How much is my coin worth?

1. Identify the coin

Find the country, the denomination and the year. The year is usually on the side with the value or the portrait. Foreign scripts and old Latin legends are normal – our free estimate reads them for you.

2. Look for a mint mark

Many countries mark coins with a small letter for the mint that struck them – for example B for Bern on Swiss coins, D, S or P on US coins, A to J on German coins. The same year can be common from one mint and scarce from another.

3. Check the metal

Gold and silver coins are always worth at least their metal value. Many circulation coins used to be silver: US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated before 1965, British coins before 1947, and Swiss half-franc to five-franc coins before 1968. A magnet test helps: silver and gold are not magnetic.

4. Judge the condition honestly

Look at the highest points of the design – hair, cheek, wreath. Sharp details and original lustre mean higher value; flat, worn details mean lower. Read our guide to coin grading.

5. Never clean it

Cleaning, polishing or dipping leaves hairline scratches and an unnatural shine. Collectors and graders see it immediately, and the value of a collectible coin can drop sharply.

6. Watch out for copies

Famous coins are copied a lot: Morgan and trade dollars, gold sovereigns, Roman coins, old thalers. Read how to tell if a coin is real.

7. Separate commemoratives from circulation coins

Commemorative and proof sets sold by mints often trade at or below their issue price. Commemorative 2-euro coins are mostly worth face value – a few low-mintage issues are the exception.

8. Get a second opinion before selling

Don't sell an unidentified collection to the first buyer. Get an estimate first; for valuable pieces, a written appraisal or grading. See how to sell coins.