topic Re: value of old coins in SmorgasBoard

value of old coins

bucket851 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:38:42 GMT

Are there any coin collectors out there, or anybody who might know of a website where I could get an idea of how much certain old coins might be worth?

I just acquired a 1937 "winged helmet" dime. I'm thinking I may have hit a goldmine !

Re: value of old coins

llecs — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:32:37 GMT

Ahhhh... a fellow numismatic. I picked up the hobby after my grandfather passed along much of his collection. It was a very successful business for him, though I'm barely an amateur at it.

I've used the Professional Coin Grading Service (pcgs.com) and E-bay (great for figuring out what the market is dictating).

I take it your dime is a Mercury dime? The value is largely based on the minting and the quality.

http://www.pcgs.com/prices/PriceGuideDetail.aspx?MS=1&PR=1&c=703&title=Mercury+Dime

Re: value of old coins

bucket851 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:40:44 GMT

Thanks Ilecs. I'll check that out.

I briefly googled 1937 Mercury dime & didn't have much of a chance to click on some of the links, but as I was skimming over them, I saw some comments that lead me to speculate that it may be only worth a buck or two :smileysad: I'll have to do more research on it...

I stumbled upon it by chance. I was getting coffee & breakfast on my way to work, & when the lady at the drive-thru window gave me my change, there it was! :smileyhappy:

Re: value of old coins

llecs — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:44:04 GMT

I check my pockets all the time too. Found quite a few finds. Recently found in circulation a 1976-S Quarter minted in silver. It looks like the standard bicentennial quarters out there, but has a brilliant shine. Also found a 1945 Steel penny. During the war, copper was in limited supply, so the gov't printed pennys with zinc-coated steel. Finally found a $10 note after visiting a restaurant made in 1929 issued by a bank in NY. It looks counterfeit, but had the serial number checked out.

Others in my collection include a 1985 dime that was cut in half, through the thin middle, and glued to another cut dime resulting in a coin that has two tails. It probably wasn't cut, but maybe sanded down. But it was precisely attached to the other half to where it looked like a normal dime. Even the ribbed edges matched perfectly. Finally, I inherited a 1944 D penny that had a portion of the first "4" sanded to reveal a "1". It was made to look like a 1914D penny that is valued at over $100k today.

Re: value of old coins

Imhotrodcrazy — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:36:40 GMT

llecs wrote,

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Also found a 1945 Steel penny. During the war, copper was in limited supply, so the gov't printed pennys with zinc-coated steel.

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I have a lot of those old war time pennies. I still remember using them during and after the war as a kid, and well into the 1950's. I must have an envelope full of them. Don't know why I have kept them all of these years. Also, I have 2 books of the "war ration stamps". Interesting the things we keep.

Re: value of old coins

deepwaterescue4u — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:07:30 GMT

Go to www.half.com and buy the Coin Red Book it is a good one to give you the best or closest guess of the $ amount the book should be less than $12.00..

Re: value of old coins

Repo-ed — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:28:15 GMT

Still just a couple collectors here?

I just finished up my BU collection of ASEs (ungraded) and picked up a 1871 Seated Liberty Quarter today and MAY pull the trigger on a 1904 gold walking liberty. Man....I'm just not sure which direction gold is going to go in.

Somebody invest in Gold around here? Any thoughts?

Bought a LOT of copper this week, to include a 10lb bar; can't wait for it (and the other pieces) to arrive!

Re: value of old coins

pipeguy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:12:13 GMT

Industry standard pricing is the graysheet http://www.greysheet.com/

The specific listings are different every other week (2 week cycle), so be sure to pull the one for Merc dimes (its not free but not much $$).

Of course the best daily reference is to watch eBay over the course of 1-2 weeks - make sure to check completed listings too. With coins "condition" is everything, date and mint mark too, but especially condition. Whatever you do, do NOT clean the coin - bright and shinny have little to do with condition.

Re: value of old coins

Repo-ed — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:00:51 GMT

Been collection for sometime. Been a member on coincommunity for some years now.

Would never clean a coin :smileywink:

Re: value of old coins

crunching_numbers — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:41:20 GMT

pipeguy wrote:
Industry standard pricing is the graysheet http://www.greysheet.com/

The specific listings are different every other week (2 week cycle), so be sure to pull the one for Merc dimes (its not free but not much $$).

Of course the best daily reference is to watch eBay over the course of 1-2 weeks - make sure to check completed listings too. With coins "condition" is everything, date and mint mark too, but especially condition. Whatever you do, do NOT clean the coin - bright and shinny have little to do with condition.

My father in law was a coin dealer. Greysheets are commonly called "bid" sheets. Expect to get less than you see listed, as those are not what a dealer will GIVE you, but the price a dealer will CHARGE, and might still be marked up higher than bid. If you are interesed in coin grading, "Photograde" is a great reference.

Re: value of old coins

Brian_Trying_700 — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:38:01 GMT

Umm. I have been a coin collector since 1994. i was a Baseball card collector, but after I got into coins. My grand father Pre 1867 and then my father 1923 cica. I'm 3rd generation. I would like to know whats is worth. Im not talking Susan B Anthonys either. I just dont trust anyone. Also major stamps collection. I never got into it.