1864 S Seated Liberty One Dime Seated Liberty

Welcome to Coin Community, sirelothar. I'm sorry to have to meet you under these circumstances, but as you might imagine we frequently see new members who have just inherited coins without knowledge of them. So, with that in mind, I'm going to cut straight to the chase here:

This coin is almost certainly worth more than $1000. Few were minted - 230,000 - and they are vanishingly rare in Uncirculated condition. I tend to agree with dsfreeworld's belief that this is an Uncirculated coin. I see no wear in the places I would first expect it to appear. It is very strongly-struck for this date; the detail in the hair and the ribbon bow on the reverse is superior.

It is imperative that this coin be treated like the important piece of American history it is. It must not contact any other coin, or indeed anything save a mylar flip or something similar to hold it. Do not hold it other than by the edge. Further, in order to maximize the value and preserve it for the future, it should be sent to a reputable Third Party Grader ( TPG) for authentication and grading.

I hate to put it this way, but this coin is going to force you to learn some of the details of numismatics. I don't know your current level of expertise, so please ask any questions necessary regarding what I've just said.

Thank you all for the help! I am learning about this as much as I can just googling and such. Most of these were not really her coins, but her fathers. Both of them were born and raised in Germany so an abundance of the coins are from there. I have posted a few pictures of European coins I need help with identifying in the Identification forum here as well. I had no clue what the coin was worth as I am not interested in selling them unless the need calls for it. It's not a collection she really ever brought up, but it was part of her fathers so I'm not going to just up and sell it for some quick cash. I will be learning as much as I can about all the intricacies over the course of time. I am trying to catalog all of these and put them in some protective casing since they were all mostly sitting in tackle boxes and piles inside of old potato sacks. Thank you all again for the nice welcome, if I find any more old USA coins I will be sure to post them!!

Excellent. This is all good to hear; it means you don't have to learn everything you need to know in the next week.

First thing: If you don't already have them, order up a set of mylar flips to hold raw coins. Here's the caveat: These flips are also (cheaply) made of a plastic which includes PVC, a substance which makes them "softer." You deal with PVC often; if you've ever bought a new shower curtain, that "new" smell is PVC. This is not a good thing for coins. The outgassing byproducts of PVC are chemically reactive with almost every coin metal, particularly copper and silver, and will inevitably damage the coin if left in contact for more than a week or two.

So you want to ensure that any flips you buy contain no PVC. They will be described as "mylar," "archival," or something ensuring that they do not contain PVC. This is the specific brand and type I use:

http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/pro...ips-2x2.html

I trust both the Saflip brand, and this particular dealer, without question. Doesn't mean you have to use them, but I strongly urge Saflips. Quick test: if the flip will fold over and stay closed with the weight of the coin on top, don't use the flip. You should have to crease it between fingernails to make it stay closed; that's what PVC does to plastic.

The other alternative is the traditional 2x2 (other sizes available) cardboard flip. They are almost always cardboard and mylar, quite safe, and perhaps more popular than my choice of storage. They will require a stapler to seal, and preferably a stapler which flat-clinches instead of the "usual" curved clinch of an office stapler. One uses these with a sense of more permanency than plastic flips; their nice regular shape lends itself to easier bulk storage in boxes designed for the role. You'd additionally need a bespoke stapler, of course.

I use what I do because I tend to remove coins fairly frequently for photographic study and such. Either method I've presented is perfectly acceptable from a numismatic standpoint.

I can't speak to your European coins - not my specialty - but hopefully we'll have a member or two who can help you there.

If you want a few flips that are used to submit coins for grading, just message me your address by clicking on the icon in this post that show an envelope. I'll send you 4 or 5 for free. They are good for temporarily storing coins or shipping them for grading. Here's what they are: http://www.pcgs.com/store/p-18-safl...n-flips.aspx

Ahh, but if that is true then moderating gives you a life!

Sorry to hear about your grandmother. Yes, learning about the collection would be the best course of action. Learn as much as you can about grading, and the different coins available.

Love that dime!

And

Uh, if you find stacks of coins like this one, you just hit the lottery.
I would recommend carefully undoing the rolls and placing each one a saflip.
If they are all like the one above, you need to do a bulk submission.

You can always buy plastic coin tubes to store them in.
That's what I'd do.