where can i find out if a coin is authentic?

Question

I have a very rare coin that I would like to know if it is authentic or not. Any ideas on a knowledgeable expert or business I can take or send it to?

Answer 1

A simple and quick option is to take the coin to a coin store or a coin auctioneer in your area. Most auctioneers and appraisers in your area can give you some guidance on coins. They can give you good answer and will likely do it for free if it just one coin and you ask nicely! You can also send it to a coin grading service. Just like any business some grading services are better then others. Ask how long they have been around and if they guarantee their grading.

The grading service will evaluate your coin and slab it (place it in a hard plastic case). This service can be expensive and often is tied to the value of the coin. However once graded the coin can be easily sold or traded.

Answer 2

I would first take it to a coin dealer, but you must take it to the right one. If a U.S. coin most coin dealers can help. If a world coin it must be seen by a world coin dealer. If the dealer or dealers thinks it is genuine, then it can be sent into a grading service to be graded and authenticated. It would have been nice if you had listed what it was, then I may have helped further. you can also go to www.anacs.com and down load their submission form and send it too them.

Answer 3

FAQs: Coins

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Buying, Selling & Redeeming
Are proof sets, uncirculated sets, and other special commemorative sets being issued with the new quarters? How much do they cost?

Can you provide me with a list of coin dealers or banks?

I have an old coin and want to know what it is worth. Can you tell me its current value?

I have some coins that were damaged and the bank will not redeem them. What can I do with them?

I have some old coins that are tarnished. How can I safely clean them?

How do the new quarters circulate?

Where do I send my coins for authentication?

How many coins does the U.S. Mint produce and where are they made?

What are commemorative coins?

Will the Mint buy back my old coins?

What happens to United States coins that are no longer fit for circulation?




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Are proof sets, uncirculated sets, and other special commemorative sets being issued with the new quarters? How much do they cost?

Each year beginning in 1999 until 2008 the United States Mint will introduce five new quarters that will be included in the United States Mint Proof Set®, the United States Mint 50 State Quarters Proof Set™, and the United States Mint Silver Proof Set™. Each set also includes the Lincoln cent, the Jefferson nickel, the Roosevelt dime, and a Kennedy half dollar. Each quarter in the United States Mint Silver Proof Set® contains 90% silver generally referred to as coin silver. Prices are available at www.usmint.gov.

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Can you provide me with a list of coin dealers or banks?

The United States Mint does not keep lists of coin dealers or banks, nor do we endorse any. Check your telephone directory to find local coin dealers and banks. You can also contact a coin collecting or numismatic society or check the numismatic section of the library.

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I have an old coin and want to know what it is worth. Can you tell me its current value?

The Treasury Department, through the United States Mint, produces coins for general circulation. The Mint also produces numismatic issues. Without examining the coins, it is impossible to verify their authenticity. The Mint redeems only those coins that are authentic, but does not consider any numismatic or intrinsic value, so redemption is only at the face value.

Private coin collectors and dealers can offer such appraisals, and will usually examine a one or two coins free, but may charge when examining several coins. In this regard, you should contact several coin collectors or dealers in your area. Listings are available in the telephone directory under the headings of COINS and HOBBIES.

You should be aware that coin dealers and collectors consider the grade, condition, date, mint mark, mintage, and other factors when evaluating a coin to figure out its numismatic value. Each coin is different from every other. In addition, coin grading is not an exact science, varying from dealer to dealer. Therefore, it is possible to have the same coin appraised at different values. There is sometimes a wide range (both above and below the market price) in the values that they quote when buying and selling coins. This also may be due to the dealer's current inventory and the availability of similar coins in the marketplace

Answer 4

Check your phone book for a local coin dealer. They will be able to tell you.

Answer 5

you have three options:
1. keep it like it is
2. get it professionally graded (ANACS, PCGS, NGC)
3. Send it to the US Secret Service
Sending it to grading companies can cost up to 50 bucks, but sending it to the Secret Service is free. However, if it is counterfiet, the Secret Service will confiscate it, because owning counterfiet american money is illegal