My Recent Coin Collection.

Sorry but..
I wouldn't pay you anything near that not knowing whats in there, my bid $150 because of the books. If you showed us some of the errors and listed the rest then who knows how high it could go.

quantity doesn't equate to value you know that right? Meaning 10,000 wheat pennies isn't going to be worth thousands while 1 single key date Wheat penny could be worth $$$.

Better pics and more detailed description please.

I would start with the silver coins in the 2 x 2 slabs. Maybe mark on the borders what they are and a grade guess? Then break out your RedBook to see a possible retail price.

Good luck! You may very well have some nice coins in there.

I don't live in that area so I cannot help. I can suggest that if there is a dealer that carries the PNG designation, he is probably one of the more trustworthy individuals you could find.


Try your favorite search engine. Put in COINS and your zipcode and see what comes up.

As for error and variety coins, many can be misidentified. The big ones to look out for, penny cent wise are a lot of doubled dies from the following years; 1955, 1969, 1972, 1980

You can go to http://www.ngccoin.com/vp-categories.aspx

That place lists a lot of potential errors and sometimes can offer a picture of the coin. It may not reveal how much they are worth.... But;

http://www.pcgs.com/prices/

Will list prices. On the PCGS links above, open a coin you want to look over. PCGS typically lists business (regular) coins first and then the proof coins and specials at the bottom of the list. IF there is a + PLUS sign in the column to the FAR LEFT, that means there may be a variety for that year. For exmaple;

From pcgs link above open up the Lincoln Memorial cents. Navigate to the year 1972... just the year, NOT the 1972 doubled die listing. There should be a plus sign next to the 1972 listings for the different toning...red....red/brown and brown. You can see the pricing of each variety of the 1972 Doubled Die Obverse ( DDO) there. On other years you will see Doubled Die Reverse ( DDR) and Repunched Mintmarks (RPM). Some links may offer pictures as well. This way you can educate yourself a bit and also get a general idea of what you have.


I can help Identify the cents/pennies errors if any exist. As others have already mentioned, you will need to take nice clear pictures of these coins if you want help here.

Simply drape some sheer cloth over a light to help illuminate a coin, or take a few outside in non direct sunlight. if your camera has a MACRO or closeup setting, turn that on, its usually referenced by a flower symbol. Don't over zoom on the coin, but get as close as you can. I typically do not zoom any closer than 2.0x.

This site requires files under 100KB per picture. You can use your favorite picture editing tool to get the size down, crop as needed. Or, you can use a site like drop box to post pictures, then simply copy and past that link into your post. Preview the post prior to posting it for good. If you use a site like dropbox, then there is no size limitation and this site will automatically adjust the sizing for you.

Errors and varieties thickens your blood. if you can survive in that arena, you can survive just about anywhere in collectibles.

People have used scanners, a cheap 40-60 dollar microscope, expensive microscopes, a digital camera with at least 8 megapixels, and some have been quite creative. The type of tool you want to investment is one you can afford and feel comfortable using. I personally use 2 different AmScope stereo microscopes, one cost me 145 bucks, the other well over 4 times that. I've invested alot in the equipment and continue to do so because it makes finding the varieties and errors alor easier. With the microscopes my son and I managed to pull out every single 1972 doubled die out of two 1972 5,000 count bag and by doing so, maybe our money back and a good fistful of profit. With my choice - the microscope, I can usually go through a LOT of coins in a short period of time, with the right lighting its easier on the eyes and you only need a stereo microscope that goes from say 3.5x up to 30-40x. To me anything higher than that is a waste. You might be able to find a microscope at a thrift shop or other location at a decent price.

Most of the community here is willing to help and provide guidance when we can. I am straight up, I won't sugar coat something when it comes to collectibles. You'll hear the blunt truth from me 90% of the time. If I don't know, I will say exactly that. I don't know it all, and we all learn something new each day. So DON'T get frustrated. many of us have websites or even examples of coins to show in order to make the searching a little more fun and comfortable.

In our last post, it seems like you already have a good start on categorizing your collection. Its important to put a side a few of the exmples and feel free to refer to them to see if what is in your hand resembles the reference. You hit it right on the head - the better the pictures, the more likely we can give you our best educated guess of what that coin is. Coop is an highly educated and informative mentor on this site, amongst many others. All will offer encouragement and advice, but its up to you to keep your head up and keep looking for those elusive coins. Being diligent and persistent will pay off - sooner or later !    = )

I like cents. So, I will research a year I want to buy rolls or bags of that year and mintmark. I will look over the websites that offer educational material, like http://www.coppercoins.com and http://www.doubleddie.com and look over what type of varieties are in that year/mintmark. People will buy from ebay alot, and the only encouragement I can give to you on that is this advice - If you buy from ebay, try to find a buyer who isn't a coin dealer, and that sells alot of different items. If they sell a limited amount of coins, there is a SLIGHT chance that they may have not searched through coins to pull out any potential varieties. so some one who might be a pawn broker on ebay, or sells toys, coins, dishes and other collectibles might be a good choice.

I've been doing collectibles and coins for well over 35 years, and it still humbles me every once in a while. The BIGGEST thing to remember is, if the potential error / variety shows some sort of marker (ie die gouge or whatever) look for those first. Not all of them will show every marker - some may not show any markers at all. In the past year, I have been blessed - I have made purchases of penny bags that have over-produced varieties. But, on the "free" side of the house, the Penny Boxes I get from the banks tend to be - in Coop's infamous words - "Duds". So, I stick to what I know how to do, and thats find a reputable seller, haggle prices and if the lead produces, keep purchasing what you can afford.


Keep Searching when you have the time and desire. Good Luck !