dealer. If it is gem uncirculated (no aging or fading -- almost perfect), you can expect about $120 For your 1950 notes, unless they are choice or gem uncirculated, dealer interest will be almost nonexistant. For a choice note, you might get $55 -- for a gem note, you might get about $70 These are the prices you could expect to get if you sell your notes to a dealer. If you try to retail your notes (like through the eBay auction site), you may get more for them, but you will have to work for it, and there's no guarantee they will sell at all. But it's your choice. If you decide to try to sell to a dealer, you should find a local coin show, take your notes with you, and get appraisals from a couple of different dealers. Then take the best offer. You can probably find a local show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 6040207 Subject : Coin Collecting Question : This question concerns the U.S. Mint's 50-State Quarter Program. Whenever a new state is announced, one is able to buy directly from the Mint, quarter rolls, 1000-coin bags, 100-coin (mini) bags, etc. When purchasing from the aftermarket vendors, however, I can never find anyone selling the 100-coin mini bags. They are always selling individual coins, rolls, and 1000-coin bags, but never the 100-coin bags. Is there a particular reason for this? Are the mini bags not a collectible item? Answer : These bags are very collectible. The prices on some of the earlier mini bags had skyrocketed to over $1000 each for awhile. They have come back down quite a bit since them, but several are still going for a couple hundred dollars each. As for availability in the secondary market, there are hundreds of these bags available at any time on the eBay auctions. There are almost 300 listings for them right now. Check it out HERE. Scan through the listings, find a seller with the state/mint that you're looking for, and a good feedback rating, and jump in & bid! QAId : 6040447 Subject : Why is novus ordo seclorum on the ten dollar bill? Question : Why is novus ordo seclorum on the ten dollar bill? Answer : NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM actually appears on the back of the ONE dollar bill -- not the ten. This translates to "A new order of the ages" and signifies the beginning of the new American Ćra (in 1776). You can learn more about it here : http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/translation.html and here : http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/seclorum.html and here : http://www.moneyfactory.com/document.cfm/18/120 If you REALLY want to dig into details, you can buy the book -- "Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution" -- here : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0700603115/theworkimansrare/102-6289429-6440126 QAId : 6043617 Subject : 1878 Dollar Question : Can you tell me what this coin is worth. Answer : 1878 has the most varieties of any year of the Morgan Dollars. There are so many different varieties, that without more information, it's impossible to tell what yours is worth. For instance, does it have a mint mark (above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR on the reverse)? If not, then how many tail feathers does the eagle have -- 7, 8, or 7 over 8? If 7, then is the top arrow feather parallel with the rest or slightly diagonal? IF 7 over 8, then how many of the underlying 8 tail feathers are clearly visible? Then there's the question of the condition of the coin. Differences in visible detail on circulated coins, and contact marks on uncirculated coins can make a big difference in the value of your coin. If your coin has visible wear, then if you send me a magnified picture of both sides of the coin, then I'm sure I can give you a fair and accurate appraisal. If you don't see any wear, we can still try an appraisal through pictures, but the best way to do it would be to have a couple dealers look at your coin first hand. If you want to send me pictures, please send them to Working_Man@prodigy.net If you want to take your coin to a coin show, to get first-hand appraisals, you may be able to find a local show by following the links on my show schedule page : Without seeing your coin, the most I can tell you is that the common variety in well-worn condition with no damage or cleaning will be worth $8-$10. If just lightly circulated, then a couple dollars more. Uncirculated can be anywhere from $30 up. The rarer varieties will be worth more, but I would need to see your coin to determine this exactly. QAId : 6053874 Subject : selling coins Question : I have 2 coins, a 1916-D mercury dime in Good condition and a 1909-S Indian Penny in Fine condition. I was wondering how much they are going for if i was to sell them and who would buy? I would appericate a response from you if you could.. Thank you Answer : These both are coins that almost any coin dealer (myself included) would be interested in buying. They are key dates from popular coin series'. In the grades stated, if you sell your coins to a dealer, you can expect to get about $400-$450 for the dime and $200-$240 for the cent. If you're willing to do a little work, you can probably get a little more money by selling the coins yourself on an internet auction, like eBay. But there are fees involved, so depending on the final bids, you may end up in the same position as if you had sold to a dealer. To get the best price from a dealer, I recommend you find a local coin show, take the coins with you, and get offers from several different dealers at the show. Then take the best offer. The competition will be greater at a show (than at a coin shop), so you will get better offers. To find a local coin show, try clicking on the links at the bottom of my Show Schedule page : I hope this covers everything. If you have any more questions, please let me know. QAId : 6057306 Subject : 1804 Draped Bust Dollar ( Silver ) Question : My friend have coin 1804 Draped Bust Dollar ( Silver )in Burma, Yangon. In our country , internet is still cannot use by civilians, only for Militrary Givernment Groups.Now I am staying and working at Thailand , Bangkok. So he told me that he would like to present this rare coin to the coin collector group in US. But, by the way, if you know about how to check method ,this coin is real one or not Thanks in advance for your cooperation. Khun Aung System Administrator V.S.New World Co., Ltd. Answer : Thank you for your question. The 1804 dollar is one of the most prized and sought after coins in the entire world -- it is also one of the most counterfeited. The first thing you should do is weigh your coin. It SHOULD weigh 26.96 grams --- or very close to that. Second, check the edge of the coin. It SHOULD have the words "HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT" imprinted on the edge, all the way around the coin. If your coin fails either of these tests, it is probably counterfeit. There are several methods that are used for counterfeiting, with casting being the crudest and most prevalent. Cast coins usually will show a seam along the edge of the coin, where the casting mold halves came together. They also will not have the same "ring" that mint struck coins have -- they will make a dull thud sound instead. More sophisticated counterfeiters will use electrostatic or other methods to duplicate the features of a coin to make a new die for striking coins with. This is harder to detect, but you will usually find that either the details will appear mushy, or there will be miniscule pitting on the surfaces of the coin. Due to the extreme rarity and value of the 1804 dollar, your coin will be highly scrutinized by all potential buyers. If you believe yours to be genuine, it is ESSENTIAL that you have your coin certified & encapsulated by one of the recognized certification services (PCGS, NGC, ANACS) before you attempt to sell it. Then, when you go to sell it, you need to work with one of the major national coin dealers (like Heritage, Superior, Stacks) to get your coin included (and featured) in one of the highly-publicized auctions held at the national coin shows. The more publicity your coin gets, the better the price you will get. QAId : 6061285 Subject : silver dime Question : I have a ...1944 silver dime ...it has I believeit to be the god "mercuery" he apears to have a ...winged helmet on his head. and some kind of ... monument or pillar on the back. any info? Answer from FAQ : 5898975 SILVER DIME 6/13/2001 The Winged Liberty Head or “Mercury” dime was minted from 1916 until 1945. It was designed by Adolph A. Weinman -- his monogram AW is found on the front of the coin, just to the right of Miss Liberty's neck. The wings crowning Liberty’s cap were intended to symbolize freedom of thought. The reverse blends a Roman fasces (ax surrounded by a tied bundle of sticks) and an olive branch, indicating America's military readiness but also their desire for peace. Specifications for the coin are -- diameter: 17.9 millimeters; weight: 2.5 grams; compostition: 90% silver (.07234 ounce), 10% copper; reeded edge More info can be found in my FAQ answer (below). QAId : 6080829 Subject : value of these Question : 1887-1890-1921-eagle silver dollar's Answer : I would need more information to give an exact appraisal. Pictures of both sides of each coin would be best, but at minimum I would need to know (along with the date) any mint mark each coin may have, the condition (grade) of each coin, and any damage, corrosion, rim nicks, cleaning, etc. Mint marks are located on the reverse, above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR. They could be "O", "S", "CC", "D", or no mint mark. The grade of the coin is more difficult to explain. It is dependent upon the wear the coin has encountered -- if any -- or the visible marks on the coin if uncirculated. You should probably compare yours to the pictures in the Morgan Dollar listings at eBay to get an idea of a grade : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/all/category11979/index.html I can say that common pre-1921 circulated Morgan dollars will be worth $6-$8 and circulated 1921's will be worth about $5. Uncirculated ones can run anywhere from about $10 for a 1921, to about $20 for mid-grade common dates, to thousands of dollars for high-grade rare dates. Once you determine date, mint, and grade, you can find an online retail price guide for your Morgan Silver Dollars here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/mordlr/frame.html Being a retail price guide, you should only expect about 70% of the prices listed for your coin, from a dealer. Also, more common date coins will command a lower percentage of their retail value, compared to rarer date coins, due to the lesser demand and thus slower inventory turnaround rate that they have. QAId : 6090631 Subject : Funny quarter? Question : I came into possession of a different quarter today. It is dated 1991. What caught my attention to it was the strange sound that it made when handled with other quarters. There was no ring to it and it sounded kind of muted. Something just was't right. I examined the edge and could find no evidence of a copper ring. The entire coin is silver in color. All other markings are similar to any other coin near its date. Could someone tell me what the significance of these different qualities is? Answer : The best explanation I can think of (without seeing the coin first-hand) is that your quarter was struck on a wrong-metal planchet -- like the planchet for a nickel or a foreign coin. This does happen, and these error coins are quite valuable. Try getting your coin weighed. It should weigh 5.67 grams. If it only weighs 5 grams, then there's a good chance it was struck on a nickel planchet. You should take your coin to a coin show and show it to several dealers. Seeing it first-hand should be enough to identify what exactly it is. You should be able to find a local coin show listing by following the links at the bottom of my show schedule page : You may be able to find something similar by looking through the error coin listings on eBay : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/listings/list/all/category524/index.html Try looking for wrong planchet coins. QAId : 6091226 Subject : 1907 dime Question : How much is this dime worth that is in good condition? Answer : 1907 is a common date for Barber dimes. In grade Good (most details worn flat, rim complete on both sides) it is worth about a dollar. In grade Fine (LIBERTY readable on headband) it is worth about $2 In grade Extra Fine (strong LIBERTY, all details just slightly worn) it is worth about $12 If uncirculated, it will probably be worth $70-$100 Above prices are for a 1907 dime with NO mint mark (as well as for other common-date Barber dimes). Prices will be higher if your coin has a "D", "O", or "S" mint mark (located on reverse, near bottom). If you find a mint mark, let me know, and I will send you the prices for that specific coin. QAId : 6131819 Subject : double stamped quarter Question : I know nothing about coin collecting. My father-in-law recently ran across a 1967 quarter that has been double stamped on the back with a dime. How can we find the value of this and how common they are? Answer : There is no price guide for this type of item. The only thing you can go by is rarity and interest -- experience. I would recommend you take your coin to a coin show and show it to several dealers -- that way you can find out exactly what you have -- whether it's a mint error (which may be very valuable) or something done after the coin left the mint (probably worth almost nothing). As with most error coins, your coin really needs to be inspected first-hand to determine this. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : Once it's determined what you have, if considered rare & valuable, you will want to get it certified & encapsulated. This is done by professional companies (like PCGS, NGC, or ANACS) for a fee, and makes your coin alot easier to sell. Then, when you go to sell it, the wider exposure to collectors you get, the more you will get for your coin. I would recommend listing it on eBay (auction site) and announcing the sale in the discussion lists for CoinMasters, WINS, the rec.collecting.coins news group, and anywhere else it is appropriate. QAId : 6150557 Subject : A really cool quarter Question : I have a "really cool" quarter. I don't know if it worth anything, but it looks special. It is a 1987 quarter, the best way to describe it is, the background is very, very shiny and everything that is written and the eagle and head are not. Those parts look like brushed silver. It really makes everything stand out. It does not look like it has been circulated much, I found it in a roll of quarters. It is shinier than any new quarter I have ever seen. Have you ever seen anything like this? People are really fascinated by it. I am just curious if it is a fluke or others exist. Answer : It sounds like you found a "Proof" quarter. You can verify this by verifying that there is an "S" mint mark to the right of Washington's head, like in the picture here : http://abacus.sj.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/3fbc6cd5e7c1a46fad757ea720/i-1.JPG Modern proof coins have mirror-like fields around frosted central designs. They were only issued from the mint in Proof Sets, so it would have to have been broken out of a set at some time for you to have found it in a roll. Since your coin has been lightly circulated, it would be considered an "impaired proof". This reduces its value to a collector. 1987 is a pretty common date for proof quarters -- a normal one will sell for about $2 -- a lightly circulated one will sell for about $1 QAId : 6164558 Subject : 1964 silver quarter Question : I would like to find out the approximate worth of this coin. It's very clean and not really worn at all. Answer : 1964 is THE most common year (and the last year) for regular circulation silver quarters. There were so many minted, that unless it is in absolutely perfect uncirculated condition, it will only be worth the silver it contains -- currently about 70˘ Even a nice uncirculated 1964 quarter only retails for about $2 QAId : 6167248 Subject : Dollar Bill mistake... Worth money? Question : I found a couple of dollar bills that have a star at the end of the #'s instead of a letter. I was wondering if this is a mistake from the mint? If so is it worth anything? Answer : What you have is called a "Star Note". It is a note that was printed to replace another note that was improperly printed and destroyed in the printing process. These notes are not errors themselves, but were printed to replace other notes that did have errors and so were destroyed by the BEP before they got out into circulation. The value for a Star Note will vary widely, from face value to hundreds of dollars, depending on the condition of the note and the rarity of the particular series (date). There are hundreds of these Star Notes up for auction on eBay at any time. Perhaps you can search through the listings to find a match for yours and see what it sells for. Current Listings are HERE. Completed Listings are HERE. QAId : 6167443 Subject : value of coins Question : I have a coin collection (US) that I wish to sell piecemeal on eBay. Where can I look up their values? Answer : Another good way to figure out what you'll get for your coins on eBay is to search the completed auctions for identical items. You can see what they've sold for at the same place you'll be selling yours at. Go to the U.S. Coins section : http://listings.ebay.com/aw/plistings/list/category253/index.html Then click on the category for your type of coin (like halves). Then if there's a subcategory on the next page (like Franklin), click on that. On this page, fill in the search box with the date you're looking for, but put an asterisk (*) right after the date (like 1951*), then click on the Search button. Using the asterisk will allow you to find all the listings for a certain date, regardless of which date/mint format the lister has used in his title. You want to do this because if someone lists a 1951 half from San Francisco as "1951S", you won't find it by searching for "1951-S" and vice-versa. Once you get a listing of current auctions, then click on the "Show Completed Items" link to see what prices were realized from closed auctions. Look at the listings that show a number of bids (not just a dash), and are for the same date/mint/grade coin as yours. Make sure that if there was a reserve price, that it was met, so that an actual sale took place. Follow this procedure for all your different coins, and you will get a good idea of what your coins will sell for on eBay. Remember, when you go to sell your coins, a good picture (preferably of both sides of your coin) will go a long way in helping to get the best prices for your coins. QAId : 6168375 Subject : silver certificate Question : I have a $5.00 silver certificate, series 1891 with a red stamp, worn with fold marks. could I get a "ball park" estimate of what it might be worth. Answer : If your note is worn to the point of being limp with heavy wrinkling & soiling, you could expect to get about $150 (or less) from a dealer. If it is considerably worn, with numerous creases & folds, and moderate soiling, but with a small degree of firmness remaining, then you should get about $300 from a dealer. If your note is still fairly crisp and only lightly soiled, with several major and minor creases and folds, it will be worth about $550 If it is mostly crisp, with only 2 or 3 creases, it will be worth about $900 If your note has any significant damage -- like missing pieces, rips, or stains -- that will significantly reduce its value. You may want to check out the eBay auction listings to see how much they've been selling for there : Current Listings are HERE. Completed Auctions : HERE. You could also take your note to a local coin show to get a couple first-hand appraisals from the dealers there. You may find a local show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 6185935 Subject : silver Question : I am enjoying the site. My question is -- I have acquired about 700 mercury dimes and several hundred "rosevelt dimes"--some are really nice pieces. What is the best way to dispose of them? I am for sure not a collector and know nothing about grading or collecting or thier values Answer : If your coins have the normal distribution that most accumulations of silver dimes have, 90% of the Mercury Dimes and 99% of the Roosevelt Dimes will only be worth the silver they contain -- currently about 25˘ each to a coin dealer, or about 30˘ each retail. If you do nothing but take your piles of dimes to a dealer, he will just count them and pay you for the silver value. However, if you want to take the time to sort through your dimes, there are some dates to look for that (if separated) will be worth more money. For your Mercury Dimes : First you need to locate the mint mark. If it has one, it will be on the reverse, near the rim, at about 7 o'clock, to the right of the "E" in ONE. It could be a "D", an "S", or have no mint mark. 1916-D is by far the most valuable, 1921-D and 1921 (plain) are also valuable dates. Any of these date/mints in ANY condition will be worth significantly more than silver value. Other that these, any coin dated 1931 or older, AND having complete raised rims on BOTH sides, should be separated from the rest -- they will be worth 50˘ to a few dollars each to a dealer. Lastly, any Mercury Dimes that look uncirculated (absolutely NO wear, bright & lustrous) should also be seperated -- these could be worth a couple dollars each. The rest will be worth silver value. For your Roosevelt Dimes : Unless in uncirculated condition (absolutely NO wear, bright & lustrous), there are really no dates that are worth a whole lot more than the silver value to a dealer -- there's just too many of them in existance. Any coins dated 1965 or newer is not silver -- you can spend them. Anything dated from 1953 to 1964 will only be worth silver value, unless they are absolutely flawless gem uncirculated coins. For those from 1946 to 1952, that are in uncirculated condition, you need to check for a mint mark -- located on the reverse, on the left side of the torch, near the bottom. It could be a "D", an "S", or have no mint mark. Separate out the following date/mints : 1946-S, 1947-D, 1947-S, 1948 (plain), 1948-D, 1948-S, 1949 (plain), 1949-D, 1949-S, 1950 (plain), 1950-D, 1950-S, 1951-S, and 1952-S. These will be worth at least $2 each, if in uncirculated condition. The rest will be worth silver value. Now, with the better coins separated, when you take your coins to a dealer, you will get the silver value for the common stuff and more money for the better dates. Upon examination by the trained eye of a dealer, you'll probably find that some of the better dates may get returned to the common pile, because of discovered wear on something you thought was uncirculated, or some kind of damage on a rarer date. But regardless of condition, the 1916-D, 1921-D, and 1921 (plain) will always be worth much more than silver value. As for finding a dealer, I would recommend trying a local coin show. There are multiple dealers in one location, so the competition will be greater -- and so the prices -- than at a coin shop. You may be able to find a local show listed in your local (or nearby) newspaper, or by following the links on my Show Schedule page : Your other alternative would be to list your coins on the eBay auction site. This will require more work to retail your coins, and there is no guarantee of what price you will receive -- it is an auction. It will require alot more time -- creating listings, taking pictures of each coin, emailing winners, processing payments, packing & shipping orders, dealing with deadbeats, etc. -- but it's possible to get more money overall (after eBay fees) than selling directly to a dealer. Being inexperienced, you will need to provide good, big pictures (of both sides) for all your better coins, and rather than guessing at a grade, state in your listings that the bidder can grade it for their self. This will allow you to avoid returns with excuses like overgrading and undisclosed damage. QAId : 6216557 Subject : 1952 Carver/Washington half dollar Question : This is not a phony coin.It's a 1952 George W Carver/Booker T Washington silver half dollar.On the front of the coin it has two faces one of Carver one of Washington. On the back it has a map of the United States. Any help is appreciated. Answer : You're right -- it is a genuine U.S. coin -- a commemorative half dollar. Actually, they are one of the relatively more common commemorative half dollars, available at virtually any coin show or coin shop. From the Red Book : Designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway, this coin portrays the conjoined busts of two prominent black Americans. Booker T. Washington was a lecturer, educator, and principal of Tuskegee Institute. He urged training to advance independence and efficiency for his race. George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who worked to improve the economy of the south. He spent his life teaching crop improvement and new uses for soy beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and cotton waste. Money obtained from the sale of these commemoratives was to be used "to oppose the spread of communism among Negroes in the interest of national defense." These coins were minted from 1951 to 1954 and 1952 was the most common year. They will range in price from under $10 for a well-circulated coin, to about $40 for a real nice uncirculated coin. QAId : 6221977 Subject : 1822 penny Question : what is it worth Answer : Assuming you are referring to an 1822 U.S. Large Cent, its value is as follows : If it's worn to the point that all the hair detail is gone, but you can still see LIBERTY and the rim is complete on both sides, it will be worth about $10 If the hair shows significant wear, but most of the detail still shows, and most of the details in the leaves (on back) still shows, then it will be worth about $25 If there is only very slight wear spots on the highest points of the hair and the leaves, it will be worth about $125 If there is absolutely no wear at all, and full original mint luster, it will be worth about $500 However, if your coin is in any way damaged, corroded, scratched, or cleaned, its value will be significantly lowered. If you think your coin has significant value, you should get it appraised by a couple of different dealers at a coin show. You may be able to find a local show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 6247550 Subject : Phone number Question : I live in Michigan, and would like to visit your store. Please send leave the number where you can be reached thanks Answer : I don't have a brick-and-mortar store, but I would love to have you visit me at a coin show. I set up at shows almost every weekend. My schedule is HERE. My phone number is 734-241-7004 QAId : 6260963 Subject : Placing order Question : How do I place my order Answer : To place an order from my website, simply send me an email with the list of coins you would like to buy, to : Working.Man@usa.net I will reply ASAP with a confirmation of the availability of the coins on your list. Since most coins are unique, for many of the coins I have listed, I have only one of them, and with setting up at coin shows almost every weekend, I need to verify that the coin you want is still available. My reply will also include an invoice and payment instructions. More information about ordering, terms, and payment options can be seen here : /ForSale/Terms.htm QAId : 6267359 Subject : coin collecting Question : Why is Lincoln facing to the right on the penny, and the other 3 presidents face to the left? Also, someone told me there is a sickle and hammer on the back of Washingtons' neck on the quarter. I think it is his hair. Who is right? Thank you, Mari Beth Answer : The direction that the figures on our coins face is purely by coincidence -- it's just the designs that were selected. The only thing on the back of Washington's neck is his hair, tied by a ribbon. QAId : 6298195 Subject : 1921 silver dollar Question : Is a 1921 US silver dollar worth more than a dollar and is it sellable. Answer : ANY U.S. silver dollar from 1935 or older is definately worth more than $1. At the very minimum, it will contain 3/4 ounce of silver -- currently worth about $3. However, silver dollars always bring a premium -- even the most common dates in well-worn condition 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, 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 consider the codition of the coin next. 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, etc. it will be worth $100, $200, $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 may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my Show Schedule page : QAId : 6306572 Subject : North Carolina Quarters Question : I have heard that the North Carolina's quarter was supposted to be "First in Flight" instead of "First Flight" that it was a misprint. Is this true ?? I cant seem to find any other information regarding this... Answer : Although the license plate on North Carolina automobiles does say "First In Flight", the design on the North Carolina normally says "First Flight". It has been a widespread rumor that the word "In" is missing from the quarters, but all that is is a rumor. The original design picked by the governor of North Carolina may have said "First In Flight", but by the time the folks at the mint finalized the design, the wording was "First Flight". So ALL North Carolina quarters are supposed to say "First Flight". You can see a picture of the correct design here : http://www.usmint.gov/images/mint_programs/50sq_program/states/nc/nc_winner.gif Almost all state quarters have undergone some kind of design change between the time the governor submits his choice and the time the design is finalized and dies are created -- whether the design change was political in nature or purely for reasons to make the minting of the coins more feasible. QAId : 6317311 Subject : wanna know something Question : what the cose for a 1884 one dollar coin or1879, or1943 halfdollar? i have them and i wanna see them. Answer from FAQ : 6080829 value of these 7/11/2001 In regards to your dollar coins, pleas read my FAQ answer below -- the same answer applies to your dollars. For the half dollar, it is a very common year. In circulated condition, it will be worth the silver it contains -- currently about $1.50. In uncirculated condition (absolutely no wear, bright & lustrous) it will be worth $20 to $30 -- you would need to get a first-hand appraisal from a dealer to be more exact. QAId : 6323239 Subject : Value of a 100% copper Quarter Question : Have you ever seen a 100% copper, half-thickness, washington quarter dollar? Answer : One of these just recently sold on eBay for slightly over $100 http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1262742919 QAId : 6327814 Subject : Barber Coins Question : I want to see what exactly what they look like and find out what the value is for certain dates. Answer : CoinFacts.com is an excellent place to get information about the Barber coins. Here are some links : Barber Dimes : http://www.coinfacts.com/dimes/barber_dimes/barber_dimes.html Barber Quarters : http://www.coinfacts.com/quarter_dollars/barber_quarters/barber_quarter_dollars.html Barber Halves : http://www.coinfacts.com/HalfDollars/barber_half_dollars/barber_half_dollars.html Retail price guides can be found online here : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/fmv.shtml http://pcgs.com/prices/index.chtml http://www.collectorusa.com/pricelinks.shtml QAId : 6339803 Subject : old coins Question : i have two old coins, would like to know if they are worth anything ? 1. 1881 silver dollar u.s. 2. silver coin u.k. with churchills face looks like a silver dollar or pound no date Answer : 1881 is a common date for Morgan Dollars -- unless it has a "CC" mint mark on the reverse above the "DO" in DOLLAR. With the "CC" mint mark, in circulated condition, it will be worth $80-$120 -- uncirculated, about $200 Without a mint mark, or with a "O" or "S" mint mark, in circulated condition, it will be worth $8-$10 -- uncirculated, $20-$30 As for the Churchill Crown, it is VERY common, barely collectible, and worth about a dollar. QAId : 6349347 Subject : Hawaiian 1/4, 1883 Question : I would like information about Hawaiian coins in general as I just discovered they existed. Also info re: the coin I have, the 1883 Hawaiian quarter. Answer : From the Red Book : There are only five official coins that were issued by the Kingdom of Hawaii. These include the 1847 cent issued by King Kamehameha III and the 1883 silver dimes, quarters, halves, and dollars of King Kalakaua I which bear his portrait. The 1883 eighth dollar is a pattern, and the 1881 five cent piece was an unofficial issue. After Hawaii became a U.S. Territory in 1900, the legal tendere status of these coins was removed and most were withdrawn and melted. Owing to a lack of small change on the islands, other early tokens were widely accepted and circulated freely. Information & pictures of Hawaiian coins can also be found online here : http://www.coinfacts.com/hawaiian_coins/hawaiian_coins.htm Current eBay listings are HERE. Completed eBay auctions : HERE. If you really want to learn about Hawaiian money, you should get the book featured here : http://www.hawaiicollectibles.org/medcalf.htm QAId : 6373899 Subject : rare stamped penny Question : I have a penny that was stamped only half it is from 1982. both side's are halfmoons I was wondering if it is worth anything.. Frances Cortes Answer : It sounds to me like you have an off-center struck cent. Compare it to the picture here : http://www.toad.net/~wcs/ebay/0820.26.jpg Or here : http://abacus.sj.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/121f25f8e8758a6a876692643e/i-1.JPG If what you have is like this, it is caused by the blank planchet only getting partially inserted into the press when it was stamped. These are quite common and worth a buck or two. QAId : 6407082 Subject : hello Question : do you have a quarter that is printed on a gold dollar material do you have one if not how much is it worth Answer : I haven't heard of any quarters stamped on golden dollar planchets, but I have heard of golden dollars stamped on quarter planchets (worth about $1000). There are less than 10 known examples of the golden dollar / washington quarter mule coins. They were stamped on a golden dollar planchet, with Washington's head from the new quarter design on the front and the golden dollar's eagle design on the back. These have sold for $30,000 to $60,000 each. If you have what appears to be one of these error coins, I recommend you take it to a coin show and show it to several dealers for their opinions. There is a good chance it is counterfeit, and they can help tell if it is. If they feel it is real, you should get it certified by one of the major services -- PCGS, NGC, or ANACS. You may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my show schedule page : You can find links to the certification services' websites here : http://www10.ewebcity.com/monroecoinclub/Links.htm QAId : 6408250 Subject : coins Question : Value of a new millenium silver dollar. The head side of this coin has A lady Liberty walking. Over her shoulder is some stars, A flag? It has Liberty across the top, In God We Trust on the right side, and the date at the bottom, 2000. On the left side bottom, the sun is coming up with sunrays shooting out. The tail side of this coin has the words THE DAWN OF---. At the bottom of this coin it says, ---A NEW MILLENNIUM. Right above this in small letters it says, 1 Tr. Oz. .999FS. The picture in the center is the sun rising above the clouds with sunrays shooting out. Answer : What you have is a very common, widely distributed silver round -- technically not a coin. It was minted by a private company as a bullion piece, NOT by any country as a unit of money. It contains one ounce of silver, and its value is based only on the value of the silver it contains -- currently about $4.25 -- so for your round to increase in value, the price of silver must go up. QAId : 6426156 Subject : Gold Plated Bicentennial Medal Question : I would like to know if the Gold Bicentennial Medal (the bottom one on the auction page) was minted in solid gold. The one that I am enquiring about is supposed to be 37% of an ounce of .900 fine gold. This medal is 1/2 ounce and is 7/8 of an inch in diameter. Any information will be helpful. Answer : Thank you for your question, but I'm not really sure what you're asking. If you are referring to the Gold Plated Official National Bicentennial Medal that I have listed on the "Other Coins" page of my website (the bottom one on the page), that one is not solid gold -- it's just gold plated over bronze -- and it's 1.5 inches in diameter and weighs slightly over 1 ounce. However, the U.S. Mint did make these medals in solid gold (90%) with the same design, in different sizes -- I believe there are 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, 1 ounce, and another one that is much larger. I'm not sure of the specifics, but I do know the mintages were VERY low, making them worth significantly more than the metal content. I've only seen 3 of these in the past couple years -- 2 on eBay and one I owned for a few minutes and sold to a friend who collects them and was overjoyed to receive it. The only other information about the medals is contained on the certificate that comes with the gold-plated medal, viewable here : /ForSale/Pics/BicenMedalCert.jpg The two that were on ebay ended more than a month ago, so I can't find them in the listings anymore, but they were both for the solid gold medals you inquired about, and I'm sure they sold for more than $125 each. Answer : I did just find two current auctions on eBay for these medals : A) .42 oz. of 900 fine gold http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1270553765 B) 1.3 oz. of 900 fine gold http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1270553719 Answer : I have recently acquired one of the small solid gold medals, and have it for sale for $135 If you're interested, or want more info, please contact me directly at Working.Man@usa.net QAId : 6439849 Subject : 1869 shield nickel Question : is this nickel worth any thing. Answer from FAQ : 6065885 How to find value of a coin? 7/9/2001 1869 is a relatively common date for shield nickels -- worth about $10 circulated and $60-$120 uncirculated. Please see the answer in my FAQ (below) for more info. QAId : 6463205 Subject : What is my 1884 Morgan Dollar worth? Question : ACG Rated MS-66? And who will buy it for the best price from me? Answer : If you want to get anywhere near the price for the grade listed on your "Slab-O-Satan", that's gonna be TOUGH! You've either got to have gotten lucky enough to get one of the few slabs that is accurately graded (but I doubt it) or you'll have to find somebody with a lot of money (and greed) and very little knowledge about coins. And that's just NOT good business. Unfortunately, I think you're stuck with it -- or at least stuck with a big loss. There is a page of eBay completed auction listings for MS-66 "Slab-O-Satan" Morgans HERE. You can see from this that VERY FEW sell for anywhere near the wholesale value of the grade listed on the slab. Many sell for 10%-15% of listed values. Almost all of them sold for the price of a coin AT LEAST one full grade lower than what's on the slab. And I'm afraid your 1884 will be no exception. With greysheet values of $700-$770 in MS-66, $195-$220 in MS-65, and $42-$46, it would not surprise me one bit if your coin sold for less than $50, were you to put it up for auction on eBay. There are wide-spread frequent discussions on the rec.collecting.coins newsgroup about this slabbing company, its practices, its shortcomings, how its owner slabs his own coins and sells them under a different name, etc. Quite a shady operation, IMHO. You can read & post to the newsgroup here : http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&safe=off&group=rec.collecting.coins Another thing about them, is they do not guarantee what they slab. There is nothing you can do about their mis-grading service, except NOT BUY their slabs. They don't even guarantee their slabs to contain authentic coins! I know people with counterfeit coins that were slabbed by them! There are many collectors that simply will not buy from nor sell to anyone who deals in these slabs. They skip by their eBay listings and walk by their show tables without even looking. There was even a website that listed eBay sellers to avoid -- mostly because they sold these slabs, and also because they had questionable business policies. I don't see the page out there on the internet now, so I don't know if it's moved or just taken down. All this has led to somewhat of a boycott of these slabs by informed collectors. So all that leaves for buying them is the (unfortunately) uninformed. To save your own peace of mind, you are probably going to have to take the coin to a coin show, so it can be inspected first-hand. Show it to several dealers, and accept the best offer. Then chalk it up to experience. Hopefully, this way it will get cracked out of the slab and sold for its real value, so that no future collector gets stung by the "Slab-O-Satan". You may be able to find a local coin show listed at : http://www.coinshows.com/ I wish you luck with your coin. Hopefully, it's really at least an MS-65 -- so you can get close to a couple hundred dollars for it -- and not just a cleaned AU-58 (which has been known to be mis-slabbed by that company). QAId : 6463242 Subject : uncirculated state quarters Question : I am interested in obtaining uncirculated state quarters. Do you know who sells them? Answer : I have (or can get) any state quarter you want, in Brilliant Uncirculated or Proof condition, single coins or rolls. For details, see my 50 State Quarters page : /ForSale/Quar50St.htm QAId : 6479553 Subject : MERCURY COIN Question : I HAVE A 1935 MERCURY COIN WITH WHATLOOKD LIKE TO BE CROWN ON IT WHAT IS IT WORTH Answer : I'm not sure what you mean by a crown, but if your coin looks normal, it will be like the ones in the pictures here : http://www.coinfacts.com/dimes/mercury_dimes/1938_dime_obv.jpg http://www.coinfacts.com/dimes/mercury_dimes/1934d_dime_rev.jpg A normal, circulated (worn) 1935 Mercury Dime is relatively common. It will be worth only the value of the silver it contains -- currently about 25 cents. If it is in uncirculated condition -- absolutely no wear, no dirt, lustrous, and mainly mark-free -- like the day it was minted, then it will be worth about $5 if it has no mimtmark, about $15 if it has an "S" mintmark, or about $25 if it has a "D" mintmark. The mintmark would be located on the reverse (as seen in the picture) to the right of the letter "E" in ONE. Answer : If your dime looks different than the one in the pictures, please send me either a picture of both sides of it, or a detailed description, and I will try to figure out what it is. QAId : 6502968 Subject : rare coin Question : what is the value of a 1809 half cent copper coin and conmemorative coin of george washington (1789-1797)both with a hole? Answer : An 1809 half cent, in average circulated condition, without a hole, will be worth about $25. The hole makes it much less desireable to collectors, so its value drops to $5 or less. The George Washington "coin" sounds like some kind of privately issued presidential medal -- probably minted in the 1970's. If it's made of silver, it will be worth about $5. If copper-looking, it's may have a novelty value of about $1. To be sure, I would have to see pictures of both sides of it. If you can send pictures, let me know, and I'll give you the address to send them to. QAId : 6505802 Subject : 1869 shield nickel Question : what is the value of the shield nickel Answer : 1869 is a relatively common date for shield nickels. In well-worn condition, it will be worth $8-$10 In lightly-worn condition, it will be worth $25-$40 In original mint uncirculated condition, it will be worth $60-$120 QAId : 6506228 Subject : Liberty diimes Question : I have about 30 liberty dimes ranging in date from 1924 - 1945, I am trying to see what they might be worth. How would I go about doing this? The coins are in good condition. Answer : Generally speaking, circulated Mercury dimes from 1934-1945 will be worth only the value of the silver they contain -- currently about 25 cents each. For older dates, and for those in better condition, you can check the retail values in this online price guide : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/prices/mrcdim/pricesgd.htm Mint marks (D or S) will be located on the reverse, to the right of the "E" in ONE. QAId : 6509168 Subject : half dime Question : I have a 1857 half dime I was wondering what a coin like that goes for? Answer : 1857 is a relatively common date for half-dimes. Its value will depend on its condition : If it's worn to the point that the rims merge into the stars or lettering, or if the coin has been damaged, cleaned, scratched, holed, or corroded, it will only be worth a couple dollars at best. If the rims are complete, but there are very few design details visible, it will be worth $7-$9 If the details are mostly complete, including a strong LIBERTY, raised scroll, and only light wear on the highest points of the design, then it will be worth about $30 If the coin looks like new, with absolutely no wear and nice mint luster, it will be worth $110 or more, depending on contact marks. First-hand appraisal by a qualified grader would be required to determine exact value. QAId : 6509431 Subject : dollar 1865 Question : i have a one dollar silver coin with washington bust on one side.year is 1865 below the bust & the words 'liberty' on top and the motto "in god we trust" to the left. on the reverse is the eagle with out streched wings and "one dollar" at the bottom. minutely i can see"facsimile" with a lens could u give me some imformation about this coin? Answer : There were no U.S. silver dollars in 1865 with the design you described, and I did not find any evidence of any pattern pieces that would match either, so I didn't know what design your coin could be -- until I looked at eBay. The word "facsimile" means "copy". A number of private minting companies make copies of rare coins and also fantasy coins (made-up designs that never really existed) -- yours is one of these fantasy coins. The design from a Washington quarter was altered to make this coin. I found one of these fantasy coin facsimiles currently listed on eBay : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1275082951 The seller is asking $24.99 for it, but it currently has no bids. Personally, I think that's a bit high -- $10-$15 is reasonable. I also found another fantasy dollar facsimile, from an indian head cent design, listed on eBay here : http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1275083131 Same thing, different design -- although this one doesn't look like it has "facsimile" or "copy" stamped into it like yours does. QAId : 6519326 Subject : US Coins Question : Which US coin was known as the "King of American coins" and what year was the coin actually minted? Answer : "The King of American Coins", as quoted by B. Max Mehl, is the 1804 Bust Dollar. With just 15 authentic examples known, this coin has set many price records for rare coins over the years. There is a TON of information about it on The Dollar of 1804 web site : http://www.1804dollar.com/ BTW, these coins were actually struck at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia some time in late 1834 or early 1835. QAId : 6529827 Subject : Coin Collecting Question : I would like to know the value of a 1921 D half-doller( Good Condition, able to see a the detail and still has the notches on the sides. Answer : 1921-D is one of the key (rarest) dates for Walking Liberty Halves. In well-worn condition (breast worn flat & few details visible in eagles wings) it is still worth over $100. If most of one breast is outlined, and about half of the eagle's wing feathers are visible, then it will be worth about $200. If one breast is fully outlined and almost all of the eagle's wing feathers are visible, then it will be worth about $500. If both breasts are fully outlined and all wing feathers are well-defined, it will be worth about $1400. If all details are complete, with barely any visible wear, it will be worth about $2000. If there is absolutely no wear whatsoever and nice mint luster, it will be worth $2500-$4000 or more -- first-hand inspection by a qualified grader would be required to determine exact value. Above estimates assume your coins have no damage, cleaning, significant scratches or dings, corrosion, or other problems -- any of these will significantly reduce the value of your coin. QAId : 6562070 Subject : SILVER COINS Question : HAVE SILVER COINS NEED TO KNOW VALUE OF SAME Answer : Based on the current price of silver, generally speaking U.S. silver coins will be worth 2.5 to 3 times their face value -- that is $2.50 to $3.00 for every dollar's worth of silver coins. The exact amount varies as the price of silver varies. This applies to all dimes, quarters, and half dollars from 1964 and older -- these are 90% silver. Half dollars from 1965-1970 are only 40% silver, so with the exception of the rare 1970 half, they are worth about 60 cents each. Silver dollars (those from 1935 and older) will be worth considerably more than silver value for their collectable value. Nickels from 1942 to 1945 are also silver, and are worth about 15 cents each. QAId : 6599127 Subject : 1857 one cent piece Question : I have a ?silver or steel? penny that is clearly dated "1857". It is distorted in areas. but,it looks as though it has a fist on the front (?holding some kind of seal or stamp?) and the word "united" is bearly legible around the edge. The reverse side is in better condition and features the centered words "One Cent" surrounded by a wreath of some sort. The whole thing seems civil warish. It was left to me by my grandpa. Can you tell me anything about this coin? Thanks Answer : Without actually seeing it, all I can say is that you have some kind of Civil War token -- probably classified as a patriotic. There were hundreds of different kinds of them made by private companies throughout the United States during the Civil War era. I know a Civil War token expert, and if you can send a magnified picture of both sides of the token to him, I'm sure he can identify it and appraise it for you. His name is Ernie and you can email him at ernster4@aol.com QAId : 6617929 Subject : Liberty Nickels Question : Where can I find out about Liberty Nickels and their value? I have quite a few and am thinking of selling them. Answer from FAQ : 6065885 How to find value of a coin? 7/9/2001 The first thing you need to do is get your coins accurately graded. I would recommend you buy a copy of "The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins", available directly from Amazon here : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307090973/theworkimansrare On the ones dated 1912, you also need to check for a "D" or "S" mintmark -- those can be worth significantly more -- it's located on the reverse, next to the dot between UNITED and CENTS. See this picture : http://members.w-link.net/~tntcoins/1912nickelcoinb.jpg Once you know the dates, grades, and mint marks you can look up values in the price guides. Please see my FAQ answer (below) for more details about evaluating your coins and links to online price guides. QAId : 6622167 Subject : silver Question : I have 2 George Washington 250th Ann. of birth, coins. The paper in the box says 90% silver Commemorative Half Dollar 1732-1982. How much are these worth? Answer : The George Washington Commemorative was the first of the modern commemoratives -- those issued since 1954 -- and the first 90% silver coin produced by the U.S. Mint since 1964. It contains slightly more than one-third of an ounce of silver (currently worth about $1.50), but has a significantly higher collector value. I regularly sell these for $5-$6 each. QAId : 6650113 Subject : i have a 1907D silver dime whats it worth Question : i have a 1907D silver dime what is it valued at? Answer : 1907-D is one of the more common dates for Barber Dimes. Its value will depend on its condition. If it is worn flat, with the rims merging with the letters, it will only be worth the silver it contains -- currently about 25 cents. If it is almost worn flat, with almost no details remaining, but the rims are complete on both sides, it will be worth about $1 If there are leaves visible in the headdress and the word LIBERTY is readable, then it will be worth about $5 If there is just light wear overall, it will be worth about $25 If it looks brand new -- like the day it was minted -- it will be worth $200 or more. First-hand appraisal by a qualified grader would be required to determine exact grade and value. The above prices assume your coin has not been cleaned and has no significant damage, corrossion, major marks or stains, etc. -- any of which will significantly reduce its value. QAId : 6650168 Subject : what is the meaning of the head side of nickel Question : what is the meaning of the head side of nickel? Answer : The head side of a nickel (or any other coin) is the side of the coin that has the person's portrait on it. On a nickel, it's the side with Jefferson's head. On a quarter, it's the side with Washington's head. And so on. QAId : 6651276 Subject : old coins Question : myfather left a partial collection of coins mostly quaters and pennies the quaters date anywhere from 1873 to 1930 and the pennies dates are 1864 to 1964 where would i find a play to sell them at if they were worth anything some are wore and some has good details thanks for your time. Answer : There is a strong possibility that some of the coins you have could be quite valuable. Before you take them somewhere to sell them, I would recommend you purchase a guide book to look up what you have, to see if you have any rare dates. A $10-$15 investment in a book could pay off many times fold. I suggest "A Guide Book of United States Coins 2002". It's a good overall book about U.S. coins, and will provide you with info, grading specs, and retail price lists for all your coins -- you can see if you have anything really valuable. It's available directly from Amazon here : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582381658/theworkimansrare Once you've determined if you have anything valuable, you will be armed with knowledge, and won't end up giving away something worth $100 for $1. Normally, from a dealer, you can expect 50% (for common dates) to 75% (for rarer dates) of the retail prices listed in the book. Once you've looked over what you have, then take them to a coin show and get offers from 2-3 different dealers, and take the best offer -- as long as any rare dates you've got have been taken into account. I don't know where you live, but you may be able to find a local coin show by following the links on my show schedule page : QAId : 6661534 Subject : 1885 US silver dollar Question : I own an 1885 US silver dollar (Liberty Lady/Peace Eagle) in excellent condition. What would I reasonably expect to receive for this coin should I sell today? Thanks. Answer : You need to look at the back of the coin to see if there is a mint mark -- that could make a big difference in its value. The mint mark (if there is one) will be located directly above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR. It will either be an "O", an "S", a "CC", or no mint mark. Values : Lightly worn, with a "CC" mint mark it will be worth about $200, any other mint about $10 Uncirculated, with an "O" mint mark or no mint mark will be worth $15-$25, "S" mint mark will be worth $100-$150, and "CC" mint mark will be worth $220-$250 These values assume no significant damage, corrosion, or cleaning. To be any more specific, I would need to see the coin first-hand to appraise it. QAId : 6738559 Subject : value determination Question : What is the most reliable way to find out the value of and sell old coins? Answer : The best way to find the value of your coins is to take them to a coin show and have at least 3 different dealers appraise them for you. However, if you have hundreds of coins, you can't expect free appraisals at a show -- the dealers simply don't have enough time to do that. You can take a part of your collection, or a good sampling, for an appraisal. But to get a large collection appraised, you need to make an appointment with a dealer(s) to do it. They usually charge by the hour. Taking a sample to a show is a good way to feel out the dealers there to see which one(s) you feel comfortable with. You may be able to find a local coin show at http://www.coinshows.com You can (of course) then sell your coins to the dealer who gives you the highest appraisal -- and likely any appraisal fee would be dropped. Another alternative is to search the online auctions (like eBay & Yahoo!) to see what identical coins have been selling for there. Just keep in mind that while you may (or may not) get higher prices there, there is significantly more work -- and fees -- involved with selling there. But before you do anything, you may want to refer to a coin book or online price guide to help determine if you have anything really rare -- just so you know in advance. Online Price Guides : http://www.numismedia.com/fmv/fmv.shtml http://pcgs.com/prices/index.chtml Good overall book for U.S. coins : http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582381658/theworkimansrare |
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