Most Coins Are Not Valuable
Most coins are worth very little! Think about this fact, coins made civilisation possible, they are also the one article mass produced in millions, which nobody ever throws away! For this reason, there are more old coins in existence than there are coin collectors. This is good news if you are a coin collector, but bad news if you are trying to sell.
Coin Collectors Are Not Rich
Most coin collectors aren’t wealthy, they’re just ordinary people with an interesting hobby. The point is that collectors don’t want to pay high prices. So don’t expect fortunes and you won’t be disappointed.
Condition or state of preservation, is most important. Collectors prefer coins in mint condition rather than worn condition.
You can’t expect a 100 (or 10 or 50) year old coin to still be in mint condition Precisely! It is because mint condition coins have rarity value that they command premium prices. Even ancient Roman and Greek coins exist in mint state, often at reasonable prices.
Prices
For most British coins there is a guide as to their worth.
Examples
- Catalogue value £100.
Expect to get about £50 less £1. - Catalogue value £5.
Expect to get about £2.50 less £1, equals £1.50 - Catalogue value £2.
Half of £2 is £1, less £1 equals zero.
A Few Exceptions
Dealers would prefer to buy real coins, coins with some history attached to them. Most modern issue coins are designed, targeted, and mass produced for sale to “collectors”. While many of their designs are very attractive, a coin or any other collector’s item which is manufactured primarily for collectors will never have the appeal of a similar item made for circulation and which has acquired greater collectability with the passing of time. Better if it has been preserved in exceptionally good condition, and has become rarer through a natural process of attrition. Dealers are only human and get much more pleasure out of buying a minty Victorian half crown or a Fine condition Charles I shilling.
Now for the Good News
If you have a coin which you want to sell and you know how much you want for it, contact a reputable dealer.
More valuations can be found here: gauk Auctions
