Coin collection — what to do with it?

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I have a coin collection from when I was a kid. Not a valuable or rare coin collection. This is the kind of coin collection that a paper boy makes in the 70’s. I used to sift through all my change and pull out anything interesting, like Eisenhower Dollars, Kennedy Half Dollars, Bicentenial coins, all of which really have no collector value. And I would also keep the things I knew might be valuable, like Wheat Pennies, Buffalo Nickels, and anything old enough to be silver.

Recently, I was cleaning out my attic and found the collection. Now I’m wondering what to do with it. I’ll probably take the silver coins and anything that might have value to a shop and see if they can offer me anything. But what would you do with the bicentennial quarters, half dollars, and dollars, and all the regular Kennedy Halfs and Eisenhower dollars? I know they don’t have any more than face value, but they are kind of a novelty. Just put them back into circulation? Or is there anything more interesting to do with them? I’m trying to make good on the efforts of the 12-year-old me who sifted through all that change years ago!

 

[K'Tesh]

Learn how to cut coins and other ways to use them to make jewelry.

Found a picture of one of my Oregon Quarters...


Though the Crater Lake Quarter looks a lot better. I'll have to find a pic of one of those.

Found another one of mine...

 

[Bat-mite]

My 10-year-old daughter recently started just such a coin collection and would probably find that to be a gold mine. If I paid for shipping, would it be feasible to send it to me?

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Learn how to cut coins and other ways to use them to make jewelry

I think that a lot of Buffalo Nickels and wheat pennies end up in western jewelry. It’s not a hobby I’m planning to take up.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

My 10-year-old daughter recently started just such a coin collection and would probably find that to be a gold mine. If I paid for shipping, would it be feasible to send it to me?

Absolutely! I’m not sure you’d want the whole thing, but I’d definitely let you have some or all of it at face value. Want me to inventory it?

 

[Bat-mite]

Absolutely! I’m not sure you’d want the whole thing, but I’d definitely let you have some or all of it at face value. Want me to inventory it?

Yeah!

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[solid_fuel]

The bicentennial coins, regular half dollars and most Ike dollars are worth face value. The dimes, quarters and half dollars were 90% silver up to and including 1964. Wholesale 90% silver should get you around 10-12 times face value including most mercury dimes, standing liberty quarter, franklin and walker halves. Barber coins and earlier are sometimes, not always, worth a small premium. Anything uncirculated or near uncirculated will be more. Half dollars only, continued to be 40% silver upto 1969 and go for about a buck or two each. Common date wheat cents in commonly circulated grades from the 40s and 50s go for about 2-3 cents a piece wholesale. 20s and 30s commons go for about 4-5 cents. Teens a little more 1909 you might get a buck. If they are bright and shiny you’ll get more. Circulated Eisenhower dollars are mostly worth face value. There are some special 40% silver issues that didn’t circulate and would probably stand out. Common date common circulated condition buffalo nickels are worth a buck or two. Any Morgan dollars are 90% silver and will be worth, at minimum, silver value and usually these go for a (very) little more than straight silver value; $15-18 each.

 

[solid_fuel]

My 10-year-old daughter recently started just such a coin collection and would probably find that to be a gold mine. If I paid for shipping, would it be feasible to send it to me?

Are you going to the sod farm tomorrow? I’ll bring you a couple old coins I have, nothing really worth much but cool none the less.

 

[Bat-mite]

Are you going to the sod farm tomorrow? I’ll bring you a couple old coins I have, nothing really worth much but cool none the less.

Wish I could, but it's my wife's birthday, and for some reason, she doesn't want to spend the day at a rocket launch.

Thanks, though. Maybe in June?

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[solid_fuel]

I’ll prob be there in June too. That will give me a little more time to find some stuff I couldn’t find just now. I did find a few things that would be awesome for a new collector.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

The bicentennial coins, regular half dollars and most Ike dollars are worth face value. The dimes, quarters and half dollars were 90% silver up to and including 1964. Wholesale 90% silver should get you around 10-12 times face value including most mercury dimes, standing liberty quarter, franklin and walker halves. Barber coins and earlier are sometimes, not always, worth a small premium. Anything uncirculated or near uncirculated will be more. Half dollars only, continued to be 40% silver upto 1969 and go for about a buck or two each. Common date wheat cents in commonly circulated grades from the 40s and 50s go for about 2-3 cents a piece wholesale. 20s and 30s commons go for about 4-5 cents. Teens a little more 1909 you might get a buck. If they are bright and shiny you’ll get more. Circulated Eisenhower dollars are mostly worth face value. There are some special 40% silver issues that didn’t circulate and would probably stand out. Common date common circulated condition buffalo nickels are worth a buck or two. Any Morgan dollars are 90% silver and will be worth, at minimum, silver value and usually these go for a (very) little more than straight silver value; $15-18 each.

Thanks for the info!

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Yeah!

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I’ll put together a list.

 

[manixFan]

Once a quarter there is a coin show in my area. There are coin dealers who will pay you for the silver value of coins, typically at 85-90% of value. They'll quickly tell you if any of the others have any value. Occasionally you'll get lucky, I had a couple of early German coins that came back from WWII that were worth a lot more than the values listed in a coin book I have. A dealer bought them right away.

On the other hand, I had some 1800's silver dollars that were supposedly worth between $100-$200 but no one would buy them since they are so abundant. Like so many collectables, coins have fallen out of favor with younger folks so the market is really shrinking. Unless the coins are really valuable, they are getting harder to sell.

Tony

here's a website with live values of the silver content of us coins:

https://www.coinflation.com/silver_coin_values.html

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Yeah!

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I sold some of the silver and things I knew had value for collectors, but I’ve sent you a PM listing the wheat pennies, Eisenhower dollars, Kennedy Half dollars, Bicentenial coins, and foreign coins. Let me know! There are some fun things for a kid coin collector in there.

 

[Nytrunner]

Leave some waiters/resses some interesting tips?

 

[Zeus-cat]

Wish I could, but it's my wife's birthday, and for some reason, she doesn't want to spend the day at a rocket launch.

My wife would be loading my rockets in the car for me and saying, "the house to myself, BEST birthday present ever!"

 

[heada]

For those silver based coins, the current spot price of silver is $0.47/gram Some coins have more silver than others. Morgan and Freedom coins are 90% silver and 26 grams (about 23 gram of silver) so they're worth about $12 in silver. Most places will only give you about 80% of that value so just under $10 each. Ike silver dollars are 40% silver and current "Eagle" silver dollars are 99.9% silver. Silver dimes are 90% silver at 2.5 grams (silver dime is worth about $0.85 in silver)

Personally, way too much work to get a small value out of the coins. I'd give them away if you don't want them.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

For those silver based coins, the current spot price of silver is $0.47/gram Some coins have more silver than others. Morgan and Freedom coins are 90% silver and 26 grams (about 23 gram of silver) so they're worth about $12 in silver. Most places will only give you about 80% of that value so just under $10 each. Ike silver dollars are 40% silver and current "Eagle" silver dollars are 99.9% silver. Silver dimes are 90% silver at 2.5 grams (silver dime is worth about $0.85 in silver)

Personally, way too much work to get a small value out of the coins. I'd give them away if you don't want them.

Thanks. The silver is gone now. I sold the silver to a reputable local dealer, along with some coins that had been given to me sealed inside little plastic and cardboard coin holders, and a big stack of $2 bills that I just happened to have tucked into the envelope I was using (he gave me face value for those). I got $49, so it was worth the trip.

I kept an uncirculated 40% silver proof Bicentenial coin set I had been given as a gift in 1976.

I kept the foreign coins. The dealer just weighed those and offered $4, so I figured they were worth more as a curiosity than that. Plus I realized there were some older currency Mexican coins I had kept as souvenirs from a trip in middle school. I’m pulling a few things out as souvenirs and maybe someone will be interested in the rest. One thing I don’t seem to have, which I wish I did still have, is the 1,000 peso coins I had saved from trips to Mexico when I was in college. That was a cool and interesting coin, and it reminded me of some great times.

I kept the wheat pennies. Those were going to be close to face value or a bit more, but not much. I’m hoping someone is interested in those.

And I didn’t bother bringing the other things I knew to be face value, like Bicentenial quarters, Dollars, half dollars, etc. I’m going to keep a few as a reminder of a hobby I had as a kid, but the rest can go. I don’t need 200 Bicentenial quarters! Maybe with the Dollars and halfs, I’ll start leaving interesting tips like Nytrunner said.

 

[Bat-mite]

Thanks. The silver is gone now. I sold the silver to a reputable local dealer, along with some coins that had been given to me sealed inside little plastic and cardboard coin holders, and a big stack of $2 bills that I just happened to have tucked into the envelope I was using (he gave me face value for those). I got $49, so it was worth the trip.

I kept an uncirculated 40% silver proof Bicentenial coin set I had been given as a gift in 1976.

I kept the foreign coins. The dealer just weighed those and offered $4, so I figured they were worth more as a curiosity than that. Plus I realized there were some older currency Mexican coins I had kept as souvenirs from a trip in middle school. I’m pulling a few things out as souvenirs and maybe someone will be interested in the rest. One thing I don’t seem to have, which I wish I did still have, is the 1,000 peso coins I had saved from trips to Mexico when I was in college. That was a cool and interesting coin, and it reminded me of some great times.

I kept the wheat pennies. Those were going to be close to face value or a bit more, but not much. I’m hoping someone is interested in those.

And I didn’t bother bringing the other things I knew to be face value, like Bicentenial quarters, Dollars, half dollars, etc. I’m going to keep a few as a reminder of a hobby I had as a kid, but the rest can go. I don’t need 200 Bicentenial quarters! Maybe with the Dollars and halfs, I’ll start leaving interesting tips like Nytrunner said.

Both my kids are interested. We have to find time to look at your list and see what they want.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Both my kids are interested. We have to find time to look at your list and see what they want.

Sounds good. Let me know what you would like. So much of it is face value or very cheap, I wouldn’t agonize too much! I’d like to get it figured out and mailed out this week if possible. I’m in the midst of a top-to-bottom house cleaning, so I need to keep my momentum up, or I will stall out. Next up is my astronomy gear...

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I have to laugh at myself a bit here. Earlier I mentioned I wished I still had my 1,000 Peso coins from when I was in college as a souvenir from my college years adventures. I went on eBay, found several for sale and bought one! I’m supposed to be getting rid of stuff!

I had a great time traveling in Mexico when I was younger. I used to carry a 1,000 peso coin in my pocket as a souvenir and a conversation piece. It was a big coin, golden colored like our “golden” dollar, and the seal of Mexico on the back is a cool image of an eagle, sitting on a cactus, eating a snake. They didn’t mint that coin for long and completely redid the currency in the 90’s. I have fun memories associated with it, so I bought one.

 

[o1d_dude]

Silver coins are in demand by preppers. The market may be ripe for getting rid of your stash.