I have 36 Silver Dollars, What are they worth?

Question

I have 36 silver dollars that range from 1878 to 1922. ( Most 1880's) They are all in great condition!! They have never been cleaned and barely handled.

I would like to know what they are worth, ( a rough esitmate for all of them) and how can I find out their mints?

Answer 1

Value is largely dependent on condition, mint marks and the number of coins available.

1 - Take your coin to a local coin dealer (trustworthy ones can be found - shop around). It never hurts to get a second opinion. They will be able to tell you so much more by evaluation the condition of the coins. They will also know the amount minted and what it is going for in today's market.

2 - Try posting pictures on this website (there are many experts here that can help you evaluate it - there also may be people willing to buy if you are trying to sell):
http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/default.asp

3 - Repost this question and include pictures. You can use websites like http://www.photobucket.com and include the link in your question.

Good luck!

P.S. You should not clean your coins. Most coin collectors see cleaning a coin as the equivalent of stripping down antique furniture and refinishing it.

When cleaning, the surface metal of the coin is often stripped. Anything used to scrub the coin will leave scratches (even 100% pure silk will leave hairline scratches). Most cleaning products will have some type of reaction with the coin's metal and the surface metal can also be removed in this manner.

Your best bet is to leave the coins alone. Cleaning the coin will leave traces - which can be found by the knowledgeable collector - who in turn will not buy the cleaned coin. Also if you ever wanted to send your coin into a grading company, they can recognize signs of cleaning and will send your coin back in a "cleaned" slab (also called a "body bag" in the coin world) - which is usually a greatly decreased value.

If you absolutely must must must clean your coins do not use the method described above as it will react with the metal in your coin. Use 100% acetone (do not use fingernail polish remover!). It must be 100% pure because other additives will react with the coin metal. Place your coin(s) in the solution for several minutes (do not leave in for long periods of time). Rinse your coin(s) in distilled water. Next remove your coins and either pat dry with a soft cloth or allow the coin to air dry (air drying is better as you don't risk scratching the coin with the cloth). NEVER scrub your coins!

I would still advise you to leave your coins as they are. They may not be bright and shiny but that is what most collectors prefer.

Answer 2

The mint mark for the Morgan dollars in on the eagle side at the bottom below the wreath. The 1922 is a peace dollar so it is on the eagle side below the word one. Most silver dollars from the 1880 are quite common even in high grades for they minted a lot. The dollars from the early to middle 1890's are scarce. The Carson City dollars are all scarce they have a CC mint mark. The 1884-S (San Francisco) is scarce in higher grades. Unless I know the dates and mint marks I can't even do a ball park figure. If you want to send a list I can help. I need date and mint mark as well as to let me know how the feathers on the eagle look like all there and sharp or breast feathers worn off type comments. Look at liberties ear is it all there and sharp, is all the hair sharp or is some worn. This will give me an idea of grade. Email me here and I will send my email address to send the list. Other than that see a coin dealer or two is better.

Answer 3

For the most part, silver dollars that have been handled (at all) are worth the silver content at minimum which today is around $10. But, if you have a rare date, or one that is harder to find, then the value will increase based on the date and the mint mark.

For Morgan dollars (those 1921 and before) the mint mark is on the eagle side - referred to as the reverse side - just beneath the the wreath below the eagle. If there is no mint mark, it is from Philadelphia.

The 1922's are "Peace" dollars. You may have some 1921 Peace dollars but they are rare. The mint mark for those are underneat the word "One" on the reverse and again, if no mint mark, its from Philadelphia.

A good site for finding out the value of individual dates and mint marks is below. Coin dealers will give you an idea of the value with no charge if you take it in to them. Most of them will not offer you the exact value to buy them though. Thats because they have to resell them and make at least a small profit.

Answer 4

you can try your local library on a book that actually can give a price for each of them, you can try coinfacts.com and see if that helps. my cousin collects coins and he used to have a book that told him the rarity of them, there is a penny that is made upside down (the picture on 1 side is wrong) and it is like 1000 bucks or something like that. the pricing is gonna range anyways because of how many of those particular dollars that were put into cerculation and the demand for that type coin. back then that is what they used instead of dollar bills. you can have them appraised if you can find a legitimate coin dealer, and if they are worth a great deal have them insured, that would be the smart thing to do. but all of them can bring anywhere from $50 upwards good luck and i hope they are worth lots :D

Answer 5

It depends entirely on the mint mark. They are all worth much more than a dollar each, but they could be worth anywhere from 10 or so a piece, to several thousand depending on the date and mint mark combination.

Answer 6

I would go to Barnes and noble and find a numismatics guide. Also try looking for similar coins on ebay.

Answer 7

550 dollars

Answer 8

at least $36. go to an antique shop.

Answer 9

hmmm...36 dollars