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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,868 |
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New Member
United States
2 Posts |
My mother cashiered at our grocery store for years and would entertain herself by saving coins she thought were unusual in some way. These would be US coins and before 1969 when she died. I've had them for 40 years and now I want to categorize and value them to decide what to do with them...or those that are worth collecting. There are hundreds of coins but can't guess the number any closer than that. Any suggestions on how to proceed? |
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Moderator
 United States
15425 Posts |
First of all .....  My advise ...... separate them by denomination ..... cents, nickels, dimes etc ...... then order them by date ..... then ask lots of questions here at the CCF about the dates you have. It's impossible to offer any specific advise until we know what you have. You can (and should) purchase a standard reference book ..... I suggest the Red Book of US coins 2010 ..... you can find it at your local bookstore for $15 and it will most certainly get you started to know what you have. Keep us posted. David |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2150 Posts |
First off , I joined this forum a few years ago and I have to say I am still amazed at the wealth of information here. In my opinion I would say that you should first invest in a U.S. coin RedBook it will give you general info and pricing for US coins. Second we always welcome inquiries posted on here, any coin you are unsure of post a pic and you will most likely have an answer to the grade and value within a few minutes. You've come across a great site with alot of friendly and helpful people that will share there knowledge on a wonderful hobby. P.S. DONT CLEAN ANY OF THE COINS!! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2150 Posts |
Sorry nickelsearcher must have been typing at the same time!
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Moderator
United States
15425 Posts |
Yep ... and we said the same thing. Brilliant minds think alike I say.  Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2150 Posts |
Quote:
Brilliant minds think alike I say EXACTLY!! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Dimes, quarters and half dollars before 1965 are worth 10-12x their value in silver content alone. Half dollars 1965-1970 are 40% silver and worth more than their face value also.
Beyond that, you'll need to look up prices in a price guide for special dates amongst all the coins.
I'd inventory them by date and mint-mark if possible. If you post the list here, members will help you identify key dates that may hold special value.
Ken
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
Welcome to CCF.Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to here and post photos,we like coin photos  .There is a wealth of knowledge here to help you. John1  |
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New Member
 United States
2 Posts |
Thanks for all the good advice. I've ordered the Red Book 2010 and will get busy categorizing by denomination and then by year. I wish I had lots of spare socks to put each denomination in for starters. I used to collect stamps, global, and really loved it. So many interesting side tracks to run down...this will, no doubt, be as fun. |
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Valued Member
United States
84 Posts |
If you are considering keeping the coins, you could find a coin shop near you or an online supplier and order some basic supplies such as 2x2 holders or maybe some coin folders to begin with, the as you start to become familiar with what you have you can decided weather you want to upgrade to some better coin albums, but for starters 2x2's and folders are very inexpensive and will get you going in the right direction as far as organization of your collection.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
NO, NO don't listen to them. Send all those coins to me and you will no longer have to worry about them.  Most likely most have already said the more important things. However, myself being cheap, I would suggest you first look around at used book stores, flea markets and/or any place that may have an older issue of the Red Book. Mostly the priced in that book are about two years in the future. By that I mean their prices on coins are way over. So if you found a 2008 Edition, the prices of your coins would be more as to what they really are. Also, an older issue would be a lot cheaper to buy. And remember one important thing about coins. Regardless of a date and/or mint mark being common, there may be errors on that coin. Error coins are sometimes worth many, many times more than a normal, every day coin. For example if any of those coins appear to be looking like they are doubled, it may not be what your drinking. It may well be what is called a double die. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
 Now, with the formalitite over, get down to "brass tacks". don't clean any coins, no matter how "dirty " you think they look. Next, take your time going thru them, and use plastic tubs for the sifferent denominations. Tubs, I refer to as the containers that you buy sour cream, etc in, usually in the Deli. If you need something bigger, then buckets. Kust don't toss them in as tho they were rocks. You collected stamps. Good,! You had to be alert for details there, that were very small,,and hard to locate. Do the same with the coins. There are errors, and there are varieties. Both can be quite valuable. If there are a lot of lincoln cents, you can find a gold mine of info on the varieties ac coppercoins.com. It is free, like this one, and you will see many familiar faces. ENJOY! Dick |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,868 |
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Posted 01/10/2010 7:23 pm
