Old Silver Coins - $$$Worth??

[Hou-Tex Horn]

OK, so I came across a coin collection (various coins wrapped and bagged in a shoe box) from a deceased relative. How much are they worth? What do I do with them? I'm not a collector of these things nor are they sentimental to me. Here is a brief summary of what is in the box...

1. Several $10 rolls of quarters with the years from 1946-1961

2. Lots of pure silver (well way more than you have today) dimes from the 1960's and before.

3. Lots of pure silver quarters, same as above, but from the 1950s

4. Lots of dimes from the 1940s

5. Half dollars from the 1960s

6. Silver dollar coins from the 1970s

7. Random assortment of buffalo nickels and old pennies

8. Lots of really old silver dollar coins from various years, some going way back.... 1895/1888/1900/1920/1922

What the heck do I do with these??

 

[DoobieWah]

Value will depend on condition. If they are typical coins pulled from circulation and stashed, (that is, they exhibit considerable wear), the value may be in the silver content for those that are silver.

The $1 coins from the 70's are worth... $1.

You can check eBay to give you a rough idea for some of the rarer coins like the 19th and early 20th century silver dollars.

Or you could just schlep them to a coin dealer. I know of two just a few miles from me in Houston.

Good luck.

 

[accuratehorn]

Yeah, you either have to attempt to estimate their worth yourself by going to websites or buying a coin collecting price list book, or take them to a dealer or two for an estimate.
Some will be worth face price only, some worth more for their metal content only, but some may have collectible value.
You wouldn't want to sell a collectible silver dollar worth $500 for $20 silver value.
The "grade" of a coin is all-important in determining collectible value, and the coin book or website will have several prices for poor, good, very good, up to brilliantly uncirculated. So there are many considerations.

 

[Dogbert]

Check eBay. Sell them there if you have time to put in the effort. A good and accurate description is important. The state sells theirs here:The Link

 

[johnny chimpo]

1964 and earlier - 90% silver + some some copper. quarters, dimes, dollar and half dollars (nickels only from the 40's have real silver). anything 1965 and later is just a coin.

i think a quarter is worth around $4.50 right now, with silver around 18$.

FYI, look at your change always. there are lots of these coins still in circulation, mostly dimes and quarters. keep em!