How much is my coin worth?
A coin's value comes down to four things: what it is, its date and mint mark, its condition, and whether it has problems. Work through them in order and you can place almost any US coin in the right ballpark before talking to a buyer.
By Changes Hands Research · Updated Nov 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Step 1: Identify the coin
Start with the type: denomination and design. A five-cent piece with a bison on the back is a Buffalo nickel; a dime with a winged head is a Mercury dime. Then read the date and look for a mint mark, a small letter showing which mint struck the coin. P or no mark usually means Philadelphia, D Denver, S San Francisco, O New Orleans and CC Carson City. Mint mark position varies by series, so check the series page if you cannot find it.
Check the metal, too. US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver, while 1965 and later issues (apart from 1965 to 1970 half dollars, which contain 40% silver) are copper-nickel clad. A look at the edge tells you quickly: clad coins show a copper stripe.
Step 2: Check for key dates and varieties
Within every series a few date and mint combinations are scarce. These key dates can be worth many times a common date in the same condition. Examples include the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent, the 1916-D Mercury dime, the 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters and the 1893-S Morgan dollar. Our guide to common dates and key dates explains why.
Varieties are coins made from dies with a visible difference, such as the doubled lettering of the 1955 Doubled Die Obverse cent or the missing leg of the 1937-D 3-Legged Buffalo nickel. Look these up for your series; they are easy to miss and often faked.
Step 3: Estimate the grade honestly
Condition moves value more than anything except rarity. Use a loupe and a single lamp, study the high points of the design, and compare the coin with photos of certified examples. Our guide to how coin grading works walks through the scale. Be conservative: almost everyone grades their own coins too high, and buyers will grade them lower still.
The effect of grade is rarely linear. For many series the jump from Very Fine to Extremely Fine is modest, while the step from About Uncirculated into Mint State, or from MS64 to MS65, can multiply the price. That is why a coin on the boundary between two grades is worth a closer look, and why professional grading pays for itself on some coins and not others.
Step 4: Look for problems
Problems cut value sharply and are easy to overlook if you are hoping for good news.
- Cleaning: fine parallel scratches in the fields and an unnaturally bright or pinkish color.
- Damage: scratches, rim dings, bends, holes, or signs that the coin was mounted in jewelry.
- Corrosion: green or black spots on copper, pitting, or crusty deposits.
- Alteration: a mint mark that looks added, or a date digit that looks reshaped. This is common on key dates.
- Counterfeits: wrong weight, soft or mushy details, a seam on the edge, or a magnet that sticks to a coin that should not be magnetic.
Step 5: Know the floor
For silver coins, the metal sets a floor under the price. Multiply the coin's silver content by the current spot price of silver. A Morgan or Peace dollar contains 0.7734 troy ounces of silver, a 90% silver half dollar 0.3617, a quarter 0.1808 and a dime 0.0723. A worn common-date silver coin usually trades near that melt value; collector demand adds a premium above it. Copper and nickel coins have little metal value relative to their face, so their floor is face value or a bulk collector price.
Step 6: Find what coins like yours actually sell for
Price guides are a starting point, not an answer. A Guide Book of United States Coins, the Red Book, shows approximate retail prices and is updated once a year. Wholesale price sheets, such as the Greysheet used by dealers, track what dealers pay each other. PCGS and NGC both publish online price guides for certified coins. None of these are offers.
Real transactions are better evidence. Auction houses publish archives of prices realized, online marketplaces show completed sales, and on an exchange the order book shows the highest bid and lowest ask for a defined class right now. Match like with like: same date, mint, grade, grading service and problem status. A price for a PCGS MS65 tells you little about a raw coin you think is AU.
Why offers come in below the price guide
Retail price guides describe what a collector might pay a dealer. A dealer buying from you needs a margin to cover overhead, holding time and risk, so the offer will be lower. That gap is the bid-ask spread, and it is wider for rare, raw or hard-to-grade coins than for common certified coins and bullion. Getting several offers, or selling into a market where many buyers compete, narrows it.
Coin values change with metal prices, collector demand and the number of coins that come to market. This guide is general information, not investment advice, and past prices are no promise of future ones.
Getting a figure on Changes Hands
Every class on Changes Hands has a public market page showing the current bids and offers, the last trade where there has been one, and a reference price when the book is empty. Browse the markets to find your coin's class, for example common-date Buffalo nickels in Fine or circulated 90% silver quarters. The sell page gives a net-proceeds estimate for each grading service before you send anything.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if my coin is valuable?
Check four things in order: the type, the date and mint mark (is it a key date or a known variety?), the condition, and any problems such as cleaning or damage. Silver content sets a floor for pre-1965 dimes, quarters and halves. Then compare with recent sales of the same coin in the same grade.
Where is the mint mark on my coin?
It depends on the series. On Lincoln wheat cents it is below the date; on Buffalo nickels it is on the reverse below FIVE CENTS; on Morgan dollars it is on the reverse above the DO in DOLLAR. Each of our series pages shows the location.
Are old coins always worth more than face value?
No. Age alone does not create value. Many coins over a century old are common, and worn copper or nickel coins can be worth little more than face. Silver content, scarcity and condition are what push value up.
Why is a dealer offering less than the price guide?
Most price guides show retail prices. A dealer buying needs room to resell, and the gap between buying and selling prices is wider for rare or raw coins. Getting several offers or selling into a competitive market helps.