Coin appraisal in Philadelphia
Free Coin Appraisal in Philadelphia
Find out what your coins are worth before you decide anything. We look at each coin in front of you at a private appointment and give you a written, item-by-item offer that you are free to keep and walk away with.
Private appointments across Greater Philadelphia. We call back the same business day.
How we arrive at a value
An appraisal starts with one question for each coin: is it worth more to a collector than its metal? We read the date and mint mark, judge the grade on the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale and look at eye appeal. Collector coins are valued on current demand. The rest are valued on silver or gold content against the live spot price.
One $20 Liberty double eagle at today’s spot price
33.436 grams × 90% gold = 0.9675 troy oz × spot $4,117.72 = $3,983.86 in metal
Melt value only. Collector value, when a coin has it, is priced separately and shown to you at the table.
What we check on every coin
- The date and mint mark get read under magnification.
- Wear is graded on the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale.
- Luster and toning can move a coin up or down.
- Cleaning shows up under the glass and lowers the grade.
- Silver and gold content is confirmed without acid or scratching.
Coins and notes we appraise
- Old pennies and large cents
- Morgan and Peace dollars
- Pre-1965 silver coins
- U.S. gold coins
- Proof and mint sets
- PCGS and NGC slabbed coins
- World coins
- Silver certificates and other paper money
What happens when we meet
- 1
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly what you have. We call back the same business day and set a private appointment at a time that suits you.
- 2
Bring everything as it is
Don't clean, polish or sort. Bring the jars, albums and jewelry box, plus a government-issued photo ID if you plan to sell.
- 3
Watch each piece get checked
Date, mint mark and grade for coins. Karat for gold. Non-destructive testing and a calibrated scale, right in front of you.
- 4
Take the written offer, or don't
Say yes and get paid that visit by cash, check or wire. Say no and leave with everything plus the item-by-item list.
Selling in Philadelphia
Reading Philadelphia coins the right way
The first thing many Philadelphia sellers ask us is why their coins have no mint mark. They have turned a Lincoln cent or an old quarter under the kitchen light, found nothing, and started to wonder. Nothing is wrong. For most of its history the Philadelphia Mint left its coins unmarked, and Lincoln cents struck here go without a mark in nearly every year. A blank spot usually just means the coin was made in this city.
That matters at an appraisal because a mint mark, or the lack of one, can separate a common date from a scarce one. Before 1838 every U.S. coin came from Philadelphia, so early pieces carry no mark at all. After the branch mints opened, an O, S, CC or D tells us where a coin was struck. The P showed up on the 1942 to 1945 war nickels, on the Susan B. Anthony dollar from 1979 and on most other coins from 1980. We read every mark under magnification before we put a value on anything.
Grade comes next. We judge wear on the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale, the same scale behind the grades on PCGS and NGC slabs. Copper gets a color note as well, red, red-brown or brown, since original color on an old cent counts with collectors. Eye appeal is the last look, and it mostly comes down to luster and toning.
Please leave the coins dirty. A jar of silver polish and an old toothbrush can undo a lot in a few minutes, because cleaning lowers a coin's grade and shows up plainly under the glass. Bring everything in the envelopes, flips, rolls or albums it came in. A crumbling paper roll from a Manayunk closet or a Mount Airy attic still tells us something about the coins inside.
Our appraisals are free and come with no obligation. The meeting is private and by appointment, with nobody else in the room. When we finish, you get a written list with an offer beside every item, and that list is yours to keep. Sell to us that day if the numbers work, or take the list home while the family talks it over.
One limit to know about: our written list is an offer to buy, and we do not prepare certified appraisals for court, Pennsylvania inheritance tax or IRS filings. For a free look at what you have, call 215-798-9204. We call back the same business day and meet sellers from Center City out to Valley Forge, Doylestown and Haddonfield.
Questions
Common questions
How much does a coin appraisal cost?
Nothing. The evaluation is free and carries no obligation to sell. We check each coin in front of you, then hand you a written offer for every item. You can accept and be paid the same visit, or decline and leave with your coins and the list. Call 215-798-9204 to book a private time.
My coins have no mint mark. Are they fakes or errors?
Very likely they are fine. The Philadelphia Mint put no mint mark on most of its coins for most of its history, and Lincoln cents from Philadelphia carry none in nearly every year. A P appears on the 1942 to 1945 war nickels, on the Susan B. Anthony dollar from 1979, and on most other coins from 1980 on.
Should I clean my coins before the appraisal?
No. Cleaning lowers a coin's grade, and the marks it leaves are easy to see under magnification. Collectors pay less for cleaned coins, even when the coin looks brighter to you. Leave dirt, toning and old holders alone and bring everything just as you found it. We sort it all out together at the table.
Can you give me an appraisal for an estate or for taxes?
We give a written, item-by-item offer to buy, which can help a family dividing an estate or working with an executor. We do not prepare formal certified appraisals for court, Pennsylvania inheritance tax or IRS use. If the estate needs one of those, ask your attorney, then call us when the family is ready to sell.
How do you tell if a coin is real silver or gold?
We use non-destructive testing, so nothing gets scratched and no acid touches the coin. We also weigh each piece on a calibrated scale and compare it with the known weight for that coin type. Fakes and plated pieces tend to fail one check or the other, and we explain what we find while you watch.
Find out what your coins and gold are worth. Then decide.
- Free evaluation, with no obligation to sell
- Every piece checked in front of you
- A written offer, item by item
- Paid the same visit if you say yes
Request your free offer
Three quick questions. We call back the same business day.
or call (215) 798-9204