Does Your Coin Collection Contain Any of These Valuable Coins or Notes?

Coin collectors who are interested in selling coins, especially coins received through an inheritance or as part of an estate, oftentimes are unfamiliar with the type of coins and notes that are included in their collection. The amount of information available online can be overwhelming. And, unless you have a substantial amount of time (and interest) to research the coins in your collection, you may not know where to begin. This article will highlight the most common coins and notes that we see in our day-to-day dealings. We want to share the items that may potentially have value and those that don’t.

You should sort the coins by type or denomination, such as pennies, nickels, and dimes. Additionally, sort and separate your gold coins, silver coins, platinum coins, foreign coins, and paper currency. Below are coins and paper notes, separated by type or denomination, that are typically of value and are of interest to most coin dealers.

Pennies

Nearly all coin collections that we evaluate or discuss with customers contain pennies or cents. These coins range in value from a few cents to tens if not hundreds of dollars. Large Cents minted in 1857 and earlier, Flying Eagle cents produced from 1856 to 1858, and Indian Head pennies produced in 1909 and earlier all have some value. Additionally, uncirculated rolls of Lincoln wheat pennies minted in 1958 and earlier as well as key date wheat pennies, such as 1909-s, 1909-s vdb, 1911-s, 1914-d, 1922, 1931-s and 1955 double die can have significant value. Unfortunately, most common date wheat pennies and copper cents produced from 1959 through the present day are not valuable coins.

Nickels

There’s a common misconception that all U.S. nickels minted in 1964 and earlier contain silver value. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Silver war nickels minted from 1942 to 1945 are the only nickels that contain silver content. These coins only contain 35% silver and have somewhat limited value. Most other Jefferson nickels are more or less face value coins. Buffalo nickels minted in 1938 and earlier, V nickels minted in 1912 and earlier, and Shield nickels produced in 1883 and earlier all contain value and are of interest to most coin dealers.

Dimes and Quarters

U.S. dimes and quarters minted in 1964 and earlier contain 90% silver. These are some of the most commonly traded coins in the coin industry. These coins are sometimes referred to as “junk silver,” as their value is primarily derived from the underlying silver content of the coins. All Seated Liberty dimes and quarters minted from 1837 to 1891 are premium coins that sell for above and beyond their silver value. Additionally, there are several key date Barber coins, Mercury dimes, and Standing Liberty quarters. However, most Roosevelt dimes and Washington quarters are common date coins that sell merely for their silver content.

Half Dollars

Similar to dimes and quarters, half dollars minted in 1964 and earlier contain 90% silver content. However, unlike dimes and quarters, half dollars produced from 1965 to 1970 also contain silver content; albeit, at a reduced purity of 40% silver. 90% silver half dollars are also commonly referred to as “junk silver.” Unless in uncirculated condition, most Franklin and Kennedy half dollars merely trade for their silver content. Common date average condition Walking Liberty half dollars are also traded for their silver content. But, high-end condition and better date coins will sell at a premium. The same goes for Barber Head half dollars minted from 1892 to 1916. All Seated Liberty half dollars produced from 1837 to 1891 are considered premium valuable coins unless they’re substantially worn or damaged.

Silver Dollars

U.S. silver dollars minted in 1935 and earlier are 90% silver and contain value above and beyond their underlying silver content unless they’re substantially worn or damaged. Peace dollars produced from 1922 to 1935 tend to have less value than Morgan silver dollars minted from 1878 to 1921. However, both coins have key date or low mintage coins that can be quite valuable. All Trade dollars produced from 1873 to 1885 and Seated Liberty dollars minted from 1840 to 1873 are premium coins. Silver dollars produced prior to the Seated Liberty dollar, including Flowing Hair and Draped Bust silver dollars, sell for hundreds of dollars, if not more. Unfortunately, most modern issued U.S. silver dollars, such as Eisenhower silver dollars, Susan B. Anthony silver dollars, Sacagawea silver dollars, and Presidential silver dollars have very little value, if any, over their face value, although there are, of course, exceptions.

Silver Coins and Bullion

Most countries debased their coinage of silver in 1964 or earlier. However, many government mints produce one-ounce silver coins for investors and collectors. Some of the more popular options include American silver eagles, Canadian silver maple leafs, Austrian silver philharmonics, British silver britannias, Mexican silver libertads, Chinese silver pandas, and Australian silver kangaroos and kookaburras. Additionally, private mints produce pure silver rounds and bars referred to as silver bullion. Governments issue coins; however private entities issue bullion. All coins and bullion composed of silver content have value and are of interest to coin dealers.

Gold Coins and Bullion

Many people don’t realize this, but, prior to 1933, U.S.-issued gold coins were used in general circulation. Common denominations include $1, $2.50, $3, $5, $10, and $20 coins. Some of these coins have collector or numismatic value, while others trade primarily for their gold content. With gold hovering at around $1,500 at the time of this writing, any gold coin has some value.

Gold coins have not been in circulation for quite some time. But, government mints have produced modern bullion gold coins for years. Some of the more popular gold coins include American gold eagles and buffaloes, Canadian gold maple leafs, South African gold krugerrands, and Austrian gold philharmonics, just to name a few. Private mints have also been producing gold bars and rounds for a number of years. Some of the more popular producers of gold bullion include Pamp Suisse, Credit Suisse, Perth Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, Heraeus and Sunshine Mint. All gold coins and bullion are of interest to coin dealers.

Foreign Coins

Generally speaking, most modern-issued foreign coins not composed of precious metals are not valuable coins. Additionally, since the introduction of the Euro in 2002, many foreign coins are now obsolete. So, they’re not even worth the face value of the coins. At the time of this writing, people trade these modern foreign coins in the wholesale market for only a few dollars a pound. While in the U.S., coins typically produced in the 19th century have some collectible or numismatic value. However, that’s not necessarily the case with foreign coins. Many foreign countries have produced coins and currency for hundreds of years, making older coins quite common. While not a hard and fast rule, foreign coins produced in the mid-19th century or earlier tend to have some value.

Paper Currency

Many coin collections contain paper currency or paper notes. U.S. bills that contain value are typically those produced in 1928 and earlier. Bills produced after this time tend to be quite common unless they are R & S Experimental silver certificates, small-size National Bank Notes, $500 and $1,000 Federal Reserve notes, or World War II emergency-issue bills, such as those produced for Hawaii and North Africa. Regardless of the year, large size U.S.-issued notes and gold certificates contain value unless they contain substantial damage.

In addition to the above, obsolete currency, such as Confederate bills, state-issued bills, bank-issued bills, and railroad-issued bills all contain value. In most cases, these bills have hand-signed signatures. So, if your bill appears to have an original signature versus a photocopied signature, then it is likely authentic. While, of course, there are exceptions, most modern-issue foreign paper currency doesn’t contain much value.

Summary

Those are some of the most common coins, bullion, and currency that we see on a routine basis at Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers. Visit our blog to stay up to date on relevant various topics affecting the valuable coins and bullion industry.

In addition, as a leading coin dealer in Atlanta, we frequently are on the phone with customers and prospective customers. We ensure they have all their questions answered. Contact us at 678-922-4909 if you need any further assistance.