antique coins Found coin collection 2 2

[jmac000]

Hey all, 

So I have no idea about coins or currency. After my grandparents died I inherited their home, I just recently got around to cleaning it out and I found some pennies. 200lbs of pre 1950 wheat pennies all rolled and dated as well as a bag with 300 pre 1900 Indian head pennies, and 200 Indian head buffalo nickels. I’m not really sure what to do with them or if they’re even worth anything. Just looking for some pointers, thanks! 

[JKK]

Sorry for the loss of your grandparents, first of all. We get this a lot and we are always trying to remember that such situations involve real pain and loss.

Most of the wheaties after the twenties are going to be worth only a very slight premium, with exceptions for those that are exceptional (as in mainly condition). Those from the twenties and earlier are a little more valuable, and there are some rare (even very rare) types; they would be worth sorting out. A great help would be a current Red Book (aka A Guide Book of United States Coins 2022), to identify which issues are more valuable and get a sense of condition, but definitely don't just sell them for their Cu value.

This is more important still with the IHPs, all of which have at least some premium unless trashed. The Red Book would likewise help you see which issues are rarer and more valuable, and what the condition markers are. For example, to get a grade of Fine-12, it's necessary to see all the LIBERTY letters in the Native American woman's headband. The older they are, and the nicer they are, the greater the value. Most of the 1900s IHPs are pretty common, but not all.

What is true for the IHPs is mostly true with situational modifiers for the Buffs. If you can make out the date, they're always worth some form of premium; more so if from the twenties or teens. If you can't make out the dates on some of them, there's a way to get them back if you really really want to (it won't pay you much money if any, but can be kind of fun), but I'd set them aside for later consideration. A good condition indicator would be whether you can see the bison's horn tip. Going back to wheaties, a helpful dividing indicator is whether you can see all the lines on the curved wheats on the reverse. Note that these quick indicators don't guarantee a grade, but they are factors that if the coin doesn't have them, that puts a ceiling on the grading for that piece.

I hope that helps you get started. The Red Book will help you as much as all the posters here combined can do.

[Coinbuf]

Welcome to the forum, value is determined by condition, rarity, and demand.   There are several early years in the Lincoln cent and Buffalo nickel series that are very sought after and can be very expensive when in excellent condition.   With the limited information given so far the chances are that you have rolls of common circulated coins so it is unlikely that you have anything of great value.   Having said that we would need much more information to give you any real idea of value, or if you might have something that is rare and valuable.   As a general rule rolls of circulated wheaties (nickname for Lincoln cents from the 1909 to 1958 years) sell for a buck to perhaps a couple of bucks.   If you have any rolls from the very early teens and twenties those could be worth more, again depending on the condition of the coins in the rolls.

Here is a short list of coins that if you have any there is a chance you might have something worth checking out further.

Indian head cents:

1861

1864

1866 to 1878 (an 1877 is the most desirable and valuable)

1908-S

1909-S

Lincoln cents:

1909-S VDB (the vdb is on the reverse of the coin close to the bottom, this is one of the most desirable and expensive)

1910 to 1929 all the coins with an S mintmark could have some value

1914-D

1924-D

1925-D

1926-D

1931-S

Buffalo nickels:

Most all the S and D mint coins from 1913 to 1928

There are other coins that could have some value but that would require a much deeper dive into what you have to determine.   As to what you can do with them, well if you find any of those dates above I encourage you to take some photos and post them here and we can give you some better direction once we see the condition of the coin or coins.

For the rest NGC has a list of authorized dealers here on the main website so you could see if there is someone on their list that is close to you and contact that dealer to see if he/she is willing to look at what you have.   Another option is to break up the loose coins into bulk lots and sell the rolls and lots on Ebay, this will take time and some effort on your part to do the sorting, listing, and shipping but it is another option.

Best of luck and I hope you find something cool.

[tj96]

Good advise from @JKK and @Coinbuf

It's always good to start at the beginning.  Get yourself one of these and go through the coin one at a time. 

 

 

[jmac000]

@JKK @Coinbuf @tj96 

Thanks a lot guys! Looks like I’ll have to pick up a red book and get to work. I really wasn’t expecting any sort of value but there are just so many, over 200lbs worth, I just have no idea what to do with them all. I’ll get going sorting them, take some photos and update the thread. Thanks again! 

[Rummy13]

On 4/20/2022 at 8:30 PM, jmac000 said:

@JKK @Coinbuf @tj96 

Thanks a lot guys! Looks like I’ll have to pick up a red book and get to work. I really wasn’t expecting any sort of value but there are just so many, over 200lbs worth, I just have no idea what to do with them all. I’ll get going sorting them, take some photos and update the thread. Thanks again! 

Let me start by saying sorry for your loss. I know 200lbs seems like a lot of coins, but once you start look at them you will be able to sort a lot of them really fast.  Another thing to do if you have children make a game of looking at them. See who can find the most years and or mint marks each year. Fun times together and tell stories about your grandparents. If you buy each kid a coin folder they can work at filling it up and will always have good memory's. Even if they don't find a single coin that is worth more than a few cents it will be fun and a keep sake.

[VKurtB]

I would recommend getting some plastic coin tubes and sort the coins by date. There is SOME market for solid date rolls, even when circulated. It will also give you a visual idea of relative rarity. 

[J P M]

Welcome jmac. I was wondering you said many coins were in paper rolls? Do any look old or have bank names on them? If you have any photos you want to post. Some collectors like that stuff also.  

[JKK]

If any are in plastic tubes rather than paper rolls, don't be surprised if they are covered in gross greenish-blue slime. If that happens, let us know. That would probably be PVC deteriorating, which is very deleterious to the coins. The good news is the slime comes off with acetone; it's just a pain soaking them, re-rolling them, and ruefully looking at the ones that were damaged. This is pretty common with old collections that sat in a closet for decades.

[jmac000]

Good afternoon fellas, 

So far I’ve made my way through the IHP’s, buffalo nickels, and a bag of 400 Jefferson nickels that are all pre-1964. I’m about to start on Wheat pennies today, since they’re rolled and dated I’ll probably just start at 1950 and work my way down to 1900. Of the IHPs only 8 were 1909, and only 3 of those were S marked. There were only 3 buffalos with legible dates and mint marks they were 1936 D’s. However there were two coins wrapped in paper in a small felt box by themselves; what looks like a bronze or brass buffalo buckle from dated 1928, no mint mark. And a Indian head cent which appears to have been struck One Cent on both sides by accident. I’ve uploaded some pictures for whatever input you all have, thanks very much! 

[jmac000]

[jmac000]

[FlyingAl]

The nickel looks toned a golden color, no real added value but a cool coin, it would not be worth grading. 

The cent is a vice job, which means that someone took two Indian Head cents and pressed them together really hard in a vice. It results in the letters being reversed on one side of the coin just like it is seen on the second picture of this one. It is a form of damage after the coin left the mint.

I do hope going through this gets you into the hobby, it is a very cool area once you get into it!