Early American coins in Philadelphia
Sell Early American Coins in Philadelphia, Where They Were Struck
Every U.S. coin was struck in Philadelphia until the first branch mints opened in 1838, including the half cents and large cents that turn up in old family boxes. We check each early coin for date, grade, color and surface, then write you an offer coin by coin.
Private appointments across Greater Philadelphia. We call back the same business day.
How early American coins are priced
Early copper and silver sell on collector demand, so metal content is rarely what decides the offer on a large cent or a Seated Liberty half. Date comes first, then grade, then the surface: color on copper, toning on silver, and any sign of cleaning or corrosion. Each coin gets its own line on your written offer, with a short note on what set its price.
What decides the price of an early coin
- The date tells us whether a coin is a common year or a scarce one.
- Grade on the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale measures how much detail is left.
- Copper is graded with color: red, red-brown or brown.
- Corrosion, scratches and old cleaning pull a coin's value down.
- Eye appeal, like even color and smooth surfaces, can lift an offer.
Early coins we buy in Philadelphia
- Half cents
- Large cents
- Flying Eagle cents
- Indian Head cents
- Two-cent pieces
- Three-cent pieces
- Shield nickels
- Bust silver coins
- Seated Liberty silver coins
- Old cent collections in albums and coin boards
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
The city that struck every early American coin
Congress created the U.S. Mint with the Coinage Act of 1792, and the Mint began in Philadelphia. The astronomer David Rittenhouse was its first director, and its first building stood on Seventh Street near Arch. Until the first branch mints opened in 1838 at New Orleans, Charlotte and Dahlonega, every U.S. coin was struck in this city.
So the copper in your grandfather's cigar box is a local product. Half cents and large cents were made from 1793 to 1857, all of them in Philadelphia, and none carry a mint mark. Flying Eagle cents followed from 1856 to 1858, then Indian Head cents from 1859 to 1909. Two-cent pieces ran from 1864 to 1873 and three-cent silver pieces from 1851 to 1873, and Bust and Seated Liberty silver and Shield nickels round out the boxes we see.
Copper gets graded with its color noted. A cent that still shows most of its original mint orange is called red. One that has partly toned is red-brown, and one that has turned fully chocolate is brown. Color is part of the grade, so two cents of the same date and the same wear can be priced apart because of it.
Surfaces count just as much. Old copper reacts to damp air, and a cent kept for decades in a basement off Germantown Avenue or a rowhouse near the river can pick up green spots or rough, pitted corrosion. Cleaning is the other common problem. A coin rubbed bright with polish or a pencil eraser loses grade, and experienced collectors can tell. Bring your early coins as they are, grime and all.
These coins come out of houses all over the region, from stone homes in Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy to rowhouses in Frankford and old farmhouses in Bucks County. Some arrive in blue coin boards, others loose in a tobacco tin. We check each one for date, mint mark, grade and eye appeal in front of you, and silver gets non-destructive testing and a calibrated scale. Then you get a written, item-by-item offer.
What happens next is up to you. Accept and we pay you that same visit, by cash, check, or wire for a larger collection. Decline and every coin goes home with the written list. Bring a government-issued photo ID if you decide to sell, and call 215-798-9204 to book a private appointment anywhere in Greater Philadelphia.
Questions
Common questions
Were all early American coins made in Philadelphia?
Every U.S. coin was struck in Philadelphia until the first branch mints opened in 1838 at New Orleans, Charlotte and Dahlonega. That includes every half cent and large cent, which were made from 1793 to 1857 and all came from Philadelphia. On coins made after 1838, a small letter called a mint mark tells you which branch struck it.
What do red, red-brown and brown mean on a copper coin?
They describe how much original mint color a copper coin still has. Red means most of the bright orange remains, red-brown means it has partly toned, and brown means it has turned fully brown. Color is part of how copper is graded, so it appears on our written offer next to the date and grade for each cent.
My old pennies have green spots. Are they still worth anything?
Often, yes. Green spots and rough patches are corrosion, and they lower the grade, but a scarce date with problems can still carry collector value. Do not scrub or soak the spots off, since cleaning a coin lowers its grade too. Bring the coins as they are, and we will tell you which ones are worth more than face.
Are Indian Head pennies worth selling?
Some are worth far more than others. Indian Head cents were made from 1859 to 1909, and common dates in worn condition sell for modest amounts. Better dates, high grades and coins with strong original color can bring much more. We sort them one by one at the table, so a scarce date never gets lumped in with the common ones.
Do you buy Bust and Seated Liberty silver coins?
Yes. Bust and Seated Liberty silver coins are 19th century pieces, and collectors want them in most grades. We price them as collector coins, looking at date, mint mark, grade and toning, and we note any cleaning or damage we find. Each coin gets its own line on the written offer, so you can see how it was valued.
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