"warning - Beware!" Using Phone Apps To Assess Value Of A Coin!

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 802
jackson12345 Valued Member Canada 71 Posts	Posted 12/19/2025 11:03 pm I am quite new to this discussion forum so forgive me if this topic has already been mentioned. But then again I think it's important enough to restate. I have been using different android phone apps to quickly go through piles of coins and pick out just the valuable ones. I found one that was easy to use, gave quick results and let me build a catalog of my collection. Yesterday I came across a site with very high post-auction sale prices on their results. So I began to wonder if the app would estimate a price close to what these coins sold for. Here's what I found. A particular Chinese coin sold for 3 million. So I took front and back photos of that exact coin online, but I also increased the grade level for my app grader and prices which should increase the value of my coin over the 3 million. Get this - the app results then told me I had a $297 coin!!! Not even close. The purpose of my post is not to bash the coin apps, and I'm not a competitor downplaying another. My warning and lesson from this would be - don't quickly scan and rely on one app to research your coins. You may be throwing out a 3 million dollar coin! Photo examples attached. Merry Christmas everyone, and I know it's wonderful to have all our beautiful coins, but may you all have the gift of good health and happiness! Report this Post to the Staff

bobby131313 Forum Dad United States 24147 Posts	Posted 12/20/2025 08:40 am Yup, they are horrendous. All of them. Shop CCF Members on eBay. Report this Post to the Staff
nss-52 Moderator United States 54280 Posts	Posted 12/20/2025 08:51 am AI is only as good as its programmers allow the data to be accessed, and to be prioritized. Show your financial support of the Coin Community Family (click here) See my topic on Mexican Numismatic Medals (click here) Report this Post to the Staff
BStrauss3 Pillar of the Community United States 4587 Posts	Posted 12/20/2025 10:57 am The prices are garbage... GIGO In the best case, they are showing prices without regard to grade and combining slabbed vs. raw. In the worst case, they are also combining rare varieties in the quoted prices. Take a 1943 cent, minted in Philadelphia. It's worth face or a few cents more in low grades. Slabbed (ignoring the $30 cost of slabbing), it's worth $1 or so circulated, $11 in MS60, and $35k in PCGS MS68+. In the best case, the app shows $1-$35k. In the worst case, the app includes the two known PCG MS62 bronze planchet errors at $435k price guide. -----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ Report this Post to the Staff
scopru Pillar of the Community United States 5029 Posts	Posted 12/22/2025 08:04 am AI can do some cool things - but should ALWAYS be viewed critically to ensure the results make sense. The examples of AI fails are countless. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187446 Posts	Posted 12/22/2025 5:25 pm AI coin assessment has a long way to go before it even reaches the "trust, but verify" stage of use. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
Dearborn Moderator United States 94636 Posts	Posted 12/25/2025 11:04 pm I avoid anything AI related aps for coins completely, with one exception - My app helps to identify coin of foreign lands that I cannot read. It gets me in the ball park and then do my own research after that. Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
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"Warning - Beware!" Using Phone Apps To Assess Value Of A Coin!