Advice about Grading 1 1

[Grant Gerlinger]

Hello everyone I have 22 gold coins that belonged to my great grandfather. I have tons of silver coins and bills too but I want to start with maybe getting the gold coins graded first. I’m not too sure how to go about this and if they are worth grading. I think they are in really nice shape personally. The cases have more scratches and smudges than the actual coins do. When he collected them there wasn’t any coin grading services yet so they haven’t been graded.

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by Grant Gerlinger

[JKK]

Well, if most or all are authentic, that would be a beautiful collection. I'd suggest you first of all make sure that you don't thumb any of them during handling. The really important step here is not so much the grading itself but the authentication. If you wanted to sell them, an auction house would handle the grading aspect for you, but if you want to keep them you'll have to send them in yourself or have a dealer do so.

What I'd do if I were you is post clear, sharp, cropped pics of a couple of them, both sides please, and let's have a closer look. I'm not a gold expert but some people here have a pretty good eye. If the consensus is that the ones you post are authentic, nice AU or MS, and unmarred by cleaning (or lightly so; there are degrees), then you might start to feel confident about the rest. If the consensus suggests problems, you might want to post more of them here before you start sending them in.

If it does turn out some are phonies, please understand a thing we deal with every day: folks grow up thinking of their relative as this amazing numismatist who knows all things about coins (in my case, it was my father-in-law, so I have been there myself). Then the relative passes (condolences), and the coins are shown here, and we're in the awkward position of notifying someone that the relative got taken in on counterfeits. Or that the coins have other problems. I call this, rather tactlessly I will admit, the Bampaw's Collection situation. We try to be tactful this way, but we do have to be honest. So I suggest at least bracing for that, and if that's how it goes, do please realize that no one means offense to any memories. Fair enough?

[Grant Gerlinger]

Here are the front a backs of an 1852-O 2.5 dollar coin and a 1912 10 dollar coin.

[Grant Gerlinger]

Here is a front and back of a 1922 Saint Gaudens double eagle

[Grant Gerlinger]

This is a 1914-D 2.5 dollar coin. 

[JKK]

Good job. None of them look fake to me, but again, I'm not your expert in the matter. The 52-O has definite circulation wear but that isn't odd in a gold piece of that age. The Saint's a beaut. I'll wait to see what others make of them.

In grading, besides the objective of certifying authenticity, the usual goal is to define value. Unslabbed gold is difficult to sell for obvious reasons. The issue there is that coins often come back with a lower grade, or a details/problem coin grade, that can disappoint. Most issues of circulated gold from the 1880s and later are not worth much more than the metal value (which is not inconsequential). However, if you plan to keep and collect them, the slabs will at least reassure you that your stuff is real and worth keeping. That itself might be worth the cost.

[Grant Gerlinger]

Thanks I definitely want to keep them and continue to collect coins. I collected them when I was younger. These have been in a safe for a very long time.

[Lem E]

Man I hope they are all genuine and problem free. That would be one heck of a starter kit! Hope things work out for you. 

[RWB]

The posted photos suggest coins pulled from circulation in the 1920s - possibly by your great grandfather. Condition seems to be EF  more or less. The Krugerrand is likely a nice UNC.

Edited January 18, 2021 by RWB

[Alex in PA.]

A very nice assortment of gold coins.  Good luck in your pursuit of the hobby.