coins

[leetninja]

someone must know more than i do about these.  I have come across a very old stash of coins ive had them ever since i was young but thought i lost them and now i managed to find them in a box. 

this is what i have:  (silver unless noted)
1987 shilingi kumi "rais wa kwanza wa tanzania" with some guy on the front
1859 Canadian One Cent (gold?)
1987 canadian dollar with the bird on it (copper?)
1908 quarter
1927 quarter - standing figure on front
1905 five (V) cent nickel
1891 lady liberty? one dollar
1924 "" one dollar
1942 walking half dollar
1943 "" half dollar
1942 mercury head dime
1924 "" head dime
1927 buffalo nickel
19?? buffalo nickel (has weird black on surface)
19?? "The American Prospector" "ENGELHARD" coin "ONE TROY OUNCE 999+FINE SILVER"
1997 LIBERTY DOLLAR "1 OZ. FINE SILVER"
1776-1976 half dollar (bicentennial?)

I dont feel comfy taking them to a store to get a value while saying "i have no clue what these are worth" etc lol

So should I save these? Sell them?

[Lloyd Danforth]

Go to borders.  Find a book about coin values.  Buy a Latte. Go to a table. look up the coins that you can find.  Put the book back.  Buy something. Just use the values as a working figure. A library might have a coin value book.
Even in 1859 you could hardly see a pennys worth of gold.  I know that early US pennies were copper and about the size of a quarter.

[jerry]

Or try Ebay.  Do a search on completed auctions to see what people have sold them for recently.  The 1942 mercury dime went for $1 to $5. 
The prospector sold for up to $18.  If you went to a store they might quote you the silver spot price which would make it worth only $9.50.

[Pat McCotter]

http://www.pcgs.com/prices/

[leetninja]

wow this is disappointing ... almost depressing ... its almost bad enough that i could just spend them lol

a couple are in great condition but to be worth anything i guess they have to be near perfect.  jumps from $40 to 400 to $35000 for condition. 

most of mine seem to be worth 50-100 *maybe*  couple seems to be worth more a couple worth less ... so not what i expected lol

anyone want to buy the lot?  i just need extra cash right now for more toys (read: hunting rifle)

[dalebert]

I have a stamp collection my dad gave me and I expect it will be similarly disappointing. 

[Brandon]

Whenever dealing with any sort of collectable everyone always hopes they're going to have that one item they'll be able to retire on. Unfortunately it rarely happens.

[leetninja]

I have a stamp collection my dad gave me and I expect it will be similarly disappointing. 

wow i forgot all about my stamp collection ... but i know it has something in it that is valuable.  10 years ago it was worth money ... maybe it gained value 

[K. Darien Freeheart]

I gave up on stamp collecting. I had this one of an unside-down plane, which really irked me. All those misprints! 

[PowerPenguin]

Low value or "junk" coins could have more value in the future, especially if a financial crisis hits even harder than it already has. Low value coins could become more valuable as change-makers when larger rounds are made more valuable. If it's all the same to you, I'd just throw them in a closet somewhere and let them sit around until the day you need them, if ever. Personally, I've been saving nickels and pre 1982 pennies (95% copper) as I get them as change should they come in handy someday as more valuable but still low-cost buying tools. A nickel is 5c now, but if it were to be worth a buck in real terms later on, it would be easier than handing someone a silver round worth 50 bux and having to get change.