American Heritage Minting, Inc.

261 Old York Road, Suite 510 Jenkintown, PA, 19046 United States

215-576-7272

American Heritage Minting has been buying coins in Jenkintown since 1973. We pay competitive prices for U.S. gold and silver, key-date and certified coins, and complete collections and estates — and we travel to you for larger ones.

We also maintain an extensive raw and certified (PCGS & NGC) inventory of United States gold, silver, copper, type and scarce date coins, and take great pride in building many of the most important collections for our customers.

Ready to sell? We buy any size collection or estate at fair market value — sell to us

 

Selling an Inherited Coin Collection

Most of the collections we buy arrive the same way: someone passed away, and the family is standing in front of a box, a safe, or a closet full of albums with no idea what any of it is worth. If that's you, this page is for you.

First: don't do these three things

Don't clean anything. Cleaning is the single most expensive mistake families make. Polish, dips, baking soda, even rubbing a coin on a sleeve leaves marks a collector sees instantly, and it can cut a coin's value by half or more. It can't be undone.

Don't sort out "the junk." The worn coin in the coffee can is sometimes the valuable one, and the shiny one is sometimes worth face value. Keep everything together until someone who knows has looked.

Don't take coins out of their holders. Graded coins in sealed plastic slabs (PCGS, NGC, ANACS), government mint and proof sets, and old cardboard folders all matter to value. Leave them exactly as they are.

What's usually in an inherited collection

  • Silver coins — dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver and worth well over face value, even worn.
  • Silver dollars — Morgan and Peace dollars, often loose, in tubes or in bank bags.
  • Gold coins — U.S. $2.50, $5, $10 and $20 gold pieces, and modern bullion like American Eagles and Krugerrands.
  • Proof and mint sets from the U.S. Mint, often dozens of years' worth.
  • Folders and albums — Lincoln cents, Jefferson nickels, Washington quarters.
  • Graded coins in PCGS or NGC slabs.
  • Paper money — silver certificates, old large-size notes, national bank notes.

Some of it will be worth melt value, some a little more, and occasionally something is worth a great deal. We'll tell you which is which, including when something isn't worth much.

If you're the executor

We work with executors, families and estate attorneys regularly, and discreetly.

  • The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return is due nine months after the date of death, with a 5% discount if the tax is paid within three months. If a coin collection is part of the estate, it helps to know early what it's worth.
  • If several heirs are splitting a collection, we can go through it with all of you together, so everyone hears the same number.
  • Need a written value as of the date of death for the return? See estate coin appraisals.

How selling to us works

  1. Send photos or call. Front and back of a few representative pieces is enough to start. Use the form on our Sell To Us page, or call 215-576-7272.
  2. We look at everything. In our Jenkintown office (by appointment), or at your home if the collection is large, heavy, or you'd rather it didn't leave the house. House calls are free, up to about 90 minutes from Jenkintown.
  3. You get a straight number. At a house call we give you a rough estimate of what the collection is worth; if you'd like to sell that day, we make an exact offer on the spot and explain how we got there. There is no obligation, and no pressure to decide then and there.

Why families sell to us

We've bought coins from the same Jenkintown address since 1973. We're a PCGS and NGC Authorized Dealer and a CAC Dealer. Because we sell directly to collectors nationwide, rather than wholesaling everything we buy, we can usually pay more for collectible coins than a shop that has to pass them on.

We're also not a traveling "coin show" in a hotel ballroom that's gone next week. We'll be here next year, and our reputation with local families is the whole business.

More answers on our FAQ · We come to you