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Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

Edit--If you have any questions about paper money (currency) feel free to ask away! Somebody more knowledgeable than myself should be able to help you out.

Wondering how much those old coins you have lying around are worth? Myself and other experienced collectors can give you the answer! Close-up pictures of the obverse and reverse of the coin are best, but we can still give you a rough valuation with the following info:

  • Date
  • Denomination (i.e. quarter, half dollar, etc)
  • Mintmark--This is a small letter found somewhere on the coin that indicates where the coin was minted. The most common 19th and 20th century mintmarks are S (San Francisco) and D (Denver). Others include O (New Orleans), CC (Carson City), D (Dahlonega, on some gold coins in the 19th c.), C (Charlotte), P (Philadelphia), and W (West Point). These play a large part in determining a coin's value. For example, a 1916 Mercury dime minted in Denver could be worth $1000 while a San Francisco 1916 dime would be worth $5. Not every coin will have a mintmark.
  • Condition--The more descriptive you can be, the better. Does the coin still have its original luster? Is it scratched up or fingerprinted? Are the design features still sharp and distinct or worn-down?


Some info about me: I've been collecting coins for about a decade now. My interest started when I inherited my grandfather's collection. He had amassed a large collection of U.S. coins through 40 years working in a bank. I've added to the collection with purchases from coin shows, coin stores, and eBay. I've been working on a type set (one coin of every type ever produced by the U.S. mint) for a while now, but college has cut into my disposable income so I've had to put that on hold. But my interest hasn't waned and I'm sure once I graduate and land a job, I'll start wasting spending even more money on coins.

I don't claim to be an expert, but I'll do my best to give you an accurate idea of how much your coins are worth. Again, close-up pictures of each side of the coin are best but without that, a thorough description of the coin is ok. My knowledge is primarily limited to U.S. coins but I'll try my best to help you with any other nation's coins. Rule of thumb: if it's a foreign coin from the 20th century and it's not silver, chances are it's worthless.

Ron Don Volante fucked around with this message at 19:27 on Oct 26, 2013

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EvilMayo
Dec 25, 2010

"You'll poke your anus out." - George Dubya Bush
How much are bicentennial quarters worth? 25 cents?

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

Unless they're in near-perfect condition, yeah. There were nearly a billion produced at each of the mints, so they're pretty widely available.

Spudalicious
Dec 24, 2003

I <3 Alton Brown.
Whats the deal with those tv-ads that are selling you a GOLD COIN THAT WILL BE WORTH SOMETHING MAYBE HOPEFULLY? Are they just all complete BS or is there a chance that any of that crap will be rare and valuable?

312
Nov 7, 2012
I give terrible advice in E/N and post nothing worth anybody's time.

i might be a social cripple irl
Scams. Glen Beck in particular had a ton of shady gold dealer advertising during his shows- the coins are only worth their spot price in gold (not to say there aren't coins that are worth more than their melt value, but they aren't sold on TV in mass produced quantities), and gold would have to basically double or triple in value before you even break even because the purchase price is so inflated.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

I'm not sure if I'm familiar with those ads. I have seen a lot of print ads selling 1/10th ounce Eagles or 1 ounce silver Eagles. If they're selling American Eagles, those are the bullion coins struck by the mint so they do have some actual value. But the company selling them is definitely marking them up way over bullion value. If you do want to buy gold, you'd find a much better deal on eBay or even a coin store. Gold and silver have shot up a ridiculous amount since the financial crisis so those companies will show charts promising you a 200% return based on past performance, which is probably unrealistic at this point.

I know some other companies sell gold-clad coins, which are worthless. They put a few pennies worth of gold over a base metal and sell it for an exorbitant price. So yeah, short answer is, never buy any coins from t.v. commercials or advertisements.

^Yeah 312 nailed it.

Ron Don Volante fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Jan 28, 2013

Trench_Rat
Sep 19, 2006
Doing my duty for king and coutry since 86
how much is confederate money worth?

Pittsburgh Lambic
Feb 16, 2011
Found a 1964 dime the other day that looks unusual. It's brighter in color, and less reflective, than other dimes. The mint mark was hard to find, too, but I think it's "D" -- on the back of the coin, underneath the "B" in "E PLURIBUS UNUM."

Any idea about the worth on it?

Edit: For condition, it's not "mint" condition, certainly. All of the lettering and images are intact, surprisingly so for a coin that's seen circulation, but it's got plenty of tiny scratches and such from what I guess I could describe as wallet wear. It's not dirty, just looks like it's rubbed against a lot of other coins.

Pittsburgh Lambic fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Jan 28, 2013

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

That looks different because it's made of actual silver. That coin is worth a little more than 2 bucks just for its scrap silver content. Many coins from 1964 and before are worth a fair bit because of their silver content, not their collectability.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

Trench_Rat posted:

how much is confederate money worth?

There weren't really any true Confederate-designed coins struck during the Civil War. The Confederacy took control of the mints in New Orleans, Dahlonega, and Charlotte but produced few coins as they sold most of their bullion to Europe to raise money for the war. The Confederacy struck about a million half dollars and a small number of double eagles (Gold $20 coins) in 1861 at the New Orleans mint, but these are indistinguishable from the pre-Confederacy coins struck at the mint in 1861. The Confederacy did commission a penny and a half dollar but neither saw circulation.


Here's the obverse of the penny:


There are an indeterminate number of later restrikes made from the penny's dies that range widely in value. There are also many counterfeits and copies sold online.

There were four Confederate half dollars struck to test the dies, each of which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (possibly even millions if they ever see the open market again). There is also a small number of restrikes (valuable) and many counterfeits/copies (mostly worthless).


I think it might be easier to find a legitimate Confederate banknote than a coin. I know those are widely collected as well but I'm not sure about the values.


Pittsburgh Lambic posted:

Found a 1964 dime the other day that looks unusual. It's brighter in color, and less reflective, than other dimes. The mint mark was hard to find, too, but I think it's "D" -- on the back of the coin, underneath the "B" in "E PLURIBUS UNUM."

Any idea about the worth on it?

Edit: For condition, it's not "mint" condition, certainly. All of the lettering and images are intact, surprisingly so for a coin that's seen circulation, but it's got plenty of tiny scratches and such from what I guess I could describe as wallet wear. It's not dirty, just looks like it's rubbed against a lot of other coins.


skipdogg is right. U.S. dimes, quarters, and half dollars were all struck of silver through 1964 and have a distinctive color compared to modern nickel-plated copper coins. Half dollars from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. Nickels even had some silver content during WWII. Judging from your description, it's only worth melt value. But it's still worthwhile to check your change for silver coins, as $2 vs. 10cents isn't a bad deal.

the
Jul 18, 2004

by Cowcaster
-Buffalo nickel? Indian on the front, no year

-1936 quarter

-1940 Canadian cent

-A bunch of nickels from 1964/65 that are basically mint

I have a bunch of other random coins from the 40s/50s. I think some silver certificates too.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

the posted:

-Buffalo nickel? Indian on the front, no year

-1936 quarter

-1940 Canadian cent

-A bunch of nickels from 1964/65 that are basically mint

I have a bunch of other random coins from the 40s/50s. I think some silver certificates too.

Can you identify any parts of the date? Partial date Buffalo nickels are worth more than missing date nickels. Here you can see where the date would be:

These were poorly designed and it's very common for them to be missing the date. If it has no date, it's worth less than a buck.


1936 quarter: Assuming a typical degree of wear, about $6 or $7. If it's got a higher level of detail, then the value climbs a fair amount, particularly with the Denver mintmark.

1940 Canadian cent: Less than a dollar.

1964/65 nickels: Generally Jefferson nickels aren't worth much (except for some 1942-44 nickels that were struck on a silver alloy). If these are actually in mint condition (no wear whatsoever, contact marks ok), then they could be worth maybe $5. If they have "full steps" (all the steps on Monticello are clearly defined) then that adds to the value, as it was somewhat rare for a nickel to be struck that well.

In terms of other coins from the 40s/50s, the pennies and nickels will all most likely be fairly worthless. Quarters, dimes, and half dollars have much more value because of the silver content. As for the silver certificates, I'm not too familiar with paper currency. Obviously the older they are, the more valuable they're likely to be. Notes with a star next to the serial number are worth a bit more and I know that 1935 silver certs with a brown seal or a yellow seal (for Hawaiian or North African distribution during WWII) also demand a premium.

Ron Don Volante fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Jan 29, 2013

the
Jul 18, 2004

by Cowcaster
It's missing the date. Here's everything I have, enjoy.

Bombtrack
Dec 2, 2001

Grimey Drawer
How abouw the Walking Liberty and Ben Franklin half dollars?

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012


Yep, the 1936 quarter is worth $6 or $7, the 1953 quarter bullion value ($5), the wheat pennies aren't worth much, the Jefferson nickels aren't worth much unless you happen to have a 1942-44 with a large mintmark above Monticello, in which case it's one of the wartime silver alloy issues and is worth a couple bucks. The only other Jefferson nickel worth anything is the 1950-D.


Bombtrack posted:

How abouw the Walking Liberty and Ben Franklin half dollars?

I'm gonna go ahead and upload some pics so people know what these coins look like.



The Franklin halves are worth about $10 in average circulated condition. There aren't any real rarities in the series. The Walking Liberty halves get a bit more interesting. Halves from 1930 onwards are worth $10-15 in average condition (with one exception, the 1938-D). There are a lot more semi-key dates (rare coins) in the teens and 20's. The Walking Liberty half is one of my favorite designs. If you can get one in mint state, it's a beautiful coin.

RC and Moon Pie
May 5, 2011

Ron Don Volante posted:

There were four Confederate half dollars struck to test the dies, each of which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (possibly even millions if they ever see the open market again). There is also a small number of restrikes (valuable) and many counterfeits/copies (mostly worthless).




Kinda fun that the CSA stole a previous US design.

For those curious, Dahlonega was site of the first American gold rush. It was a few decades before the Civil War and resulted in very little, but retained a bit of importance as a town for a bit. I have what has to be one of the tiniest of gold nuggets from there.

My grandfather had a small pile of coins. A few older silver dollars, more buffalo nickels without dates than with and a bunch of wheat pennies. I know they're not worth that much because nothing is rare. I live in a place of 10,000 with one tiny ill-supported coin shop and I'm hours from the nearest city of size. How I can find someone who will buy them for a fair price? I'm in south Georgia.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

RC and Moon Pie posted:

Kinda fun that the CSA stole a previous US design.

For those curious, Dahlonega was site of the first American gold rush. It was a few decades before the Civil War and resulted in very little, but retained a bit of importance as a town for a bit. I have what has to be one of the tiniest of gold nuggets from there.

My grandfather had a small pile of coins. A few older silver dollars, more buffalo nickels without dates than with and a bunch of wheat pennies. I know they're not worth that much because nothing is rare. I live in a place of 10,000 with one tiny ill-supported coin shop and I'm hours from the nearest city of size. How I can find someone who will buy them for a fair price? I'm in south Georgia.

eBay is actually a fairly good place to buy and sell coins. As long as you're wise and restrict buyers to Americans with a minimum feedback score, it's safe and will generally get you a better price than a coin store. Take a look at typical auction listings and follow their format, start with a low minimum price and no reserve and make sure your auction ends on a day/time with high activity. It helps if you have a decent feedback score yourself, so maybe buy a few cheap things first. You might not be able to sell the wheat pennies or Buffalo nickels for much, but you could get $30 at the very least for common-date Morgan and Peace dollars in average circulated condition.

cerebral
Oct 24, 2002

1910
20$ (Liberty on one side, Eagle on the other)
S
Some scratches, still mostly shiny with distinct lines, but with a few smudges


1914
20$ (Liberty on one side, Eagle on the other)
S
Some scratches, still mostly shiny with distinct lines, but with a few smudges

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

Now we're talking! First, some background info on the coins.

The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (1907-1933)



When Teddy Roosevelt became president he wanted to change the nation's coinage, calling it "atrociously hideous" with typical bluntness (and he was right). To solve that, he commissioned the famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to design the nation's gold coins (which could be changed without congressional approval). The ever-enthusiastic president encouraged Saint-Gaudens to produce a high-relief design, despite warnings from everybody actually working at the Mint. When the designs were finished and the dies prepared, the ultra high-relief design ended up taking 11 strikes of the dies to actually bring out all the details. As all other circulated coins require only one strike, this meant the design was a bit impractical. The design had to be modified to low-relief in order for the coin to be struck efficiently.

The ultra-high relief coin. Less than 20 exist, and each is worth more than a million dollars.


The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles rarely saw circulation but were prone to scratches and marks because of their softness and weight. As a result, most of them are in low mint-state. Each contains nearly an ounce of gold. The 1933 Double Eagle was once the most valuable coin ever sold, setting an auction record of $7.59 million. The 1933 was never meant to see circulation. Somebody smuggled one coin out of the Mint, and it passed through private collections for 60 years before it was found in a Secret Service sting operation. The coin was confiscated but the dealer successfully sued to gain half the proceeds of the auction sale. A couple years later, another ten coins surfaced but the feds weren't so nice and confiscated them. As it stands, only the 1933 Double Eagle that sold for $7.5 million can be legally owned. The new auction record for a coin is $10 million, set recently by a 1794 silver dollar. The rare coin market is pretty lucrative.


cerebral posted:

1910
20$ (Liberty on one side, Eagle on the other)
S
Some scratches, still mostly shiny with distinct lines, but with a few smudges


1914
20$ (Liberty on one side, Eagle on the other)
S
Some scratches, still mostly shiny with distinct lines, but with a few smudges

Your descriptions seem to fit low mint-state so I'll assume that. The 1910-S is probably worth $1800-2000 depending on the exact grade. The 1914-S is worth maybe $1700-1900. I'd say it's definitely worth getting those appraised at a coin shop if any in your area offer free appraisals. It might even be worth getting them authenticated and graded by a third-party company (NGC or PCGS) if you intend on selling them, as that will probably raise the value.

Ron Don Volante fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Jan 29, 2013

cerebral
Oct 24, 2002

Thanks for the info!

I also have a $20 1905 coin that is shiny and well defined, but has some dark gunk on it (looks like it could be cleaned off, but no way am I going to touch it), and a $20 1895 coin that lacks the luster of the other coins and has a bit more wear on it. I don't see the mint marks on either of those.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

No mintmark means that they were struck in Philadelphia. Depends a lot on how much gunk there is, but I'd estimate about $1800-1900 if there's only a little bit and it isn't obscuring any major design details. Good call on deciding not to clean it, if it's done improperly it can really affect value. Again, it'd probably be worthwhile to take that to a coin shop or coin show and get a professional opinion on it. Depending on the type of gunk, it might be possible to clean it off.

As for the 1895, in circulated condition it would go for maybe $1700-1800. Double eagles tend to sell within a limited price range as the actual gold in the coin accounts for such a large proportion of their value (currently $1600). Back when gold was around $500, there was a lot more variation in values among dates and mintmarks.

cerebral
Oct 24, 2002

I'm really happy I hung onto them. A mason jar full of them was found buried on my grandparents' property back in the mid nineties, (around half "disappeared" into an unscrupulous uncle's pockets) the rest were given out for the next few Christmases to my generation. My cousins pawned them the second the stores opened, but I've held onto mine because I viewed them more as interesting pieces of family history rather than a source of quick cash.

Now if I need to buy a black market kidney, they'll be gone in an instant, but until then, I think I'll just keep holding onto them.

HighClassSwankyTime
Jan 16, 2004

See if you can find a 1927-D double eagle, those are kinda popular with collectors.

Brennanite
Feb 14, 2009
What would you say is your favorite coin? I have a real soft spot for wheaties (because that's the collection my dad let me help with), but there's something about the Morgan silver dollars I like too.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

cerebral posted:

I'm really happy I hung onto them. A mason jar full of them was found buried on my grandparents' property back in the mid nineties, (around half "disappeared" into an unscrupulous uncle's pockets) the rest were given out for the next few Christmases to my generation. My cousins pawned them the second the stores opened, but I've held onto mine because I viewed them more as interesting pieces of family history rather than a source of quick cash.

Now if I need to buy a black market kidney, they'll be gone in an instant, but until then, I think I'll just keep holding onto them.

I sure wouldn't mind getting a Saint Gaudens for a Christmas present. I did inherit a liberty head double eagle, but I don't think the design is nearly as nice. My grandfather hated FDR for some reason, so he hoarded all the gold he could when FDR issued a gold confiscation order in 1933. FDR's order was part of the reason later-date double eagles like the 1927-D are so valuable. Many of the later-date coins were never actually issued into circulation and remained in Treasury vaults until they were melted down.


Brennanite posted:

What would you say is your favorite coin? I have a real soft spot for wheaties (because that's the collection my dad let me help with), but there's something about the Morgan silver dollars I like too.

Morgans are great, especially when they get some nice toning. For those unfamiliar with the term, toning is when coins (usually silver) form a multicolored patina from various chemical reactions over a period of many years. If the toning is attractive, it can substantially increase the value of the coin. Toning is particularly prevalent among silver dollars because many of them sat untouched in Mint bags for a long period of time. Here's a pretty dramatic example of a toned Morgan.



As for my favorite, I'm not sure I can pick just one. I love the ultra high-relief Saint Gaudens double eagle I posted up there, but it's obviously a bit out of my price range.

I also like Mercury dimes (1916-1945):



the silver three-cent piece (1851-1873), the tiniest U.S. coin ever made



the $50 Panama-Pacific commemorative coin (2 and a half ounces of gold!)



and the Oregon Trail commemorative half dollar, among many others.

the
Jul 18, 2004

by Cowcaster
Alright! I finally found some more of my coins. Check these out!

(thumbnailed for table breakage, open in new window for huge)



Also these were the bills, a silver certificate from 1957 and four $2 bills from 1976

Chamale
Jul 11, 2010

I'm helping!



the posted:

Also these were the bills, a silver certificate from 1957 and four $2 bills from 1976



It's funny to see a dollar bill from the days when the U.S. still used the silver/gold standard.

How old does a penny have to be before it's worth anything? I have a few pennies from the 1940's, in pretty worn condition.

the
Jul 18, 2004

by Cowcaster

Chamale posted:

It's funny to see a dollar bill from the days when the U.S. still used the silver/gold standard.

Yeah, I wanted to know, I mean.. if I take that to a bank, can I actually get a dollars worth of silver? It says I can on the bill.

MC Hawking
Apr 27, 2004

by VideoGames
Fun Shoe
This is going to be a great thread. I'll take some pics of the coins I've collected here tomorrow when I have better lighting. It's not much, just some Kennedy 50c pieces and a few old pennies, but I'm curious. The oldest penny I've seen at work was a 1927. I can't remember if I bought that and it's in my change jar or if my coworker got it.

My boss has a few of those silver backed $1 bills that he carries around for good luck.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

the posted:

Alright! I finally found some more of my coins. Check these out!

(thumbnailed for table breakage, open in new window for huge)

http://i.imgur.com/LtSzEal.jpg

Also these were the bills, a silver certificate from 1957 and four $2 bills from 1976

http://i.imgur.com/7ucbws7.jpg


The bicentennial coins, SBA dollars, and Eisenhower dollars are all worth little more than face value. The Kennedy halves post-1970 are face value, the halves 1965-70 are worth about $5 because they're 40% silver, the 1964 halves are worth $11 because they're 90% silver. The Franklin halves are worth $13-14 each, the walking liberty halves are worth $15.

As for the paper money, the $2 bills are worth face value as they're pretty widely available. The silver certificate looks like it's worth $3 or $4. The U.S. stopped forcing banks to exchange those certificates for actual silver back in the late 60s because the bullion value of a silver dollar exceeded $1. They're still legal tender though.

Chamale posted:

It's funny to see a dollar bill from the days when the U.S. still used the silver/gold standard.

How old does a penny have to be before it's worth anything? I have a few pennies from the 1940's, in pretty worn condition.

There's one or two valuable date/mintmark combinations in the 30s, more in the 20s and 10s, and if you manage to find a 1909-S with the engraver's initials "VDB" on it, you've got a $1000 coin. Pennies from the 40's generally aren't worth too much except for the steel wartime issues.

Qtotonibudinibudet
Nov 7, 2011



Omich poluyobok, skazhi ty narkoman? ya prosto tozhe gde to tam zhivu, mogli by vmeste uyobyvat' narkotiki
I keep a silver dollar in my 5th pocket ever since finding one in a couch at college. It was originally a Morgan dollar, switched to a Peace dollar when I lost it in the dryer. I'm looking for something of similar size and heft to replace it or rotate out with it in either silver or gold, what is there that's attractive?

I also have an interest in Russia and like some of their mint's commemorative coins, but where the heck do you go to buy them? All the sites I'm finding are horribly disorganized messes or have almost no selection.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

fivre posted:

I keep a silver dollar in my 5th pocket ever since finding one in a couch at college. It was originally a Morgan dollar, switched to a Peace dollar when I lost it in the dryer. I'm looking for something of similar size and heft to replace it or rotate out with it in either silver or gold, what is there that's attractive?

I also have an interest in Russia and like some of their mint's commemorative coins, but where the heck do you go to buy them? All the sites I'm finding are horribly disorganized messes or have almost no selection.

Are you looking for something older, with historical value, or something newer? What's your budget? In terms of U.S. silver dollars, the price rises above $100 once you go further back than Morgans and Peace dollars. If you'd be open to a half dollar, there are more options. Alternatively, there are many good options for contemporary foreign silver dollar equivalents that would be much cheaper. A gold coin of similar heft would be $1000+, unless you're thinking of something gold-clad. A bunch of private companies like the Franklin Mint sell clad coins, but I'm not a big fan of those.

eBay would probably be your best bet to buy Russian coins. Buying from U.S. sellers is the safest bet, but you might have to buy from some Russian sellers if you're looking for modern commemoratives. Just make sure the seller has a good sales history and feedback score, and make sure they aren't charging $50 for shipping.

Qtotonibudinibudet
Nov 7, 2011



Omich poluyobok, skazhi ty narkoman? ya prosto tozhe gde to tam zhivu, mogli by vmeste uyobyvat' narkotiki

Ron Don Volante posted:

Are you looking for something older, with historical value, or something newer? What's your budget? In terms of U.S. silver dollars, the price rises above $100 once you go further back than Morgans and Peace dollars. If you'd be open to a half dollar, there are more options. Alternatively, there are many good options for contemporary foreign silver dollar equivalents that would be much cheaper. A gold coin of similar heft would be $1000+, unless you're thinking of something gold-clad. A bunch of private companies like the Franklin Mint sell clad coins, but I'm not a big fan of those.

eBay would probably be your best bet to buy Russian coins. Buying from U.S. sellers is the safest bet, but you might have to buy from some Russian sellers if you're looking for modern commemoratives. Just make sure the seller has a good sales history and feedback score, and make sure they aren't charging $50 for shipping.

Sub $100, something attractive. Probably not gold in that case, it should be something I can lose without breaking the bank. Guessing there's no database where you can filter down by diameter, material, weight, and such :spergin: parameters?

Specifically, if I wanted to get this Gogol coin, where would I go looking? Is it easier to just drive up to my local coin dealer and ask them to find it for me?

Qtotonibudinibudet fucked around with this message at 05:38 on Feb 4, 2013

pairofdimes
May 20, 2001

blehhh

fivre posted:

Sub $100, something attractive. Probably not gold in that case, it should be something I can lose without breaking the bank. Guessing there's no database where you can filter down by diameter, material, weight, and such :spergin: parameters?

Specifically, if I wanted to get this Gogol coin, where would I go looking? Is it easier to just drive up to my local coin dealer and ask them to find it for me?

That Gogol coin is probably going to be tough to find, it only had a mintage of 5000. I tried searching for it on Ebay and the closest I saw was this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RUSSIA-2-ROUBLES-1994-Silver-PF-NICKOLAI-GOGOL-WRITER-/320966899520
That one had a mintage of 250,000 and was selling for $30, so I imagine if you did find the Gogol coin you want it will be a lot more expensive. I would set up an Ebay saved search for "gogol 2009" in the coins category just in case it shows up. Other than that, you'd probably need to find someone that specializes in Russian coins to see if they can get it. Buying foreign medals/commemoratives like this is tough since you usually can't just order them from the foreign mint's site.

For coins similar to a silver dollar in size and <$100, you could look at pre-decimal British crowns with cool St. George slaying the dragon reverse, or old Japanese 1 yen coins(ebay doesn't have a separate category for them).

Chas McGill
Oct 29, 2010

loves Fat Philippe
I know it isn't within the strict definition of the thread, but since there's a lot of knowledge here - what are some coins with particularly good depictions of Athena/Minerva/generic national war goddess? I'm more concerned with aesthetics than value and I don't mind what currency they're in.

Gao
Aug 14, 2005
"Something." - A famous guy

Chas McGill posted:

I know it isn't within the strict definition of the thread, but since there's a lot of knowledge here - what are some coins with particularly good depictions of Athena/Minerva/generic national war goddess? I'm more concerned with aesthetics than value and I don't mind what currency they're in.

I don't know about modern coins much, but there are plenty of affordable options if you go ancient.

Ron Don Volante
Dec 29, 2012

fivre posted:

Sub $100, something attractive. Probably not gold in that case, it should be something I can lose without breaking the bank. Guessing there's no database where you can filter down by diameter, material, weight, and such :spergin: parameters?

Specifically, if I wanted to get this Gogol coin, where would I go looking? Is it easier to just drive up to my local coin dealer and ask them to find it for me?

No database that I know of. There are plenty of books and online resources that list all the different types of U.S. and foreign coins though. You might see if you can find a Krause catalog of world coins at your library.

pairofdimes makes some good suggestions. I would also suggest Mexican or Spanish colony pesos and reals. Setting a saved search on eBay might be your best bet for that Gogol coin. I kind of doubt a local coin dealer would be willing to find that for you without an exorbitant mark-up, but if you live near a big city you might check out a coin show or convention and see if there are any dealers who specialize in foreign coins.



Chas McGill posted:

I know it isn't within the strict definition of the thread, but since there's a lot of knowledge here - what are some coins with particularly good depictions of Athena/Minerva/generic national war goddess? I'm more concerned with aesthetics than value and I don't mind what currency they're in.

It depends on whether you're talking modern or ancient. Many coins from the 19th and early 20th centuries feature female national personifications, probably because of the rise of nationalism. There are plenty of attractive U.S. coins with the personified Liberty (walking liberty halves, standing liberty quarters, etc). A lot of British coins also feature Britannia.

As for ancient coins, as Gao says there are many options--some aesthetically pleasing, others less so. One of my favorites is the Greek Athena/owl coin which was coined by Athens starting in the 5th century BCE. Unfortunately, they usually cost a few hundred dollars and there are many counterfeits. If I were you, I'd check out Xenopus' SA thread. He knows a hell of a lot more about ancient coins than I do and should be able to recommend you (or find you) something good.

Ron Don Volante fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Feb 4, 2013

Chas McGill
Oct 29, 2010

loves Fat Philippe

Ron Don Volante posted:

One of my favorites is the Greek Athena/owl coin which was coined by Athens starting in the 5th century BCE. Unfortunately, they usually cost a few hundred dollars and there are many counterfeits.
drat, that is exactly what I want.

Aika
Mar 12, 2008

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SEAL THE EXITS!!!
So what are morgans worth? I have several 1922s and I believe an 1878 in good, circulated condition. I can't check the mint mark because i'm in another country -- but i'm really curious!

Also, any idea how easy it is to get mint pennies? I've always wanted a penny from every year I've been alive.

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Kritzkrieg Kop
Nov 4, 2009
What are some cool Canadian coins? All I know are the sterile new coins with boring designs that they sell at the post office marked up to 500%.

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