new-need some help

[Jess-migration]

Hi all, I'm new to this board and to coin collecting. My question is, my dad passed away a few years ago and he had a small coin collection. I don't think there is anything of great value, but I'm unsure. Is there any book or web site or anything that I could look up these coins and see what the value would be?? To give you an idea here are the coins I have:

 

Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1918,1934)

Buffalo Nickel (1923,1925,1929,1930,1934,1936,1937)

Large Cent (1833,1838,1839,1845,1846,1847,1848-1851)

"Mercury" Head Dime (1916,1935,1938)

Two Cent Nickel (1864,1865) Also a 1865 Three Cent

Indian Head Cent (1862)

Lincoln Cents (range from 1918-1962-D) Also a 1943 & 1943-D Steel

Some Canada coins

A few coins that I don't know what they are

a $2 bill

and a 1868 paper 5 cent fractional Currency (torn)

 

Any information would be of great help!

Thanks,

Jess

[michael]

welcome to the boards you might want to go to your local library and ask the librarian for the coin section and they might have a red book most all of the items you posted should be in there and will give you reasonable estimated prices for your items

 

there might be a photograde book by ruddy which you can get the guesstimated grades for your coins

 

then match the grade to the price

 

this would be a start for you also you might want to call the ana and see if there is a local coin club in your area you could attend to find out more about your coins and get quick reasonable apprisals by members?

 

good luck and again welcome and keep posting here

 

if you would like anymore information please feel free to ask me or post on here i am sure you will get many responses

 

also many chain bookstors have a coin book section you might find some of the above books there and more recent coin books for you to look through! barnes and noble and borders boos should have a good coin book section for you

 

 

michael

[RobertB]

First thing, you need to VERY CAREFULLY take that 1916 Mercury dime and turn it over and look at the reverse, (the side without the head). At the base at about 7 o'clock look and see if there's a mint mark. It will be small and it could be 'S' or 'D'. If it's a 'D' you may have a valuable coin. There are many counterfeits of this coin around however so if there is a 'D' there don't get your hopes up too high until it's verified, ok! Be careful handling your coins. Try not to touch the faces. Hold them by the rims. If there is a 'D' on that Mercury 1916, even if the coin looks horrible, it could be worth several hundred dollars, SO HANDLE WITH CARE.

[Jess-migration]

Unfortunately, I can't tell on the 1916 dime. The edges are worn around the whole back. I can make out the top half of the writing, but can't see a D or S. Also I did notice the Mercury 1938 dime is a D, does that mean anything?

Also, my dad had put all the coins in those collection books. I never handle any of them, but most aren't in the best shape and are dirty. Don't worry I do know better then to clean them, although it is tempting sometimes just so I can read them better.

 

Thanks,

Jess

[mark]

Jess:

 

Both Michael and RobertB give great advice. Let me go off on a bit of a tangent. My father had a slight interest in collecting coins that was probably increased by the fact that as a teenager I was an enthusiastic collector. He collected from circulation and put away lots of rolls of circulated wheat cents and so forth. He passed away about a decade ago. Now, even though my collection has progressed well beyond rolls of circulated wheat cents, nonetheless when I look at what he accumulated, I feel close to my Dad.

 

You have something of the same opportunity. One of the books that I think Michael would recommend you locate and take a look at is nicknamed the "Red Book" (for obvious reasons once you see the book!) The author is R.S. Yeoman and the official title is "A Guide Book of United States Coins." This book has some basic information about grading coins, prices that are generally within a reasonable range of being accurate, but more importantly it is chock full of information about coins and collecting. You probably can borrow the book from your library or if you want to buy it, it's not too expensive because a soft-bound copy is about $9 or $10. You might want to sit down and look though the book--perhaps you'll discover as you read it and glance at the pictures that coins and collecting are interesting enough to you that you decide to pursue numismatics as a hobby. If so, then the folders of coins you have will forever provide a connection and an instant memory of your father. Of course, this connection will exist as long as you keep his coins, but I think it would be enriched if you, too, decided to collect.

 

In any case, best of luck.

 

Mark

 

[Leothelion]

Hi Jess

Welcome to the boards! My advice is, save them and keep them! Because if they're all low grade coins then you're looking at a small fortune. If you sell them at your local coin store, you might get 20 cents on the dollar for what they're worth. If you sell them yourself, perhaps $100. Again, assuming they are mostly low grade coins and for the dates you have listed, the price's range from a around buck for the cents, nickels and dimes up to $10 for the large cents. Low grade coins show alot of wear where little detail can be seen. For a quick reference to grading coins, check into www.ebay.com auctions on the internet. Most auctions will have pictures of simular coins and the grade will be noted in the descriptions of the coins. You will also notice the prices they are fetching if any.

Keep us posted on what you find out.

 

Leo