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[lwcntryby]

Just joined. I have acquired my fathers, very large coin collection, which consist of "THOUSANDS" of coins. I want/need to create a DB of this collection, he never did?!? Any recommendations on how to get this volume done w/o having to enter each/every one. Thanks in advance.

[Coinbuf]

How much of the collection is raw vs certified?  Are the coin all loose or placed into 2X2 cardboard holders?  Sometimes you can group the raw coins by date/mm and grade, however you most likely will have look at each coin no mater what in order to catalogue them into any useable spreadsheet.  Best of luck hope you find some jewels in all that.   

Edited to add: Many coin collectors are somewhat OCD so its somewhat surprising that your father didn't have a handwritten list, notebook or spreadsheet of those coins somewhere.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Coinbuf

[Rummy13]

@lwcntryby there are a lot of spread sheets and things out to do your coins on.  I found just doing it in Excel works just as well.  yes you have to look at every coin no matter what you use.

[lwcntryby]

Thanks for the info. The coins are lose, in a banks safety deposit box that is to heavy for any one to pick up. I know there is/are many "treasures". His grandfather, my grt grandfather had a bank. My father started very young, going to that bank & getting any/everything that was old or unusual and putting it up. His collection is bat_crap crazy !! I don't know how to handle this collection ?!?

Edited March 31, 2020 by lwcntryby

[lwcntryby]

Rummy13 thanks for the info. I was hoping the "experts" that work with this daily might have figured out a better way. I knew there probably wasn't, but I was hoping !! Thanks. 

[Coinbuf]

Best advice is to get yourself a redbook it lists each US coin by denomination, date, and mint mark with some approximate values by grade.  If you need help with grading the coins there is a coin grading section here on the NGC site Coin Grading that will help you to get started.  Whatever you do, do not try and clean, wipe, or in any way improve the coins and always hold them by the edges.  You can also post up some pics here and folks will be happy to help, just not every coin lol.

[JKK]

Be alert for any unprotected loose coins. You would be amazed at how many of our elders, who seemed like mega-numismatists (such as my father-in-law, for example), had loose uncirculated and proof pieces just stuck in plastic sandwich bags or something equally awful. Don't assume that just because it's loose that it's not worth anything, nor that you can safely coat it with skin oil from touches. Could do yourself a real favor by getting an inexpensive pair of plastic coin tongs to handle those that look nice.

Yeah, you can handle them by the edges, and the results won't show up right now, but look at any of the posts on here where someone thinks they're being Very Smart by holding them that way. There is almost no way to keep skin, and thus skin oil, from mooshing around the rim onto the edge of the surface. To you, it'll look like you did no harm. To your heirs, they will be posting on whatever then passes for a numismatic forum, asking how could someone have possibly screwed this coin up this way when they were the World's Greatest Numismatist. Our successors in this future forum will have the fun of telling your heirs that you or someone before you mishandled them. Don't do that to them and us.