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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,600 |
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New Member
United States
41 Posts |
Okay, I confess: I'm not a collector. But I need advice from coin people, so I hope you can tell me where I should post. Maybe Modern U.S. Coins? I've recently unearthed an informal collection started decades ago, not rare collectible coins, but mostly just ordinary coins (mostly quarters and half-dollars) from the era of silver, which I gather is pre-1965, plus a jumble of foreign coins. I'm hoping that in one of the forums here I could ask: 1)Does anyone have a recommendation of particular places in Manhattan that would give me the best prices for silver coins? 2)Someone suggested to me that I look directly for a buyer to bypass a retailer. Is this realistic, given that these coins aren't at all rare? If so, what would be a good route? (I don't buy-sell in online places like ebay, but I could post in places like Craigslist.) 3)Are there websites I should check for the shifting value of silver/gold? Thank you in advance for any help. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
627 Posts |
Hi there.
Go to Google and search for "Silver Coin Melt Value Calculation". You will find a calculator that allows you to calculate this information.
If you can read the date off of the coins and know the denomination, it will tell you how much the silver in the coin is currently worth. You won't get full melt value from a dealer for the coins, but you should normally get somewhere between 80% to 90% of melt value, depending on the coins. For example, suppose you have 7 quarters from 1964. This calculator tells you that given todays prices you have $44.22 in silver. I'd suspect that a dealer would pay you around $35 to $40 for those quarters.
I hope this helps.
Edited by brg5658
11/08/2011 5:16 pm
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Moderator
 United States
187950 Posts |
 to the Community! I moved your topic to the Main Coin Forum for a broader audience. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
Oh how I wish I could unearth a collection of coins like that...wait a minute! I did just last year. LOL Now I'm hooked. I started looking up coins on the net, then I took one to a show to get it graded then I went to coin club meeting and then next thing you know...I'm a collector. Never sold one. LOL I am sure you can find a club in Manhattan and you will meet somebody there who can help you. If you decide to sell to a dealer, go to a show where you can take the coins around to a few dealers to get prices all in one day. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
666 Posts |
Since you're a self professed non collector, and since this is a decades old collection I'd hold off on assuming that what you've stumbled into isn't rare. In the last few years there has been a growing focus placed upon varieties inside modern coinage. This being the case it could very well be that there are some hidden gems in your collection that have gone unnoticed by the original collector.
If there's anyway you could take some pictures of what you've got and post them on here, the ccf community could probably give you a much better idea of what the most profitable route would be.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8904 Posts |
Quote:
If there's any way you could take some pictures of what you've got and post them on here, the CCF community could probably give you a much better idea of what the most profitable route would be.  100% You have come to an invaluable information source for dealing with your new collection! (And we like doing it!) I really recommend taking some pictures of your coins and posting them. (Photobucket is a pretty good source for this and it's easy). There are plenty of people who will buy your coins. BUT, for you to get what you deserve (and the original collector would probably want you to do), you have to get smart on what you have. Selling to the first offer is probably a bad idea.  The best way we can help you is with pictures of your coins. Plus we like pictures!and to the Forum! |
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Valued Member
United States
58 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
My suggestion is to just take your time and look things up. Although you may not be a coin collector, you may end up wanting to start such a hobby since you already have something to start that costs nothing. You should really acquire a Red Book by Whitman Publishing so you could get an idea of what you really have. You could spend more time on this forum and ask questions about what you have. Eventually you would have enough posts and/or replys to buy/sell right here and no problems with other on line web sites. And during this process, you may find a pile of new info, a fun hobby and a lot of interesting, educational and sometimge irritating friends.  |
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New Member
 United States
41 Posts |
My goodness! I never expected all these nice replies! Thank you all so much. Let's see... Thanks, BRG, I'll look at the Melt site, although I suppose that ultimate the problem is to find a good dealer. Unfortunately, I can't do pictures. I'm very low-tech. But when it comes to the international coins, perhaps I can describe them well enough so that someone can give me a clue. I doubt that they're valuable, likely only of interest to someone from another country who might like as a souvenir a coin from 50 years ago. I showed one to a coin person, a U.S.-minted Filipino coin, which he said was essentially worthless. To be honest, I doubt there's enough to make me want to really "educate" myself. (Although naturally I daydream that there is accidentally a coin in there that's worth thousands.) The quarters seem to be going for, at most, $200 for a roll (although I had one price as low as $120). They're mostly from the 1960s, but some going back as far as the 1930s, although naturally those are in worse condition. I leafed through one or two books from the library and it didn't seem as if those were anything special. Buddy, I did immediately think of looking for a local club. But the one Meetup in NYC hasn't had a gathering since 2008! And I don't see anything else (via Google). I guess none of you lives in New York City? Again, thank you all so much for all the welcoming input!  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
Sorry there aren't any active clubs near you.
Good luck with selling the coins. My best advice -- take your time. And I have heard that you will get a better price selling one at a time rather than the whole bunch at once. I haven't sold a thing, never even tried, so I don't know if this is true.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
548 Posts |
If you spend the time educating yourself about the value of various coins, you're gonna get hooked. Tee hee.  Good luck and nice find. |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,600 |
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Posted 11/08/2011 6:14 pm
