Old Coin Buyers Near Me: Sell Old Coins Without Driving to a Coin Shop

Age alone does not make a coin valuable, but certain groups of old U.S. coins are almost always worth a professional look:

• Pre-1965 silver coins. Dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier, plus silver dollars, are made of 90% silver. The Coinage Act of 1965 removed silver from dimes and quarters, so even worn pre-1965 coins are worth more than face value. See our page on buying and selling 90% silver coins.
• Early copper. Half cents and large cents struck from 1793 to 1857, two-cent pieces and early Indian Head cents are prized by collectors, even when worn.
• Key dates and mint marks. A key date is a scarce year or mint mark in a series, such as the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent, the 1916-D Mercury dime or the 1893-S Morgan dollar. A key date can be worth many times more than a common coin from the same series.
• U.S. gold coins. Gold dollars, $2.50, $3, $5, $10 and $20 gold pieces struck before 1933 carry both gold value and collector value. Learn more about U.S. gold coin values.
• Inherited collections. Albums, rolls, proof sets and loose coins saved over a lifetime often hold a few surprises. Our guide on how to sell an inherited coin collection walks you through the first steps.

We also buy world coins and all bullion, including bars, so you can sell everything in one place.

How to Tell if an Old Coin Is Valuable

Before you contact a buyer, a quick look at a few details will tell you a lot:

1. Date. Older is not always better, but dates before 1965 for silver and before 1933 for gold are a strong starting point.
2. Mint mark. A small letter such as S, D, O, CC or P shows where the coin was struck. Wikipedia’s mint mark article shows where to look. Some mint marks are far scarcer than others.
3. Metal. Silver coins ring and have a bright white edge with no copper stripe. Gold has a rich yellow color and never sticks to a magnet.
4. Condition. Sharp details, original luster and natural toning add value. Grades run from 1 to 70 on the Sheldon grading scale.
5. Errors and varieties. Doubled dies, off-center strikes and other error coins can be worth a premium.

The surest way to know is an expert opinion. We offer free in-house grading without slabbing, and we check metal content with XRF testing and digital microscopy. As a PCGS and NGC authorized dealer and ANACS submission center, we can also tell you whether third-party grading is worth it for your coins.

Do Not Clean Your Old Coins

It is tempting to polish a dark old coin before you sell it. Please don’t. Cleaning with polish, baking soda, vinegar or even a cloth leaves fine scratches called hairlines and strips away the original surface. Collectors and grading services treat a cleaned coin as damaged, and it can lose much of its value in a few seconds. Wikipedia’s article on coin cleaning explains why.

The colors that build up on old silver over decades, known as toning, can actually add value. See why toned coins are valuable and our article on why cleaning your coins is not recommended. A few simple rules protect your coins until we see them:

• Never polish, scrub, dip or use chemicals on an old coin.
• Hold coins by the edges, not the faces, so skin oils do not leave marks.
• Leave coins in original mint packaging, albums or certified holders.
• Do not tape coins to paper or store them in soft PVC flips, which can leave a green film over time.
• Let us see them just as they are. Original surfaces, even dark ones, are what collectors want.