Inherited Coins: A Calm First Step
When a parent or grandparent leaves you coins, the first job is not selling. It is knowing what is there. This page shows you how to take stock in an afternoon, what to set aside, and how to get a straight answer about each piece.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
- Every weighing happens in front of you
- Photo ID needed at the meeting
- Walk away anytime, no hard feelings
- Appointments only, never a queue
Take stock before you decide anything
An hour with a notepad and a phone camera does more for you than any amount of online searching. Nothing here requires you to know a single coin.
-
Count the containers, not the coins
Write down how many albums, tubes, boxes, bags and slabs there are. A rough count is plenty, and it tells us how long to plan for.
-
Snap a picture of each container
One photo per box or album page, taken before anything is moved, is the best record you can make of how the collector left things.
-
Note anything written down
Prices penciled on flips, dealer receipts tucked in a drawer and notebooks of purchases all help explain what the collector was after.
-
Put it all in one safe spot
Gather everything into one locked place at home, or leave it at the bank if that is where it sat. Scattered coins are easy to lose track of.
If the inventory turns up shelves of albums and boxes, our page on selling a coin collection explains how a big holding gets handled. A shoebox of loose pieces fits our page on selling coins better.
Hands off for now
- No cleaning of any kind. A cleaned coin almost always loses collector appeal.
- No prying open holders. Slabs, cardboard flips, bank rolls and Mint packaging stay closed.
- No splitting sets between relatives yet. A full run of dates can be worth more together.
- No throwing out boxes or envelopes. They often carry dates and notes the collector wrote.
Fine to do today
- Make the inventory and photos described above
- Move everything into one dry, locked place
- Check with the executor before selling, if an estate is still open
- Share the photos with family so everyone sees the same thing
What heirs ask us first
My relative collected for decades and I know nothing about coins. Where do I begin?
Begin with the inventory on this page, not with research. You do not need to look anything up. We explain what each piece is at the appointment, in everyday language.
A sibling lives out of state. Can we still sort this out?
Yes. Your photos and inventory list can be shared with family before anyone decides to sell. If the sibling can be in town, they are welcome at the appointment too.
Some coins look dirty. Should I clean them first?
Please do not. Polish, dips, baking soda and even a soft cloth can leave marks that lower collector value. Leave them exactly as they are.
Is your evaluation good enough for the estate paperwork?
It is not meant for that. You receive an offer to buy, which is different from a written appraisal prepared for insurance, probate or tax purposes. If an estate is open, ask its attorney or CPA whether a formal appraisal is needed.
What if we decide to keep most of the coins?
That is a perfectly good result. Many families keep a few pieces with meaning and sell the rest, or sell nothing after learning what they have.
Four rough piles worth making
You will not get this perfect at the kitchen table, and you do not have to. These piles just help the first meeting move faster.
-
Anything that looks yellow and heavy
Gold coins carry metal value no matter what, and older U.S. gold can also interest collectors. Set them aside on their own.
-
Dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 or before
U.S. coins from those years are 90% silver. Worn or shiny, they belong in a separate pile from modern change.
-
Coins sealed in labeled plastic
A slab with a printed grade means someone paid to have that coin examined. It stays sealed and goes on top of the pile.
-
Albums that look nearly finished
A folder filled date by date is a project, not a pile of change. Leave every coin in its slot.
What usually stays in the everyday pile
- Pocket change from recent decades
- Very worn coins from years with huge mintages
- Medals and "limited edition" pieces sold through magazine ads, which rarely bring more than their metal
Old is not the same as scarce
A coin's age tells you little by itself. What matters is how many were struck, how many survive, and how well this one held up.
We tell you which of those applies to each of your coins, so the answer makes sense.
Made the inventory? Give us a ring.
Read us the list, rough as it is. We will find a weekday time at our private McKinney office, at your home or at your bank, and plan enough time for what you have.
We buy coins; we do not write appraisals
Our look at your coins is a purchase evaluation. It ends with an offer to buy, which you are free to turn down.
You receive an offer to buy, which is different from a written appraisal prepared for insurance, probate or tax purposes.
An insurer, a tax preparer or an estate may need a formal written appraisal from an independent appraiser instead. Our page on evaluations and appraisals sets the two side by side.
What happens when we sit down with your coins
-
Name what is on the table
We sit with you and go page by page, leaving albums, sets and rolls just as the collector arranged them.
-
Weigh metal in plain sight
You watch the display on every weighing, start to finish.
-
Sort collector value from metal value
Collector pieces go in one pile and metal pieces in another, so each is priced on its own terms.
-
Show our math, then you choose
We lay out how the number was reached. Accept, pass, or sell only the pieces you want to part with.
From inventory to answer in four moves
No deadline sits behind any of this. Go at whatever pace suits your family.
-
Tell us what the inventory looks like
Call, or send your name, phone number and what you are selling through the form. A photo or two helps but is optional.
-
Pick a weekday time and a place
We meet at our private McKinney office, at your home, or at a secure location such as your bank.
-
Bring a photo ID and whatever you chose
All of it, or one album to start. There is no wrong amount for a first meeting.
-
Hear what each piece is, then decide
We name the coins in plain words and make an offer. You can take it, decline it, or sell only part.
Start small if you like
Plenty of heirs bring one album or a single box the first time, hear how it goes, then come back with more. A relative or friend is welcome to sit in.
Form requests get a phone call back during business hours, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
Based in McKinney, TX
We meet heirs from across Collin County. The office address is shared by phone after you book.
Families in Allen are about 14 minutes from McKinney, those in Melissa about 12 minutes, and Anna about 19 minutes. Other towns are on our service area page.
Set up your appointment
- Based in
- McKinney, TX, serving Collin County
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
- Where we meet
- At our private McKinney office, your home or a secure location such as your bank
- Have ready
- Your photo ID and the pieces you plan to sell
Our office address stays off the web for everyone's safety. We give it to you by phone once a time is booked.
You receive an offer to buy, which is different from a written appraisal prepared for insurance, probate or tax purposes.
Request a quote
Takes under a minute. We ring you back on a weekday, or you can call (469) 249-8420 now.