whitebonus

Hi Cobymordet. No, not looking to sell any time soon. I/we want to get a better understanding of what it is we have, which as you point out, will take some time. The main goal right now is to "stop the bleeding" (in terms of damaging through continued poor storage choices), & do that in a very inexpensive way. We'll check out the "Red Book." Yes, this site with all the quick & informative comments I've received has been very impressive! I can't help comparing it to some "tech" sites I've waded into & gotten so much less & often disappointing results. To everyone who has responded to my post & who I haven't replied back directly to, I have read each of your responses & found value in every one. Thank you. I'm fortunate to have found your collective. –whitebonus

Thank you all for the informative & quick responses to my post! Regarding my question about using acid-free archival paper to hold the coins, I found a few comments online that support that approach, so I went out & bought that paper. Because I'm under a time crunch & I'm anxious to see if my prototype idea for storage using the paper will work, I may not be able to post many photos. I'll start with these four photos today and see what time will allow. I was guessing that an abundant coin like the 1918 Lincoln Wheat Penny (from the Philadelphia mint) which is very worn, like the one we have & I'm posting, is only worth face value. Is that a good general rule of thumb — abundant & very worn = face value (at best)? (Note: 'Not sure why the "straight on" photos ended up so much redder than the slight angle shots.) Thanks again for your feedback to my post.

My sister & I just inherited a sizable amateur coin, bill & stamp collection. Coins include: hundreds of pennies (wheat, steel, most pre 1940s) & at least one Liberty Head large cent. Many nickels (including Buffalo) & one Liberty Head V nickel. Many dimes Many quarters, including a few complete 50-states, & older Franklin. Some 1930s & 40s half dollars, & many Kennedy. At least 6 Sacagawea dollars Eisenhower & other silver dollars dating back to the late 1800s. Some labelled "Special?" Some labelled "Foreign." Most coins are in zip lock plastic bags where they can slide around & potentially damage each other. I'm only in town for 5 more days. Is there a quick way with inexpensive materials that I can transfer the coins to better protect them in the short term – like for a year or so? I'm considering getting some acid-free archival paper from an art supply store to wrap the coins in. Do you think that would work? Also, is there also a quick way to pare down the number of coins which may never be of any more than their face value? How do I choose which coins to remove from the collection? I would greatly appreciate any quick timely advice you can provide. Thank you very much. whitebonus