Any Coin Collectors/Experts?

[CurtEgerer]

My grandfather who passed away about 20 years ago was a coin collector. He left behind many, many coins. At one time, he had numerous coins from 300-400 B.C. as well as the tooling that made them! Those were all donated to a museum years ago. Anyway, I finally - after 20 years - got around to going through some of the coins last weekend. It is shocking how little value any of these coins have.

Example: a silver 1525 coin from Medieval Hungary rated "Very Fine" condition. So nearly 500 years old A little google searching found them available for as little as .... wait for it ..... $15. Some of these dealers have coins dating back to the 1300's for as little as $8! Even some of the B.C. stuff can be had for $50/coin. I was joking with my mother that the old cigar boxes that the coins are in are probably worth more than the coins. Believe it or not, they are Some of the 60's era cigar boxes are worth $20 and more.

How can a paper cigar box be worth more than a 500 year old silver coin? Supply and demand I suppose but holy crap

I may just put everything back in the boxes and go work on my cars ....

[onlycafe]

around here people seem to like american coins.
maybe hungarian coins are worth more in hungary?

[BRPORSCHE]

Maybe Hungarian coins are worth more to Hungarians?

Curt, Mind selling it to me?

[azasadny]

It seems that only "special" coins are worth anything, not just very old coins... I used to think that "old" meant "valuable", but that's just not the case with most things, even if they're in excellent condition. My friend has a Roman era wooden bottle that's probably more than 1000 years old and he said it's worth a "couple hundred dollars". Amazing!

[masraum]

I agree. If he's got a bunch of American coins from the 1800's, then your going to be looking at value. Personally, I'd find the really old stuff interesting, but my interests aren't always mainstream. I "collected" coins when I was a kid, but I don't think anything I've got is worth much. Everything I've got was either found in a pocket or bought at a coin shop.

[peppy]

The so called coin collectors around here just want the silver and copper in them.

[CurtEgerer]

The most valuable coin I've found so far is a 1868 Greek King George Drachma that appears to be worth $500 or so. The majority of the collection is American coins. In general, those seem to be worth even less. He's got boxes full of Indian Head pennies from the late 1800s and early 1900s. There's 17,000 of them for sale on eBay right now ranging in price from 99 cents to $24,000 There are so many variances, I don't even know where to start in figuring it out, much less finding the time to examine 1000's of pennies.

Lots of American silver dollars and 1/2 dollars - no value there at all. I'm just getting started, but I wonder if eBay has devastated coin values like it has for so many other collectible items?

[CurtEgerer]

Originally Posted by masraum

Personally, I'd find the really old stuff interesting, but my interests aren't always mainstream.

Same here. Sure, it would be nice to find that $20,000 penny but I just find it really cool to have a 500 year old coin. That's probably the oldest manmade thing I've ever handled. To think that it dates back to medieval times is fascinating. There's military currency from WWII. There's Nazi money. There's German coins with Count von Hindenburg on one side and a zeppelin on the other that are awesome looking.

Here's one of the dealers who sells the ancient stuff:

www.ancientcoinsco.com

[masraum]

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

The most valuable coin I've found so far is a 1868 Greek King George Drachma that appears to be worth $500 or so. The majority of the collection is American coins. In general, those seem to be worth even less. He's got boxes full of Indian Head pennies from the late 1800s and early 1900s. There's 17,000 of them for sale on eBay right now ranging in price from 99 cents to $24,000 There are so many variances, I don't even know where to start in figuring it out, much less finding the time to examine 1000's of pennies.

Lots of American silver dollars and 1/2 dollars - no value there at all. I'm just getting started, but I wonder if eBay has devastated coin values like it has for so many other collectible items?

I'd expect American silver dollars and half dollars from the early to mid 1800s to be worth a bit. From the early 1900s, not so much unless you get one that is somehow rare.

Check out one of the Coin Collector Value guides. You'll have to go through each coin 1 by 1 to find the "special" ones. Anything else isn't going to make you rich.

[abisel]

Coin values are based on the base metal value (gold hit $1500/oz today), the condition, how many were minted, the strike quality, and rarity.

For example, a 1920-S 20$ gold Double Eagle has a minimum value of $1350 since the coin contains 90% gold. And if it's condition is a Mint State (MS) 65, it has a numismatic value of $325,000.00. Now, there were more minted in San Francisco (558,000) than Philadelphia (228,250). So why is the S worth 4 times that of the P? Rarity.

Look here for coin prices of US coins:
PCGS - Price Guide

NGC Coin Price Guide

DO NOT CLEAN THE COINS NO MATTER WHAT!!! That will subtract from its value. Have it cleaned professionally by one of the above. Not a coin dealer.

Keep looking at what you have.

I got this coin a couple years ago on ebay for $1500 ungraded. It isn't graded yet, but my best guess at grading make it a Very Fine 35 worth $6500.

[on2wheels52]

From my limited perspective, you're out of the mainstream of what is commonally bought/sold.
If you brought that kind of 'stuff' to me I wouldn't have a clue as to whom to refer you to.
Jim

edit
I've yet to have someone bring in one of those abisel, I believe they are known (amazingly enough) as bust dollars.

[CurtEgerer]

Thanks a lot for those links. I guess I've got something to do with my free time for the next few years ...

[pwd72s]

Reminds me...I need to go to a coin shop & pick up a few cheap indian head pennies...want to use them atop a set of custom joint protectors for my playing cue. Heads for the cue, heads for one shaft, tails for the other, so I can easily tell the shafts apart without pulling them from the case.

Haven't made up my mind between those and mercury head dimes yet...

[J P Stein]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Reminds me...I need to go to a coin shop & pick up a few cheap indian head pennies...want to use them atop a set of custom joint protectors for my playing cue. Heads for the cue, heads for one shaft, tails for the other, so I can easily tell the shafts apart without pulling them from the case.

Haven't made up my mind between those and mercury head dimes yet...

I'll send you some indian heads for free. Mercury dimes are $3.18 a pop....silver went up again today....or should I say the U$D went down?

A PM will get ya there..

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

.Haven't made up my mind between those and mercury head dimes yet...

My vote is for the dimes or one of each.

[jrdavid68]

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

Lots of American silver dollars and 1/2 dollars - no value there at all. I'm just getting started, but I wonder if eBay has devastated coin values like it has for so many other collectible items?

The old 90% silver dollars and 1/2 dollars are selling at about 30x face value right now. Rare dates and varieties would bring more.

Here's another link that could be helpful for the U.S. coins: Current Melt Value Of Coins - How Much Is Your Coin Worth?

All of the denominations have rarities that bring higher values, but it does take time to go through collections and rarely are there any home runs found.

It might not sound like much fun to you, but I would love to go through a collection like that. Let me know if you need any help.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by J P Stein

I'll send you some indian heads for free. Mercury dimes are $3.18 a pop....silver went up again today....or should I say the U$D went down?

A PM will get ya there..

Free is a very good price... PM sent

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by masraum

My vote is for the dimes or one of each.

I have some "junk silver", so think I have the dimes covered. When JP sends the pennies, I'll just have to spread all the coins out, and think about it...

[wdfifteen]

I collect money with images of trucks or tractors on it. So if you have any in your collection I'd be interested. I have a few of Russian, Chinese, Bulgarian, and Irish bills and coins.

[on2wheels52]

Who is paying $31.80 x face? Kitco offers $28.95 (actually $1.15/gram, they buy by weight rather than x face value).
Jim