In the wake of my father’s death last week, my mother has passed over a medium-sized stash of coins to me for valuation. Most of these were my grandfather’s and were probably assembled in the 1960s. With the exception of a proof 1983 Canadian Silver Dollar that was given to me for my bar mitzvah (2020 value of $14!!!) and a bunch of proof coin sets (1c/5c/25c/50c/$1) from the 60s, these are Canadian circulated coins in average condition. There are some US silver dollars/half dollars and a bunch of smaller foreign change.
What’s the best way of going about this? I expect that this is all melt-value only, but I don’t want to miss out if there is anything good mixed in.
I collect US coins. You didn’t say how old the coins are. You said “average, circulated,” but are they just stuff your grandfather pulled from circulation, or are there older coins mixed in?
FWIW, my mother had a huge stash of coins we found when she died. She apparently had saved every Kennedy half dollar she was ever passed in change, ever. She had hundreds of dollars worth of them, in just the ones that were clad coinage, plus a crap load of part silver, and even silver ones. I rolled the part silver ones, and had four rolls of them, which I sold on eBay for close to $100/roll. They were really nice, because even though they were regular-issue coins, my mother had pulled them from circulation when they were new.
She also was saving Sacajawea dollars, presidential dollars, state parks quarters. I put what she had into books, and then finished the sets, and took the rest to the bank.
I also got books, and put together a whole set of Kennedy half dollars (except for things like the silver Bicentennial coins) from what she had before I cashed everything in, or sold stuff on eBay.
There are some US Silver Dollars and Half Dollars, I think back to the 20s. I expect that they were pulled from the cash register. My grandparents had a cigar store back in the late 30s and then got into the schmatta trade with ladies clothing in the 40s or 50s. They were probably hoarded for the silver value as opposed to any numismatic interest as they are just in a bag.
US silver dollars and half dollars in the condition they’d be in if they were pulled right from circulation shortly after being released, back in the 20s and 30s, could well be worth more than melt value. Not hundreds, but still, enough more than melt value that it’s worth shlepping the lot to a coin dealer.
Easy fast to you too, although I’m a little worried, considering there’s no shul to go to to spend the day.
I wasn’t 100% sure I remembered the name correctly, so I even searched up a thread with your name and “collect” where you were commenting on the value of silver-based collectibles. That find convinced me I’d remembered the name rightly.
Don’t feel too bad, LSLGuy, my first reaction was Sam_Stone, too. If you hadn’t already posted that, I might have taken the wrong Sam’s name in vain. So thanks for taking that bullet for me.