Gold Coin Jewelry 0

[Distance Ace]

I have a gold $5 coin as the pendent of a necklace.  Can it be graded as is or does it have to be removed from the setting?  My fear is that it will be damaged if it is removed from the setting. 

[Coinbuf]

Generally speaking coins that are removed from the mount have marks from the mount, so if sent to the TPG's these coins will not (usually) be given a grade and noted on the slab.  Many times coins from jewelry will have worn surfaces (from contact with the skin) or heavy scratches which usually reduce the value to bullion anyway.   Unless the coin is an extreme rarity it would not be worth the time and cost to have it graded and slabbed.   Here is an example of one such coin in a PCGS slab.   

[Mohawk]

Distance Ace,

It's a virtual certainty that the coin is already damaged.  Most coins placed in jewelry end up damaged the minute they're placed into the bezel.  Making jewelry out of coins basically destroys them.  Like Coinbuf said, unless it's an extreme rarity, the coin would not be worth grading as that damage is going to absolutely kill the value.  Most collectors would not be interested in a former jewelry coin.

[GBrad]

On 9/8/2021 at 5:54 PM, Coinbuf said:

Generally speaking coins that are removed from the mount have marks from the mount, so if sent to the TPG's these coins will not (usually) be given a grade and noted on the slab.  Many times coins from jewelry will have worn surfaces (from contact with the skin) or heavy scratches which usually reduce the value to bullion anyway.   Unless the coin is an extreme rarity it would not be worth the time and cost to have it graded and slabbed.   Here is an example of one such coin in a PCGS slab.   

Oh my….. oh MY!!! I’m not a gold coin guy but I just looked up the value of this 1904 $20 piece. I see they are somewhat abundant but I almost puked when I saw what a grade of MS65 was potentially worth.  Can’t tell from the pics, on my cell phone, but hopefully this one was a very low grade. So I guess now it is only worth bullion?

Edited September 8, 2021 by GBrad

[Mohawk]

On 9/8/2021 at 6:50 PM, GBrad said:

Oh my….. oh MY!!! I’m not a gold coin guy but I just looked up the value of this 1904 $20 piece. I almost puked when I saw what even the lowest of grades were potentially worth. So I guess now it is only worth bullion?

Given that the 1904 Philly is the most common Liberty Head double eagle, I'd say you're correct in your assessment, GBrad.  Tragic, isn't it?

[GBrad]

On 9/8/2021 at 6:53 PM, Mohawk said:

Given that the 1904 Philly is the most common Liberty Head double eagle, I'd say you're correct in your assessment, GBrad.  Tragic, isn't it?

Yes….. I just edited my post to reflect exactly what you said before I saw your reply to my comment. 👍

[Mohawk]

On 9/8/2021 at 6:56 PM, GBrad said:

Yes….. I just edited my post to reflect exactly what you said before I saw your reply to my comment. 👍

I'm hoping it was low grade, too.  I'm not a gold coin guy either, nor a U.S. coin guy but this still makes me sad.  It's hard to say what the grade would have been before placing it in jewelry because wearing coin jewelry is a great way to keep damaging a coin more, but I hope it was a low grade, too.  I think Liberty Head gold coins are the absolute ugliest coins ever made, but I still hate to see one end up like that $20 pictured.

[GBrad]

On 9/8/2021 at 4:41 PM, Distance Ace said:

I have a gold $5 coin as the pendent of a necklace.  Can it be graded as is or does it have to be removed from the setting?  My fear is that it will be damaged if it is removed from the setting. 

Hello Distance Ace. Sorry to get away from your $5 gold coin topic and go off on a tangent about jewelry items, but @Coinbuf gave you some very good information. What coin is it that you have? Can you post some pics?  Thanks. 

[Distance Ace]

Thanks for the all the comments.  I'm trying to take some pics of it and we'll share once I have a decent one.  The coin is a1900 FIVE D Liberty Head, and yes, I guess it is ugly.   I did not put the coin in the necklace.  My late husband's aunt had it made and gave it to him.  He passed 17 years ago and so I have had it ever since. No, I'm not old. He was 47.   So is it only worth bullion now? 

Also, I have alot of old junk silver US coins.  I can't afford to have them all graded.  Some are probably worth grading though. I don't have any pennies, but do have Franklin's, JFKs, quarters, dimes and nickels.  I really don't know what to do with all of them.  They were given to me by my grandfather in a tobacco can. He saved all of his change and then split it up and gave it to his grandchildren.  I've had them for more than 30 years.   I have looked at all of them, they are really cool.  If I were to have any of them graded, which ones would be worthwhile?

[Coinbuf]

On 9/9/2021 at 2:23 PM, Distance Ace said:

Thanks for the all the comments.  I'm trying to take some pics of it and we'll share once I have a decent one.  The coin is a1900 FIVE D Liberty Head, and yes, I guess it is ugly.   I did not put the coin in the necklace.  My late husband's aunt had it made and gave it to him.  He passed 17 years ago and so I have had it ever since. No, I'm not old. He was 47.   So is it only worth bullion now? 

Also, I have alot of old junk silver US coins.  I can't afford to have them all graded.  Some are probably worth grading though. I don't have any pennies, but do have Franklin's, JFKs, quarters, dimes and nickels.  I really don't know what to do with all of them.  They were given to me by my grandfather in a tobacco can. He saved all of his change and then split it up and gave it to his grandchildren.  I've had them for more than 30 years.   I have looked at all of them, they are really cool.  If I were to have any of them graded, which ones would be worthwhile?

It will just depend on the condition of the coin, in 1900 1.4 million half eagles ($5 gold coins) were minted in Philadelphia, with an additional 329 thousand minted in SF (an S under the eagle on the reverse).  The Philly mintage is not low or high for the series but high enough that any coin under AU condition is basically a bullion value coin.   As the SF mintage was much lower that coin will have a lower grade threshold for value over bullion value.   Without seeing the coin and the type of holder/bezel to attempt to assess the condition or grade it is impossible to give you any further info or values.

As to the other coins you mentioned once again the condition is the critical question, as these came from pocket change the likelihood is that these are going to be valued at or close to the silver spot value for the coins made of silver.   But as with the gold coin we really cannot be more specific without dates and mintmarks (coins were minted in Philly, SF, Denver) and good in focus photos that will allow us to approximate the grades and conditions.

I'm sorry that I cannot be more rosy on the value of the coins you have, sadly that is more often then not the case for those who have received coins from relatives.   The one thing you do have that cannot be replaced is the coins themselves and the connection they serve between you and your grandfather, in short the sentimental value may be far greater than the dollar value.

[Distance Ace]

I understand that you can't really tell me much, but I have way too many of the silver coins to take pics etc... I have rolls of coins...about $75 worth of them.  The gold coin doesn't have a mint mark.  It may have had one at one time, but it doesn't now. I'm still working on decent photos.  Also, I did have a few of the oldest junk silver coins graded just for fun.  When I get gold coin pics that do it justice I'll let you know what the other coins were too and their grades.  

I also have a couple of silver dollars from 1999 that are in little cases.  They say 1 oz fine silver on the back.  They have a lady walking with a sun and rays on the front. There is a mint mark on the back toward the bottom of the eagle on the right, but I can't make it out with my eyes. The insert in the case says American Eagle Silver Dollar printed on an American Flag. These were given to my daughter when she was born in 1999.  The coins are starting to look a little yellowish or something on the edges.  I'm thinking I should submit these.