Finding Out the Value of Old Coins
If you have a collection of old coins you are probably curious to know what their value is.
Whether you are interested in selling them and making some money on the side or want to keep them around and pass them on to your children, there are a few things that you will want to do if you want to find out the value of old coins.
Using the Internet
When it comes to finding out the value of old coins, there are a few different resources that you have available to you and which you may be interested in using. The Internet is by far the best resource to you here however and one that you are going to find easiest to use. There are lots of different websites that offer information on finding the value of old coins, and which you can go through and view color pictures to see which are like the ones that you have.
If you have gold or silver coins, a great place to determine their base metal value is Coinflation.com. The base metal value should always be your beginning point in determining the value of a coin. Once you know that, you can then turn to sites that focus more on the numismatic value of coins.
Coin Dealer
Located in almost all larger cities and towns are coin shops where expert coin dealers can evaluate your coins and give you an idea what they are worth. Coins are what these folks specialize in and they have at their disposal various sources to evaluate a coins worth. Most will quote you prices on your collection without charging an extra fee.
Antique Dealer
Another way to find out the value of old coins that you have is to go to an antiques dealer. They are specialists in all things antique and valuable, and so they will be able to take a look at your coin collection and let you know what it is worth. You will typically have to pay a fee to see an antique dealer, but it will be well worth it to deal with a professional and know for sure what the value of old coins you have is.
Guide Book
“A Guide Book of United States Coins” or universally known as “the red book”, which is published yearly, provides a good outline of the U.S. coins history, information on basic coin grading, coin descriptions from past to present including a list of errors to watch for, average U.S. coins retail cost, and an explanation of errors which occurred in the “minting process”.
There are also a few things that you want to keep in mind when you are trying to find old coins to add to your collection. It is very easy to get confused and think that certain coins may be valuable when they really are not. There is also the fact that some sellers out there are going to be trying to scam you and get your money for coins that are not really valuable, so be careful and make sure that you know who you are dealing with.
When it comes to determining the value of old coins, one of the most major factors is the law of supply and demand. For instance if there are many coins of a particular type available then it is not going to be that valuable.