WHAT ARE YOUR COINS WORTH? – East Coast Coins and Collectables (2024)

FAQs

How do I find out what my coins are worth? ›

One of the best resources for finding the worth of a coin is a book that's known as The Official Red Book which is titled as “A Guide Book of United States Coins” this book is invaluable when collecting coins and will provide you with information such as mintages, grade values, auction records, and information on the ...

The 40% silver Kennedy half dollars of 1965 through 1970 are also worthwhile treasures. Any of these silver coins are likely to turn up searching rolls, bags and boxes from the bank. Bronze and steel Lincoln cents also warrant attention. The 1943 bronze Lincoln cent is a coveted rarity worth $100,000 and up.

If you're a currency collector, you know the answer already: yes, there are some dollars and coins that carry a higher value than the U.S. Mint printed on them originally. Pennies adorned with wheat, for example, could be as worth as much as $1,500 if the date next to President Abraham Lincoln's head is just right.

Defining each category is relatively easy: vintage coins are generally considered to be 1964 and earlier, while modern coins are usually 1965 and after.

CoinFacts (PCGS mobile app)

PCGS claims they're the industry standard for grading and valuing coins. One of their most popular is “CoinFacts.” The app is 100% free and provides accurate, up-to-date information on the pricing and value of different coins.

CoinSnap is a powerful mobile application that utilizes AI-driven image recognition technology to accurately identify any coin within seconds! The identification process is relatively straightforward.

Roosevelt Dimes (1946–1964)

The Roosevelt dimes minted before the Coin Act have premium silver content and can be worth much more than their face value. They are characterized by the image of President Roosevelt, as their name implies.

According to Cointrackers.com, certain pennies that were minted in 1943 and 1944 top the list of the 25 most valuable pennies for coin collectors in 2023. The 1944 steel wheat penny could be worth as much as $408,000 in mint condition, and up to $10,000 in average condition, the site said.

Selling to a local dealer is one of the easiest options; it doesn't require any shipping, minimum values, or extra hassle. You get paid up front for everything, hand it over the counter, and you're done.

1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar: $13,311,850

But over two centuries later, this rare coin has achieved the status as the most expensive coin in the world. The Flowing Hair Silver Dollar was the first US silver dollar coin, minted from 1794 to 1795.

Should you clean old coins before selling? ›

Don't clean your coins! Not only does this cut their value by as much as half (or possibly even more), but it will be an immediate deal-breaker for many dealers who would've otherwise wanted to buy your coins if only they were left in their original condition.

Since 1909, the penny had been made with 95% copper. But because copper was getting more expensive in the 80s, they decided to make the penny with copper-plated zinc instead (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper). Because of this decision, some of the pennies in 1982 were made of bronze, while others were made of zinc.

Coins with old age have a higher value, especially those struck before 1965. Coins struck between 1932 and 1964 comprised silver composition, whereas those struck between 1965 and 1998 encompassed copper-nickel clad.

US dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars were minted in 90% silver until 1964. Produced to save nickel for the war effort, war nickels 1942-1945 are 35% silver (silver nickel production started part way into 1942). Half-dollar coins minted between 1965 and 1970 are 40% silver, but from 1971 on, contain no silver.

Old Coin Value

They all have value equal to the face value stamped on them, but many have added collectible value, which can come from any number of factors. Some have value because they are old or scarce and are in remarkable condition. Some have value because they contain Silver or Gold or some other Precious Metal.

1. 1932 D MS 66 Washington Quarter. The 1932 Washington quarter is one of two dates with mintages under one million, making it the key date and rarest in the series. The Denver mint produced only 436,800 silver specimens, worth $141 to $1,228 in circulated condition.

Place coins in a bowl and pour 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup of lemon juice to cover the coins. Let the coins soak for at least 5 minutes but not more than 15 minutes. Remove the coins and gently scrub the residue with the toothbrush. Rinse the dirt off with water and dry with a cloth.

“There are millions and millions of wheat pennies and most commonly they trade for three-to-five cents a piece. If you're looking for a particular date, it can be much, much more than that. The rarest is the 1909 VDB. Those can be worth anywhere from $700 to $1,500 depending on the coin's grade.

The world's largest encyclopedia of U.S. coins now fits in your pocket and is 100% free to use.

What is the best way to track coin collection? ›

Choosing how to catalog your coin collection often comes down to your preferences. If your collection is relatively small, you may only need to keep records in a notebook or on index cards. For larger collections, you might be better off using a spreadsheet or software designed for coin collectors.

Should no letter be present, you may be in luck. Because of this error, this particular 1982 “No P” dime is considered rare and could be worth up to $2,000 (or even more).

U.S. 90% (or "junk") silver coins are dimes, quarters, or half dollars minted in 1964 and earlier, when U.S. coinage was still made of real silver (90% silver, 10% copper).

It's from 1999 and could be worth $4,500 thanks to a little-known error on it. What you want to look for is a 1999 penny with no mint mark, which means no letter under the year on the heads side. As for the tails side, that's where you have to look closely.

1943-D Bronze Cent

The most valuable wheat penny is the 1943-D struck on bronze at the Denver Mint.

Most Quarters are worth only their face value (worth 25 cents), especially if they are worn out.

1803 Draped Bust Silver Dollar - This is one of the rarest and most valuable coins, and only four of them are known to exist. Each of these coins are worth around $1 million if they are in good condition.

What is the most rare American coin? ›

1999 Wide "AM" Reverse Lincoln Cent

This variety is known for three dates, 1998, 1999, and 2000, with 1999 being the rarest. The mint erroneously used a proof die to strike standard circulation coins.

Cleaning an old coin would remove the patina or toning that helps make it even more unique and visually appealing. Removing this effect can significantly reduce the value of the item. The other main reason you shouldn't clean old coins is that you can easily damage them.

Before cleaning old coins, consider that appraisers and coin experts suggest not cleaning collectible coins yourself because the coins may lose their value. Using chemical cleaners or scrubbing the coins can leave behind scratches and marks, easily seen by a skilled coin appraiser.

The salt and acetic acid in vinegar do the trick. Hot sauce, like Tabasco or taco sauce, also will remove the oxides off pennies. As in ketchup, salt and vinegar are both in hot sauce. co*ke and off-brand colas will quickly remove the tarnish.

What Makes a 1964 D Penny Rare? A 1964 D penny is considered rare for a few reasons. First, only about 1% of all pennies minted in 1964 were of the D-mint variety. Second, the Denver Mint, where the D pennies were made, had a higher-than-average number of coins rejected due to quality control issues.

The Most Expensive Penny

The 1943 copper-alloy cent is one of the most enigmatic coins in American numismatics — and reportedly the most valuable Lincoln penny of all.

That said, the rarest of the 1982 pennies is the 1982-D small date penny. There's been, so far, only one discovered. The penny is worth 2¢ in its circulated version but very expensive for the rare uncirculated version. Not too long ago, a 1982-D small date bronze penny was auctioned.

The Most Valuable 1970 Washington Quarter: The $35,000 Quarter. The most famous and most expensive 1970 quarter is the 1970-S quarter struck on an 80% silver 1941 Canadian quarter. This unique coin has been appraised at a whopping $35,000!

Have you ever heard of rare error quarters? These rare coins can be worth a lot of money. For example, last year the U.S. Sun reported that a rare 2000 George Washington quarter sold for more than $200. This quarter was part of the Washington State quarters series, which ran from 1999 to 2008.

1976 25C Struck Through Cloth

There are known Bicentennial quarters that were obstructed by a piece of cloth when being produced. The obverse of the coin features a weaving pattern, making them unique and very valuable. An example in MS66 conditions was sold for $881.25 in an auction.

What year half dollars are worth money? ›

Most Walking Liberty half dollars are common date coins, but a handful of these coins can be quite valuable, especially in high-end or certified condition. Some of the most popular and sought after dates for the Walking Liberty Halves are from 1916, 1919 and 1921.

Roosevelt and Mercury Dimes, Washington Quarters, and Walking Liberty Franklin and Kennedy Half-Dollars minted in 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. The value of most circulated coins minted in the 1920′s through 1964 is primarily from their silver content. Remember, this is for the most common material.

The best way to determine if your coins are silver is to view the edge of the coin. If the coin has a solid silver stripe, then you can feel confident that it's silver. If you can see a copper stripe, then the coin is clad. A more subdued silver stripe with faint traces of copper could mean that the coin is 40% silver.

Mintage Means Money

One quick way to determine if a coin is rare or valuable is to look at the mintage. That's the number of copies of the coin that the US mint produced (aka issued). The lower the original number of copies printed, the more valuable a coin will likely become.

Kennedy half-dollar coins are not very rare and most of them are worth only their face value of 50 cents. However, some are more valuable, depending on the year they were minted and their condition. For example, a Kennedy half-dollar coin minted in 1970 and in uncirculated condition is worth about $8.

A 1958 Lincoln, Doubled Die Obverse cent sold in a GreatCollections auction has become the first Lincoln cent and first non-gold 20th century coin to sell for more than a million dollars. Still don't understand why that would make it super-valuable?

Look for an inscription.

The inscription, or legend, on a coin can help you identify its country of origin and may also help determine its age if the date is missing. American coins usually state "United States of America" somewhere on the coin.

Coinoscope is a visual search engine for coins. Coinoscope makes coin recognition easy - just snap a picture of a coin with your phone camera and the app will show you a list of similar coins. Click on the coin to see additional information in the web browser of your phone.

Should coins be cleaned before selling? ›

Don't clean your coins! Not only does this cut their value by as much as half (or possibly even more), but it will be an immediate deal-breaker for many dealers who would've otherwise wanted to buy your coins if only they were left in their original condition.

Key Takeaways:

The 1937 Buffalo nickel is worth between $0.5 and $20. Errors and the mint mark are the key components affecting the coin's value. The three-legged 1937 Buffalo nickel is the most common valuable error that goes for thousands of dollars.

The relatively high-mintage 1879 Philadelphia Mint Morgan dollar is worth perhaps $15 to $30 in well-circulated grades, while the low-mintage 1928 Philly-minted Peace dollar can take $200 or more in the same condition. Value really has nothing to do with relative age—it's about the rarity *of* the date.

The value of a Mercury Dime can vary significantly depending on its date, condition and mint mark. These values can range from less than $1.50 to over $1500 for a single coin.

According to the NGC Price Guide, as of May 2023, a Susan B Anthony Coin from 1979 in circulated condition is worth between $1.05 and $1.35. However, on the open market 1979 D Silver Dollars in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $1950.

A 1776-1976 Bicentennial half dollar is worth about $6 to $8, depending on its condition. These coins were minted to commemorate the United States bicentennial and are composed of silver.