Newbie.... Which coins to Grade 0

[Barbie72]

I'm curious how you decide which coins to send off for grading. I have watched videos, read books , looked up pricing etc...   it still confuses me... I know low mintage, condition etc but sometimes it seems its all over the place....   I sent a couple of coins in and am curious to see what happens and how it plays out. I have a couple of more I think I would like to grade but I'm unsure ... Any tips for this newbie ?  Thanks 😊 

[Just Bob]

The reason it seems all over the place is because it actually is. People send in coins to have graded for a lot of different reasons, some of which make little sense to some of us. In order for members to give you a proper answer to your question do you mind telling us the reasons you want to send your coins in?

By the way, it may surprise you to learn that there are members of this forum who have been collecting for decades, and have never sent a coin in for grading.

[Coinbuf]

Welcome to the forum.   There is no perfect right or wrong way to submit coins.   As a general rule most experienced collectors and dealers will not submit a coin unless the value of that coin is greater than the original cost of the coin plus the grading/shipping costs.   Another often cited rule is to only submit coins whose value exceeds $250.    Liquidity is another reason that some coins get graded/slabbed.   Some sellers feel that they will get more and sell a coin faster if that coin is TPG graded.   All of these general scenarios are geared to value and resale options.

However, there are lots of coins that do not fall into either category above, some of those lower value coins can be attributed to mistakes.   No matter how good a grader anyone is, there will always be the occasional surprise grading result.   Perhaps the submitter overlooked a minor detail, and while not very often, at times the TPG's do not give a coin the grade it deserves.   Sometimes the submitter will resubmit that coin he/she feels the TPG missed on, sometimes they just call it PQ, sell it and move on.   A person may decide to submit a coin because they need/want that coin in a registry set, in which case the value may not be the ultimate arbitrage.

Another possible reason for low value/low grade coins are coins that have sentimental value to the submitter.   Some folks are very willing to spend whatever it takes to slab good old bampaw's scratched and damaged dime.   In the end it is up to the submitter to choose the level of cost he/she is willing to pay to grade a coin for whatever reason they feel is warranted.

The only scenario I always advise against is when someone claims they are "doing it to save the coin for future generations".   This is a very poor reason to submit coins to a TPG, there are many other storage options that are far less costly than submitting a coin to a TPG

[Sandon]

Welcome to the NGC chat board.   

In my opinion, if you are a new collector, you have no business sending coins to grading services. The cost of doing so only justifies it for a coin that you are able to make an informed judgment is worth at least several hundred dollars, arguably $500 or more. You develop this judgment by learning how to grade and otherwise evaluate coins yourself. You may have begun to do this in the manner you describe, depending on what books and publications you are reading and what videos you are watching. You should also attend coin shows and other venues where you may carefully examine coins of the types that interest you and speak with knowledgeable collectors and dealers. You should also consider joining a coin club. You may find, as I have, that these activities will further your enjoyment of coin collecting.

   Until you have become reasonably proficient in basic authentication, grading, and recognizing coins that are impaired by "cleaning", damage, or other issues, you should confine your purchases to lower value items that can be enjoyed in coin albums or other proper holders, government issued sets in their original packaging, and coins that are already in the holders of reputable grading services.  

  Here are two topics on this forum that identify resources that will further your education:

 

[JKK]

The default answer is "none of them." There are financial and emotional reasons to send in coins. In the former, you're gambling (and it is a huge gamble for those new to the hobby) that you'll gain $65ish in value by having them slabbed. If there's minimal chance of that, ask yourself whether you would rather have a piece of plastic that probably says "EF Details -- Cleaned," versus what kind of coin you could buy for $65. In the latter, you're doing it because for whatever reason you heart that coin; maybe it's from your childhood, maybe it's one of Bampaw's (typically overgraded and overspent for) coins and you remember him fondly. If so, okay--but you could put it in an Airtite or some other solid holder for far less money.

My theory is that new collectors who want to "do things right" figure that this means having them graded. No, nope, nah, not true. I've never sent a coin in for grading and probably will not, and I have at least a respectable collection. Decide why you want to grade them, then use good sense, and you'll end up probably much better off.

[J P M]

Welcome Barbie72. I also have never sent a coin in to be graded. But I will buy a coin that someone else has already graded. Always for less than they paid to have it graded. Many people send in coins that are not worth the cost and loose out if they are shooting for the high grade. I see you have all ready sent some in. If it is for sentimental reasons then it is not a issue.. I hope you get what you are looking for. Good luck with your coins.

Edited March 31, 2023 by J P M

[GoldFinger1969]

BUY certified coins -- don't certify them. 

[Barbie72]

Thank you all..I will checkout all the links . Alot more to learn...  For those that asked , some coins I want graded are mine , some I have may go.

Thanks again

[powermad5000]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I will tell you that I collected coins for about 40 years before I ever made my first submission to have about a dozen coins graded. I had spent the time, however, learning about the hobby. I already had a grip on mintage numbers, self grading, rarity, varieties, and mint errors. My first submission was mixed. Some of what returned was surprisingly good, and some surprisingly bad. I took away from that a learning experience which is still continuing. And I realized just how little I knew after collecting coins for so long. A lot of those coins I originally collected over all those years got sold. I did have some high quality specimens in my collection without realizing just how good they were, however. Those coins I had gotten that I bought because they "looked really nice" actually were. The point I am trying to make is that I began submitting because they were my coins and it was my collection and I wanted to expand both the collection and the knowledge.

Back then it was a little cheaper than it is now to submit. Depending on the value of the coins you want to send, it can get crazy expensive now to submit. For 30 coins of rough value of $300 or less, it will cost you about $1000 in total to get those 30 slabs back. As someone who sends all of their coins in, it has changed the way I collect. Keeping key dates or scant mintage numbers out of the equation, I no longer collect anything in AU. My selection process is extremely strict and I shoot for MS 64 and up regardless of the series minted. The grading costs have just become too prohibitive to submit lesser value coins in, and as an independent collector-just-a-little-guy, I am not going to get some kind of break on bulk submissions.

That said, I submit for two reasons : Protection of the coin, and to establish a "base value" of my collection. I use the term base value as grading is subjective, and not a perfect science. Even a coin in a holder can cause a discussion on these forums and with multiple opinions. I try not to look at the tag in the holder as "the law", but as a good indication of the quality of the coin inside. I have sold off some of my submissions that didn't return as expected and watched some I sold at auction go way above price guide values during bidding wars, and I have sold outright some coins that were impaired that I thought would never sell, get snatched up immediately. When it comes to selling, you never know who wants a certain coin for what reason. What I have noticed is the graded coins I have sold, sell about ten times faster than the raw coins I have sold. Back to the base value, it just means that the tag in the holder means when it comes time for me to sell the coin, I am not going to let someone give me AU value for an MS 64.

Since you already sent some of your coins out, I am hoping you will not get discouraged with the results, but treat it as a learning experience. Good luck on your submission and come back to tell us how it returned. We would like to hear a submission success story!

[EagleRJO]

Welcome to the forum!

I agree with @JKK that the correct answer to possibly sending in more coins for grading is "none of them", at least until you can learn more about them and grading imo.  I also agree with @Sandon that you really should learn more about coins before purchasing them.

When I was considering buying some older silver dollars for a collection a while back, I came to this board to ask what I thought were some simple questions.  I then realized how misinformed I was on certain things from watching some YT vids, and how much I didn't know about the coins I was interested in collecting and evaluating the ones I wanted to purchase, since I was just a roll hunter at the time.

I took the advice of several more experienced board members like JPM, JKK, Sandon, Coinbuf, etc, and spent a considerable amount of time reading books and researching the coins I was interested in, as well as how to grade them and how to identify problem coins before buying them.  That has served me very well, and has carried over into other types of coins I was interested in collection by following the mantra "know the coin before you buy the coin".

I also learned to be more patient, and avoid one of the top mistakes in buying coins which is being willing to overlook problems a coin had, just because I wanted the coin and maybe at a good price.  And if you already have coins you purchased that are not in protective holders I would recommend you just put them is capsules or NGC style holders similar to the attached by TeamWill or PCCB.

Edited April 1, 2023 by EagleRJO

[GoldFinger1969]

On 3/29/2023 at 5:50 PM, Barbie72 said:

I sent a couple of coins in and am curious to see what happens and how it plays out. I have a couple of more I think I would like to grade but I'm unsure ... 

What coins did you already send in and what are you considering sending in, Barbie ?

Did you have a value estimate for the coins before you submitted ?

[l.cutler]

If you can post pictures of some you want to have graded the knowledgeable folks here will gladly give you some guidance, and why or why not it would be worthwhile to have it done.

[ldhair]

Sometimes the cost of grading is not important to a collector. It could be a coin that is only special to you. Maybe something that was passed down in the family. Maybe a special coin that was a turning point in the hobby for you. Something that sent you down a new path in collecting. 

I have been guilty a few times of just wanting a special coin in a nice holder. Years ago when fees were much smaller, I created a grading set of IKE Dollars in PCGS slabs. It was a test of my skills in grading and I had fun learning from my mistakes. Once it was an FE Cent that had little value at the time but is now worth several thousand dollars. 

[Mr.Bill347]

Great advice from all of the leading collectors here. I have learned a great deal from all of you. Barbie, when I first got into the hobby, my first idea was to submit a few Morgan dollars. One of them came back as a VF VAM 2 1887/88, which puzzled me because I had no idea what that designation  meant. 😆, the second came back as “not genuine” unslabbed , it was counterfeit. Then I sent in some proof and new Mint Silver Eagles, they all proved worthy if their expected designation. But they should, but then you ask yourself why, when you know they should receive a higher grade. I wasn’t expecting to turn a profit, so the lesson here that everyone is telling you, is that know your reason for submitting before you do so.

good luck and let us know what you will do and also how your grading turned out.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Mr.Bill347
Typo

[Barbie72]

On 3/29/2023 at 11:10 PM, powermad5000 said:

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I will tell you that I collected coins for about 40 years before I ever made my first submission to have about a dozen coins graded. I had spent the time, however, learning about the hobby. I already had a grip on mintage numbers, self grading, rarity, varieties, and mint errors. My first submission was mixed. Some of what returned was surprisingly good, and some surprisingly bad. I took away from that a learning experience which is still continuing. And I realized just how little I knew after collecting coins for so long. A lot of those coins I originally collected over all those years got sold. I did have some high quality specimens in my collection without realizing just how good they were, however. Those coins I had gotten that I bought because they "looked really nice" actually were. The point I am trying to make is that I began submitting because they were my coins and it was my collection and I wanted to expand both the collection and the knowledge.

Back then it was a little cheaper than it is now to submit. Depending on the value of the coins you want to send, it can get crazy expensive now to submit. For 30 coins of rough value of $300 or less, it will cost you about $1000 in total to get those 30 slabs back. As someone who sends all of their coins in, it has changed the way I collect. Keeping key dates or scant mintage numbers out of the equation, I no longer collect anything in AU. My selection process is extremely strict and I shoot for MS 64 and up regardless of the series minted. The grading costs have just become too prohibitive to submit lesser value coins in, and as an independent collector-just-a-little-guy, I am not going to get some kind of break on bulk submissions.

That said, I submit for two reasons : Protection of the coin, and to establish a "base value" of my collection. I use the term base value as grading is subjective, and not a perfect science. Even a coin in a holder can cause a discussion on these forums and with multiple opinions. I try not to look at the tag in the holder as "the law", but as a good indication of the quality of the coin inside. I have sold off some of my submissions that didn't return as expected and watched some I sold at auction go way above price guide values during bidding wars, and I have sold outright some coins that were impaired that I thought would never sell, get snatched up immediately. When it comes to selling, you never know who wants a certain coin for what reason. What I have noticed is the graded coins I have sold, sell about ten times faster than the raw coins I have sold. Back to the base value, it just means that the tag in the holder means when it comes time for me to sell the coin, I am not going to let someone give me AU value for an MS 64.

Since you already sent some of your coins out, I am hoping you will not get discouraged with the results, but treat it as a learning experience. Good luck on your submission and come back to tell us how it returned. We would like to hear a submission success story!

I guess I will see how good or bad my choices were when I get them... I also am looking at it as a learning experience . I can post when I get them back... we all might just get a little bit of a laugh out of it...Thanks

[Barbie72]

On 3/29/2023 at 11:23 PM, EagleRJO said:

Welcome to the forum!

I agree with @JKKthat the correct answer to possibly sending in more coins for grading is "none of them", at least until you can learn more about them and grading imo.  I also agree with @Sandonthat you really should learn more about coins before purchasing them.

When I was considering buying some older silver dollars for a collection a while back, I came to this board to ask what I thought were some simple questions.  I then realized how misinformed I was on certain things from watching some YT vids, and how much I didn't know about the coins I was interested in collecting and evaluating the ones I wanted to purchase, since I was just a roll hunter at the time.

I took the advice of several more experienced board members like JPM, JKK, Sandon, Coinbuf, etc, and spent a considerable amount of time reading books and researching the coins I was interested in, as well as how to grade them and how to identify problem coins before buying them.  That has served me very well, and has carried over into other types of coins I was interested in collection by following the mantra "know the coin before you buy the coin".

I also learned to be more patient, and avoid one of the top mistakes in buying coins which is being willing to overlook problems a coin had, just because I wanted the coin and maybe at a good price.  And if you already have coins you purchased that are not in protective holders I would recommend you just put them is capsules or NGC style holders similar to the attached by TeamWill or PCCB.

 

I haven't bought any coins in sometime ...I have coins from years of grabbing them when I seen them...  so all mine are in boxes I have been pulling out and getting thur them... we were casual collectors...  I have bought myself books and continue to learn alot ... I appreciate all the info... Thanks

[Barbie72]

On 3/30/2023 at 3:19 AM, l.cutler said:

If you can post pictures of some you want to have graded the knowledgeable folks here will gladly give you some guidance, and why or why not it would be worthwhile to have it done.

Here are those coins I was debating on sending in.. question ..also the peace dollar with the black was she a proof in her previous life? 

[Barbie72]

Here's the back.. shes probably not worth much but I always liked her...found her in a jar of coins.. thanks

[EagleRJO]

On 3/30/2023 at 12:41 PM, Barbie72 said:

I guess I will see how good or bad my choices were when I get them... I also am looking at it as a learning experience . I can post when I get them back... we all might just get a little bit of a laugh out of it...Thanks

Well, to make it interesting maybe post a list of the coins you submitted with descriptions and what grade you think they will come back.  Also, it looks like you just posted pics of the coins.

[Barbie72]

On 3/30/2023 at 12:46 PM, EagleRJO said:

Well, to make it interesting maybe post a list of the coins you submitted with descriptions and what grade you think they will come back.  Also, it looks like you just posted pics of the coins.

Those ,except black peace , were the ones I was thinking of sending in....I may have to do that...I don't have great pictures of them .... a couple were errors that I sent in because of curiosity..and a couple just to see how they fair... 😊  thanks

[Sandon]

   Your photos of the coins you wish to have certified exemplify exactly what I said before--that you have no business whatsoever submitting coins to a grading service at this point or for some time to come. While it's hard to see your coins without separate, cropped photos of the obverse and reverse of each coin, this is what it appears you have and their respective approximate grades and retail (dealer list selling) values per this month's Coin World:

1. 1900 Indian cent, About Uncirculated to Uncirculated details, but chemically "cleaned" or recolored. You need to learn what the original "red" color of copper coins looks like, which is more orange, not pinkish like this. Retail value as an impaired coin, perhaps at best $12 (Extremely Fine value).

2. 1964 Kennedy half dollar, at best MS 62 (low end uncirculated), with significant nicks and scratches and unattractive tarnish-type toning on the reverse. Retail value $10, not much more than its silver value.

3. 1889 Morgan dollar, About Uncirculated details, likely "cleaned". Retail value $35-40 if not cleaned, $30 or so if cleaned.

4. 1926-S(?) Peace dollar, Extremely Fine with heavy tarnish-type toning. Retail value $32. (The only Proof Peace dollars are dated 1921 and 1922 and are extreme rarities. Check your "Redbook", which I assume you have, as it's absolutely essential for any coin collector, especially a beginner.)

5. 1934 Peace dollar--there doesn't appear to be a mint mark from the washed-out photo--Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated. I'll assume it wasn't "cleaned", as I can't tell from the photos. Retail value $47-$50 (uncleaned)

6. 1976-D Bicentennial Eisenhower dollar, Variety 2, Choice Uncirculated from what I can see (MS 63 or so). Retail value $5. (MS 65 retail value $30, MS 66 $75 (rare)).

  You could least expensively submit coins 1 to 5 to NGC under the "Economy" tier for coins valued at less than $300 each. This would cost a $23 per coin grading fee, $10 processing fee, and a $28 return shipping and insurance fee, for a total of $153, not including your cost of shipping them to NGC, for coins whose total retail value I've estimated at $144. Dealers would buy coins like these for at least a third less than their retail values and likely wouldn't pay extra for them being certified.

  The 1976-D Eisenhower dollar would qualify for submission as a post-1964 "modern" coin with a slightly reduced grading fee of $19. This would be a separate order with an additional $10 processing fee and $28 shipping fee. This obviously wouldn't be worth it either.

   Your coins are fine in the capsules in which you have them. Spend your money on the books and other resources to which I and others here have referred you. You have much to learn. As someone who began collecting coins about 52 years ago--some 15 years before grading services that encapsulate coins existed--I'm puzzled why anyone would even think about sending coins like these to a grading service!

 Additionally, before posting photos of additional coins, please review the following the initial posts in the following topic:

 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Sandon

[VKurtB]

On 3/29/2023 at 9:02 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

BUY certified coins -- don't certify them. 

I do the polar opposite of this, but I have 60 years of experience in this field.

[Barbie72]

On 3/30/2023 at 3:08 PM, Sandon said:

   Your photos of the coins you wish to have certified exemplify exactly what I said before--that you have no business whatsoever submitting coins to a grading service at this point or for some time to come. While it's hard to see your coins without separate, cropped photos of the obverse and reverse of each coin, this is what it appears you have and their respective approximate grades and retail (dealer list selling) values per this month's Coin World:

1. 1900 Indian cent, About Uncirculated to Uncirculated details, but chemically "cleaned" or recolored. You need to learn what the original "red" color of copper coins looks like, which is more orange, not pinkish like this. Retail value as an impaired coin, perhaps at best $12 (Extremely Fine value).

2. 1964 Kennedy half dollar, at best MS 62 (low end uncirculated), with significant nicks and scratches and unattractive tarnish-type toning on the reverse. Retail value $10, not much more than its silver value.

3. 1889 Morgan dollar, About Uncirculated details, likely "cleaned". Retail value $35-40 if not cleaned, $30 or so if cleaned.

4. 1926-S(?) Peace dollar, Extremely Fine with heavy tarnish-type toning. Retail value $32. (The only Proof Peace dollars are dated 1921 and 1922 and are extreme rarities. Check your "Redbook", which I assume you have, as it's absolutely essential for any coin collector, especially a beginner.)

5. 1934 Peace dollar--there doesn't appear to be a mint mark from the washed-out photo--Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated. I'll assume it wasn't "cleaned", as I can't tell from the photos. Retail value $47-$50 (uncleaned)

6. 1976-D Bicentennial Eisenhower dollar, Variety 2, Choice Uncirculated from what I can see (MS 63 or so). Retail value $5. (MS 65 retail value $30, MS 66 $75 (rare)).

  You could least expensively submit coins 1 to 5 to NGC under the "Economy" tier for coins valued at less than $300 each. This would cost a $23 per coin grading fee, $10 processing fee, and a $28 return shipping and insurance fee, for a total of $153, not including your cost of shipping them to NGC, for coins whose total retail value I've estimated at $144. Dealers would buy coins like these for at least a third less than their retail values and likely wouldn't pay extra for them being certified.

  The 1976-D Eisenhower dollar would qualify for submission as a post-1964 "modern" coin with a slightly reduced grading fee of $19. This would be a separate order with an additional $10 processing fee and $28 shipping fee. This obviously wouldn't be worth it either.

   Your coins are fine in the capsules in which you have them. Spend your money on the books and other resources to which I and others here have referred you. You have much to learn. As someone who began collecting coins about 52 years ago--some 15 years before grading services that encapsulate coins existed--I'm puzzled why anyone would even think about sending coins like these to a grading service!

 Additionally, before posting photos of additional coins, please review the following the initial posts in the following topic:

 

 

 Thanks for the information.  I don't wash my coins ...the Indian was a gift from my mother in law years ago...it came from the mint ...so I dont know  ..thanks again I appreciate it.

[Sandon]

On 3/30/2023 at 5:47 PM, Barbie72 said:

.the Indian was a gift from my mother in law years ago...it came from the mint ..

   I doubt that your mother-in-law could have obtained this coin from the Philadelphia mint in 1900. (I'm in my 60s, and my grandmothers were born in 1899 and 1905.) Collectors in those days would have purchased proofs from that mint. Your coin doesn't appear to be a proof strike, but, again, it's hard to tell from your photos. The color looks wrong whether it is a circulation strike or a proof strike.

   I happen to own a 1900 Indian cent graded MS 64 RB (Choice "red and brown" uncirculated) by PCGS. Note that the original color is of an orange, not pink, hue, and the detail and surface texture of an uncleaned, uncirculated coin. (Photos courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries):

 

Now here's a 1909 V.D.B. Lincoln cent, which is of the same bronze composition as an Indian cent, that PCGS graded MS 65 RD (full "red" Gem Uncirculated). Note the color of this one as well:

Here's an 1847 large cent with uncirculated details that I bought uncertified at an auction some years ago and strongly suspected had been chemically recolored. (I paid a few hundred dollars; pieces of this vintage with full or nearly full original color can be worth thousands.) NGC has confirmed that it isn't original with a description of "Uncirculated Details, Altered Color". Note the pinkish color, which appears similar to that of your Indian cent:

   If you can't post better photos of your coins, you might want to take them to a coin show if there is one held in your area or to a local coin dealer.  You should be able to get informal opinions of their value, which will likely confirm that they aren't worth the cost of submitting to a grading service.

[EagleRJO]

Looking at the coins you posted I agree none of them would be candidates for grading submission.  Special circumstances aside, they don't have a value of at least around $300 or more, so Just keep them in your own holders.

Do you have a list and pics of the coins already submitted?

[J P M]

On 3/31/2023 at 8:44 AM, Mr.Bill347 said:

Might this coin be one of those that could be worthy of grading, a 1964 P very MS quality. Mid 60 grading stated a pretty high value on these and this one seems exceptional to me.

whatya think?

I would start a different topic on this coin Bill. It is kinda busy on this one.  

Edited March 31, 2023 by J P M

[Barbie72]

On 3/30/2023 at 7:41 PM, Sandon said:

   I doubt that your mother-in-law could have obtained this coin from the Philadelphia mint in 1900. (I'm in my 60s, and my grandmothers were born in 1899 and 1905.) Collectors in those days would have purchased proofs from that mint. Your coin doesn't appear to be a proof strike, but, again, it's hard to tell from your photos. The color looks wrong whether it is a circulation strike or a proof strike.

   I happen to own a 1900 Indian cent graded MS 64 RB (Choice "red and brown" uncirculated) by PCGS. Note that the original color is of an orange, not pink, hue, and the detail and surface texture of an uncleaned, uncirculated coin. (Photos courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries):

 

Now here's a 1909 V.D.B. Lincoln cent, which is of the same bronze composition as an Indian cent, that PCGS graded MS 65 RD (full "red" Gem Uncirculated). Note the color of this one as well:

Here's an 1847 large cent with uncirculated details that I bought uncertified at an auction some years ago and strongly suspected had been chemically recolored. (I paid a few hundred dollars; pieces of this vintage with full or nearly full original color can be worth thousands.) NGC has confirmed that it isn't original with a description of "Uncirculated Details, Altered Color". Note the pinkish color, which appears similar to that of your Indian cent:

   If you can't post better photos of your coins, you might want to take them to a coin show if there is one held in your area or to a local coin dealer.  You should be able to get informal opinions of their value, which will likely confirm that they aren't worth the cost of submitting to a grading it

I'm talking about a cataloge .You could buy coins ,rolls ,silver etc.   Nice coins. Thanks for the information.

[Sandon]

On 3/31/2023 at 11:06 AM, Barbie72 said:

I'm talking about a catalogue .You could buy coins ,rolls ,silver etc.   Nice coins.

   The U.S. Mint doesn't sell old coins to collectors! The catalog was no doubt that of a private company that mass markets overpriced and sometimes overgraded and/or impaired coins to the general public. Some of these companies use the term "mint" in their names and only disclose that they are actually private companies in fine print.

  The U.S. Mint does sell current and sometimes recent (last year or two) collectors' sets and issues, such as proof and uncirculated coin sets, commemorative coins, and collectors' versions of bullion coins.  The mint's website is at www.usmint.gov.  This is a legitimate source for such items, although since 2021 the Mint has been offering items containing precious metal for ridiculous prices.

[VKurtB]

On 3/31/2023 at 11:06 AM, Sandon said:

   The U.S. Mint doesn't sell old coins to collectors! The catalog was no doubt that of a private company that mass markets overpriced and sometimes overgraded and/or impaired coins to the general public. Some of these companies use the term "mint" in their names and only disclose that they are actually private companies in fine print.

  The U.S. Mint does sell current and sometimes recent (last year or two) collectors' sets and issues, such as proof and uncirculated coin sets, commemorative coins, and collectors' versions of bullion coins.  The mint's website is at www.usmint.gov.  This is a legitimate source for such items, although since 2021 the Mint has been offering items containing precious metal for ridiculous prices.

But ironically enough, the British Royal Mint now DOES sell old coins to collectors. Yes, overpriced to the extreme.