Frequent Questions About Doing Business with American Rarities

These are some of the most common questions we hear from folks just like you. Don't see your
question listed here? Fill out our Contact Form and list your questions - we'll be happy to personally
address your concerns.

How do I find out what my coins are worth?
This is a question we are asked no less than a couple of hundred times a
week. Coin values are based on the following three components:

Rarity. Using the Date and Mint mark of the coin, the marketplace

fixes a coin's rarity based on original mintage and estimated numbers
of surviving specimens. Population reports also identify “Condition
Rarities“; coins that may be common in lower grades, but rare in higher grades.

Condition as it relates to it’s “Grade.” A coin's Grade is determined by both technical factors,
such as the amount of wear (in circulated grades P-AU58), its strike, surface marks, lustre, as
well as subjective judgements such as toning, its quality in comparison to other coins of that
particular series/mint, and its originality; however,Grading coins is subjective (even experts with
decades of experience may disagree on particular coins).
Demand will affect the price of a coin based on number of available examples vs. the number of
people who want that particular denominations date/condition combination (this variation depends
on current market conditions, plus tastes and perceptions of value and desirability).

What are your coins worth?
Ultimately they are worth what someone else is willing to pay for them at any given time - there is NO
single price for any specific coin, but rather a RANGE of Prices based on the three variables above and
the current marketplace. Price Guides are just that - GUIDES!

What are the best coins to buy?
According to many experts, the best type of investment coins are rarer, key date coins issued by the
United States, in the best grade you can afford to buy them. If you can not afford to shell out $2,000 a
coin to buy key dates in high grades, then buy common coins in the finest grades you can.

What are the worst coin investments?
1. TV Shopping Show Dealers and "Premium Mints"
2. National Collector's Mint, Franklin Mint & Kin
3. Spurious Sets (sets put together out of lower grade and/or common coins according to some kind of theme)
4. Coins with crap on them (genuine U.S. Mint products altered by adding holographic stickers or coloring)

How do I know who to trust? Check references, coin association memberships, the BBB, ask your
friends/other people you trust.