Inherited Coins: What to Do First
Coins from a parent or grandparent can feel like a puzzle. You do not need any coin knowledge to start. Here is what to do in the first days, what to avoid, and how to learn what you are holding.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
- Gold and silver weighed where you can see it
- Have a photo ID with you
- You never have to sell
- Booked ahead, so the time is yours
First, what we are and what we are not
We are buyers. We look closely at coins and then make an offer to purchase them. We call that a purchase evaluation.
Our purchase evaluation is an offer to buy. It is not a formal written appraisal for insurance, probate or tax use.
When an estate, an insurance company or a tax preparer asks for a formal written appraisal, you need an independent appraiser for that, not a buyer. Our page on purchase evaluations versus formal appraisals lays out the difference.
What heirs usually find
Coins rarely show up alone. A dresser drawer or a closet shelf in a Denton County home often holds a mix of coins, metal and jewelry. All of it can be looked at in one appointment, and you are never asked to sell any of it.
When the coins fill albums, binders or boxes, read our page on selling a coin collection to see how a bigger group is handled. For a smaller pile of loose coins, our page on selling coins walks through the common types one at a time.
- Coin folders, albums and boxes of U.S. coins
- Silver dollars, plus dimes, quarters and halves from 1964 or earlier
- Gold coins from the United States or other countries
- Proof sets and mint sets still in Mint packaging
- Foreign coins brought home from travel or military service
- Bars, rounds and gold jewelry stored with the coins
The first few days
There is no deadline here. A handful of good habits right now protects the value and keeps every choice open.
Good moves
- Collect the papers. Purchase receipts, dealer invoices, certificates, and any list or notebook the owner kept.
- Lock it up. Store everything in a dry, secure spot, still in the holders and boxes it came in.
- Photograph as found. Snap each box, album page and holder before anything gets moved around.
- Talk to the executor. If the estate is still open, check with the executor or the estate's attorney before selling anything.
Things to avoid
- Cleaning. Skip polish, dips, baking soda, cloths and erasers. Cleaning leaves marks that cut collector value.
- Breaking up sets. A complete run of dates or a Mint set can be worth more whole than handed out a few coins at a time.
- Opening holders. Leave slabs, cardboard flips, rolls and Mint packaging sealed.
- Tossing old packaging. Envelopes and boxes often carry dates, notes or prices the collector wrote down.
Unsure where to start?
Give us a call and describe what you found in your own words, however rough. We will set a weekday time to go through it with you at our private Denton office, at your home or at your bank.
Collector piece or everyday coin?
You cannot be sure from the kitchen table, but some clues lean one way or the other.
Clues that deserve a closer look
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Coins sealed in graded holders
A hard plastic slab with a printed label tells you the owner paid to have that coin graded. Keep the slab closed.
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Any gold at all
Gold coins always carry metal value, and older U.S. gold pieces can draw extra interest from collectors.
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Silver change dated 1964 or earlier
U.S. dimes, quarters and halves from those years are 90% silver, no matter how tired they look.
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Albums filled in date order
A folder with most of its holes filled, or Mint sets in their original envelopes, points to someone collecting with a plan.
Clues that point to an everyday coin
- Recent coins like the ones still in your pocket change
- Heavily worn coins from years when the Mint struck millions
- Private-mint medals and "limited edition" pieces from mail-order ads, which seldom bring more than their metal
Age alone does not make a coin rare
The questions that count are how many were made, how many are left, and what condition this one is in.
We tell you which of those matters for each coin, so you understand why it is or is not special.
How we look at an inherited collection
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Identify each piece
We work through the collection beside you, one piece at a time, keeping albums, sets and rolls intact.
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Gold and silver weighed where you can see it
The scale sits in plain view, so you see every reading.
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Weigh collector value against melt
We separate collector coins from metal coins so each group is priced the way it should be.
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Walk you through the offer
You hear how we reached the number. Then take it, turn it down, or sell just some of the items.
Start with a sample
You do not have to haul every box to the first appointment. Pick a couple of albums or a small sample, see how the conversation goes, then decide what to do next.
If moving the coins makes you uneasy, we can meet you at your home or at a secure location such as your bank instead of our office.
- Have a photo ID and the coins you picked to start
- Bring any paperwork that belongs with those coins
- A spouse, sibling or friend is welcome to join you
- You can leave without selling a thing
When more than one heir is involved
Before the appointment, settle who will bring the coins and who has the final word on selling.
If two heirs come together, both hear the same explanation for every piece, which tends to keep family conversations simpler.
When you are ready
Send the evaluation request below or call us. We answer form requests with a phone call during business hours.
We work by appointment only, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Photos are not required, though a few pictures of what you found give us a head start before we meet.
Where we are based
We are in Denton, TX, and we serve heirs across Denton County. The office address is shared by phone once your appointment is booked.
Families in Corinth are about 10 minutes from Denton, and those up in Sanger about 18 minutes. The service area page lists the rest of the towns we cover.
Common questions from heirs
I have no idea what any of these coins are. Is that a problem?
No. Most heirs we hear from are in the same spot. Call and tell us roughly what you see, and at the appointment we name each piece for you in everyday words.
Should the family split the coins up before anyone sells?
Waiting is usually the safer choice. A set or album can be worth more as one unit, and dividing things fairly is far easier once everyone knows what is actually there.
Can I bring only a handful of coins the first time?
Yes. Plenty of people start with a few pieces to see how it goes, then book a second appointment for the rest.
Will your evaluation work for estate or tax paperwork?
No, that is not its purpose. Our purchase evaluation is an offer to buy. It is not a formal written appraisal for insurance, probate or tax use. If an estate is open, the estate's attorney or CPA can tell you whether a formal appraisal is needed.
What do I need for the first appointment?
Bring a photo ID, the coins you want to start with, and any receipts, notes, certificates or original boxes that go with them.
Book a time with us
- Based in
- Denton, TX, serving Denton County
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
- Where we meet
- At our private Denton office, your home or a secure location such as your bank
- Bring
- A photo ID and the items you want us to look at
For privacy and security, we share our office address by phone once your appointment is set.
Our purchase evaluation is an offer to buy. It is not a formal written appraisal for insurance, probate or tax use.
Get a quote
Three quick questions. We call you back on a weekday. Or call now: (940) 209-8220.