Where do you start? 1 1

[Chester Wall]

I have a question for the group please. I recently got a punch of coins. I have wheats 1900’s, Indian heads, a few 1800’s pennies. Some old Canadian and British coins as well. My question is this, where do you start with sorting these out? 
Thank You all as well for the answer on the penny with the stamped post mint mark. 

[tj96]

It's always good to start at the beginning.  One of these could help you.  Not sure about the Canadian and British.

[tj96]

This could help as well with the sorting.

 

[Mohawk]

Hi Chester!

It looks like tj helped you with the U.S. and now I can help you with the Canadian.  This is a great website for Canadian coins, but keep in mind that all prices are in Canadian Dollars, not U.S. Dollars, so you'll have to do some currency conversion to determine the prices of what you have:

https://www.coinsandcanada.com/

Good Luck!!!

[Mohawk]

And here's a currency conversion website for that part of it:

https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

[Chester Wall]

Thank you all for the info. I guess I have some work to do. I’m trying to gauge which ones to get graded. 

[tj96]

On 1/23/2022 at 9:52 PM, Chester Wall said:

I’m trying to gauge which ones to get graded. 

You might want to post pictures here first to get opinion.

[Chester Wall]

On 1/23/2022 at 8:01 PM, tj96 said:

You might want to post pictures here first to get opinion.

I was thinking that , but I didn’t know if people get tired of that. I have a bunch of coins. My grandfather had these for years. I also have some of the german reichs marks he got from WWII. I’m sure those are controversial. 

[tj96]

On 1/23/2022 at 10:14 PM, Chester Wall said:

I was thinking that , but I didn’t know if people get tired of that. I have a bunch of coins. My grandfather had these for years. I also have some of the german reichs marks he got from WWII. I’m sure those are controversial. 

From what I hear, the guys here love seeing pictures.  One coin per thread though. 

You mean German WWII coins with the swastika?  No problem posting them here.  I have a bunch them.

[Oldhoopster]

On 1/23/2022 at 9:52 PM, Chester Wall said:

Thank you all for the info. I guess I have some work to do. I’m trying to gauge which ones to get graded. 

Getting a coin graded is going to cost approx $50-$60, so you want to meet and sure that the coin is worth sending in.  No sense in grading a $5 coin.

[tj96]

On 1/23/2022 at 10:37 PM, Oldhoopster said:

Getting a coin graded is going to cost approx $50-$60,

Not with ANACS it is!

[Oldhoopster]

On 1/23/2022 at 10:44 PM, tj96 said:

Not with ANACS it is!

Yes, but when it comes time for you or your heirs to sell, many dealers and collectors will pay less for ANACS.  You may be paying less up front, but may lose more than that later.  Not saying it's fair, but that's the reality of the market.

[JKK]

On 1/23/2022 at 5:26 PM, Chester Wall said:

I have a question for the group please. I recently got a punch of coins. I have wheats 1900’s, Indian heads, a few 1800’s pennies. Some old Canadian and British coins as well. My question is this, where do you start with sorting these out? 
Thank You all as well for the answer on the penny with the stamped post mint mark. 

Depending on how many Canadian coins you have, the Charlton guide might be an investment. It's the eh-quivalent of the Red Book and does a really good job. For the UK stuff, might just use Numista.com.

The Third Reich coins can be controversial, in that some people just don't want them around. The dealer I worked for was Jewish, and did not want them in his store at all. Couldn't blame him a bit. I offered to buy them, but he didn't want money, so I said I'd donate the amount to a Holocaust education charity. He was fine with that.

[tj96]

On 1/23/2022 at 11:27 PM, Oldhoopster said:

Yes, but when it comes time for you or your heirs to sell, many dealers and collectors will pay less for ANACS.  You may be paying less up front, but may lose more than that later.  Not saying it's fair, but that's the reality of the market.

Maybe, maybe not.

[Morpheus1967]

On 1/23/2022 at 11:40 PM, tj96 said:

Maybe, maybe not.

No "maybe" about it.  

[Fenntucky Mike]

Sounds like you've got the hard part done, sort by Country, denomination, type, etc.. For U.S. coins NGC has a nice enough online guide to reference https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/united-states/ and Numista https://en.numista.com/ is pretty solid for world coins, U.S. too.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Fenntucky Mike
Spelling

[Oldhoopster]

On 1/23/2022 at 11:40 PM, tj96 said:

Maybe, maybe not.

Just trying to put out some factual info to help people make a better decision.  If you're only looking for attribution, such as errors and varieties, especially for those where grade isn't a significant part of the value, then ANACS or ICG may be a cost effective option, but overall you'll likely to receive a lower offer for graded coins in these slabs

 

Like it or not, that's the way the current market works.  As long as you're aware of it, there's nothing wrong with using them, but to recommend them to a newbie without that caveat isn't much help.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Oldhoopster

[tj96]

On 1/24/2022 at 6:39 AM, Oldhoopster said:

Just trying to put out some factual info to help people make a better decision.  If you're only looking for attribution, such as errors and varieties, especially for those where grade isn't a significant part of the value, then ANACS or ICG may be a cost effective option, but overall you'll likely to receive a lower offer for graded coins in these slabs

 

Like it or not, that's the way the current market works.  As long as you're aware of it, there's nothing wrong with using them, but to recommend them to a newbie without that caveat isn't much help.

 

On 1/23/2022 at 10:37 PM, Oldhoopster said:

Getting a coin graded is going to cost approx $50-$60, so you want to meet and sure that the coin is worth sending in.  No sense in grading a $5 coin.

Then you should have said that on this post.

Edited January 24, 2022 by tj96

[J P M]

Welcome Chester, it is your choice in the end. You will always get good advice from the members here. I just got a news letter saying the prices may go up this year also. I have some wonderful raw coins. I just can't bring myself to sending in a coin that will be worth less after the cost of grading it. I just put them in 2x2 flips and stand them on the shelf. They look nice and the money I save goes into buying coins already slabed .  

[Morpheus1967]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:33 AM, tj96 said:

 

Then you should have said that on this post.

Why?  We are on an NGC board.  The prices he estimated are correct for NGC grading.  Now if we were on an ANACS or ICG board, then I would agree with you.  Except, you know, they don't have a forum.  

 

[RWB]

On 1/23/2022 at 9:52 PM, Chester Wall said:

Thank you all for the info. I guess I have some work to do. I’m trying to gauge which ones to get graded. 

Right now, I suggest you forget about "getting them graded" by one of the companies. Independent grading by PCGS, ANACS, or NGC can be expensive, and should be reserved for coins that will have greatly enhanced sale value after authentication.

First, use the Guide Book and other tools to better understand the coins you have, their condition, and how they fit either in a collection or as individual items. Which of the coins seem interesting to you? Do you have complete date and mintmark sets, or are there gaps? Do any of the coin have a family connection, or possibly a historical/financial background that might be interesting.

Second, consider what you want to do with the coins. If their only "value" is conversion into cash, concentrate on learning the condition (or grade) and fair market values of each. There are books and on-line sites to help with this. If the coins hold other possible interests to you then as questions here about how to get the most enjoyment from the pieces.

Edited January 25, 2022 by RWB

[tj96]

On 1/24/2022 at 11:38 AM, Morpheus1967 said:

Why?  We are on an NGC board.  The prices he estimated are correct for NGC grading.  Now if we were on an ANACS or ICG board, then I would agree with you.  Except, you know, they don't have a forum.  

 

Because the OP is apparently a newbie and may not know as much as you or @Oldhoopster about this forum and the TPG'ers.

Edited January 24, 2022 by tj96

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

I would:

1. sort them by type (all Indian heads together, Lincoln wheat, etc)
2. Sort the types by date and mint mark
3. look at the coins in each series. This is where the red book helps.  Do any of the dates have low mintages?  Do you have any that stand out in condition?  Do you have a whole set (or maybe see something worth completing the series?)
4. plan your approach.  If sets are going in an album… get the album and let ‘er rip.  If you are 2x2ing for a binder… start going there.  If you see anything that is in particularly nice shape or pretty rare… TPG may be an option.

Take your time.  Handle all “nicer” coins by the edge (a good practice in general).  Don’t be in a rush to submit anything… it sat for years, and a few more months in a flip while you think of the smartest approach will only help you in the long run.

Good luck

[Chester Wall]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:43 AM, RWB said:

Right now, I suggest you forget about "getting them graded" by one of the companies. Independent grading by PCGS, ANACS, or NGC can be expensive, and should be reserved for coins that will have greatly enhanced sale value after authentication.

First, use the Guide Book and other tools to better understand the coins you have, their condition, and how they fit either in a collection or as individual items. Which of the coins seem interesting to you? Do you have complete date and mintmark sets, or are there gaps? Do any of the coin have a family connection, or possibly a historical/financial background that might be interesting.

Second, consider what you want to do with the coins. If their only "value" is conversion into cash, concentrate on learning the condition (or grade) and fair market values of each. There are books and on-line sites to help with this. If the coins hold other possible interests to you then as questions here about how to get the most enjoyment from the pieces.

Thank You. I really appreciate it. 

[Chester Wall]

On 1/24/2022 at 10:25 AM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

I would:

1. sort them by type (all Indian heads together, Lincoln wheat, etc)
2. Sort the types by date and mint mark
3. look at the coins in each series. This is where the red book helps.  Do any of the dates have low mintages?  Do you have any that stand out in condition?  Do you have a whole set (or maybe see something worth completing the series?)
4. plan your approach.  If sets are going in an album… get the album and let ‘er rip.  If you are 2x2ing for a binder… start going there.  If you see anything that is in particularly nice shape or pretty rare… TPG may be an option.

Take your time.  Handle all “nicer” coins by the edge (a good practice in general).  Don’t be in a rush to submit anything… it sat for years, and a few more months in a flip while you think of the smartest approach will only help you in the long run.

Good luck

Thank You. I really appreciate it. 

[Mohawk]

On 1/23/2022 at 11:40 PM, JKK said:

Depending on how many Canadian coins you have, the Charlton guide might be an investment. It's the eh-quivalent of the Red Book and does a really good job. For the UK stuff, might just use Numista.com.

The Third Reich coins can be controversial, in that some people just don't want them around. The dealer I worked for was Jewish, and did not want them in his store at all. Couldn't blame him a bit. I offered to buy them, but he didn't want money, so I said I'd donate the amount to a Holocaust education charity. He was fine with that.

Jonathan has a good suggestion with the Charlton guide.  It could be a huge help to you if you have a lot of Canadian coins.

As for the Third Reich coins, Jonathan is correct.....a lot of people don't want them around and they can be controversial.  I myself collect German coins.  They're one of my main pursuits.....but not the Nazi stuff.  I definitely don't want it around.  It's interesting, though....I've known a lot of Jewish collectors who actually pursue Nazi coins and militaria.  These collectors have all said something along the lines that the Nazi stuff is a part of Jewish history as well, and it's important history to remember.  And they do have a point....it is important history to preserve and remember, but I myself do not want to be the custodian of that history. 

I think being descended from East German immigrants and having the culture of the DDR and Germany as a whole as a big influence on my life through my family, I kind of view collecting German coins the way German collectors do.  Many German collectors do not add Nazi coinage to their collections and they focus on other areas of German numismatics.  I myself prefer East and West Germany.  Most collectors of Nazi coins are collectors outside of Germany.  I believe that most of them are in the U.S. and Israel, actually, based on an article on the issue I read a few years ago that I cannot locate at the moment.  My fiancée is of German-Jewish descent, and she'd actually be more likely to add Nazi coins to her collection than I would for the reasons that Jewish collectors pursue it that I laid out above.   

Edited January 26, 2022 by Mohawk

[tj96]

@Mohawk

When I was stationed in Germany we went to many flohmarkt's.  There was a lot of Third Reich memorabilia, military medals, uniforms, coins, flags, etc.. with the swastika's.   As you walked around the flohmarkt, you would see various items with little white stickers on them or items completely covered up.  Those were the items we headed for and bought.  Hiding under those covers and white tags/stickers, were swastika's!.......covered up because they were taboo in the German community.   I have Third Reich military medals and pins with swastika's but I'm not sure what they represent, stand for or for what reason they were issued to the troops. 

[Mohawk]

On 1/25/2022 at 9:22 PM, tj96 said:

@Mohawk

When I was stationed in Germany we went to many flohmarkt's.  There was a lot of Third Reich memorabilia, military medals, uniforms, coins, flags, etc.. with the swastika's.   As you walked around the flohmarkt, you would see various items with little white stickers on them or items completely covered up.  Those were the items we headed for and bought.  Hiding under those covers and white tags/stickers, were swastika's!.......covered up because they were taboo in the German community.   I have Third Reich military medals and pins with swastika's but I'm not sure what they represent, stand for or for what reason they were issued to the troops. 

There are indeed a lot of people in Germany who sell that stuff.  I've done business with a lot of them, but for DDR items instead (I actually have a huge DDR flag on the wall behind my bed.  Mein Großvater would be so proud )...it's funny, thinking of East German stuff side by side with Nazi stuff, but that's the exact situation for many German dealers.  You definitely don't want to show a swastika in Germany, that's for sure!!  And I think you've definitely proven what I read....you guys were American service people buying that stuff, right?  There are a lot of reasons that people may collect that stuff and some of them actually are good reasons.  I'm sure you have your own reasons for collecting it, but I'll never change my mind on it.....I just find it all quite distasteful.  

Edited January 26, 2022 by Mohawk

[tj96]

On 1/25/2022 at 9:37 PM, Mohawk said:

There are indeed a lot of people in Germany who sell that stuff.  I've done business with a lot of them, but for DDR items instead....it's funny, thinking of East German stuff side by side with Nazi stuff, but that's the exact situation for many German dealers.  You definitely don't want to show a swastika in Germany, that's for sure!!  And I think you've definitely proven what I read....you guys were American service people buying that stuff, right?  There are a lot of reasons that people may collect that stuff and some of them actually are good reasons.  I'm sure you have your own reasons for collecting it, but I'll never change my mind on it.....I just find it all quite distasteful.  

Yep, American service members.  I'm not a dedicated collector of this stuff.  It's just a box of random memorabilia and history.  The same way we grabbed all the Soviet memorabilia, Hammer and Sickle junk and coins after the wall came down!   And let me tell you it was/is JUNK, compared to the German stuff.  The Germans made quality swastika's.    

[Mohawk]

On 1/25/2022 at 9:53 PM, tj96 said:

Yep, American service members.  I'm not a dedicated collector of this stuff.  It's just a box of random memorabilia and history.  The same way we grabbed all the Soviet memorabilia, Hammer and Sickle junk and coins after the wall came down!   And let me tell you it was/is JUNK, compared to the German stuff.  The Germans made quality swastika's.    

Hey!!! You be nice about my DDR ancestors and relatives!! We struck the finest aluminium coins you could ever want and Vita Cola is delicious!!!   Our ampelmännchen traffic lights are also the best in the world! :

But in all seriousness, it sounds like you acquired some cool mementos during your time in Europe.  Good stuff! 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Mohawk