Each year we get thousands of inquiries from people asking how much their coins are worth. This is not a simple question to answer however 90% of the purchases we make are fairly simple for a non-collector to figure out. Firstly, there are three main factors that affect a coin’s value :

The most important factor is condition and age is the least important. For example in regards to age, we would pay you $10 for a 1991 Canada quarter yet we could sell an 1870 Canada Quarter for $5. In most cases the condition of the coin is the most important factor and in most cases we would have to see the coin to determine the condition or grade. If for instance you were going to buy an old car and it is dated 1955, the value would vary greatly if the car is not running and rusted versus a car which is in mint condition.

The same logic works in the collectibles market with some exceptions (some used stamps are worth much more than mint ones). The problem we most often encounter is that when people do their own research they look to sites like ebay and find a coin the same year as theirs and automatically assume their coin is of the same value. Coin condition is determined by a numerical grading scale which goes from 0 – 70. The most common grades are as follows: G-4 (well worn), VG-8, F-12, VF-20, EF-40 (some wear), AU-50, MS60 (Mint State), MS63, MS-64, MS-65. Any coins with a grade MS60 or higher are Mint State or have no wear whatsoever on them. The problem occurs when people go to the internet and see a coin of the same year as theirs in MS65 which is in pristine mint condition and they assume their coin which might be G-4 condition is worth the same price.

The only true way to find out the value of your collectibles is to try to sell them. There are hundreds of different price guides many of which are offered at better book stores. We carry them as well. Although an item is assigned a book value, that does not necessarily mean you will get that price. We have also seen instances where items sell far beyond their book value. If you are unsure of value and want a free quote, drop us a line with a picture of the item if possible.

Many coins in the Canadian and Newfoundland series are very common and only worth their silver value. There are many hundreds that we could list and as mentioned the higher the grade or condition (especially on early issues) the higher the price. Of course, as silver and gold prices change so will the value of your coins which are related to the bullion value.

We really need to see your coins to give you a fair appraisal or offer but without being able to do that we can offer you some general guidelines based on what we see most often.

If you are buying coins – especially scarce ones, be sure to get the contact information of the person you are buying from and some ID as the market has been flooded with counterfeit coins from China in recent years and they are very good quality, In most cases, it would take an expert to tell the fakes from the real thing.