Inherited a jar of old coins, or found something interesting in your change? Here's how to figure out what coins are actually worth — without the hype and the myths.
A coin is worth more than face value only when at least one of four factors works in its favor. Understand these and you can size up almost any coin.
1. Date and mint mark. The year a coin was struck and which mint made it determine how many exist. Some date-and-mint combinations are scarce "key dates" worth a real premium; most are common.
2. Condition (grade). A coin that's barely worn is worth far more than the same coin worn smooth. Condition is graded on a 70-point scale — our coin grading guide explains how that works.
3. Rarity and demand. Value needs both scarcity and collectors who want the coin. A coin almost nobody collects can be scarce and still inexpensive.
4. Metal content. Silver and gold coins carry a baseline "melt value" from the metal itself. Our gold and silver guide covers how that's calculated.
You can't look up a value until you know exactly what you're holding. Four details identify almost any coin.
Country. Check whether it's a US coin or a world coin — the lettering and design usually make this obvious.
Denomination. Penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar — or a foreign equivalent.
Date. The year struck, usually on the front.
Mint mark. A small letter showing which mint produced it: D (Denver), S (San Francisco), O (New Orleans), CC (Carson City), or no letter for Philadelphia on most issues. Its position varies by coin, but it's usually near the date or on the reverse. Date plus mint mark is what separates a common coin from a key date.
A lot of "valuable coin" content online is exaggerated. Being realistic protects you from disappointment — and from holding out for a price that doesn't exist.
Wheat pennies. Lincoln cents from 1909–1958 feel old and special, but most are worth only a few cents above face. A handful of key dates are exceptions — but the typical wheat penny is common.
Worn Buffalo nickels. Many have dates worn completely smooth, and a dateless Buffalo nickel has little collector value.
Common Morgan and Peace dollars. Beautiful coins, and they carry silver value — but common dates trade close to melt, not the headline prices attached to rare ones.
Bicentennial quarters and modern dollars. 1976 Bicentennial quarters, Eisenhower dollars, Susan B. Anthony dollars, and most modern commemoratives were made in huge quantities. Despite viral claims, the vast majority are worth exactly face value.
None of this means your coins are worthless — it means you should check each one rather than assume the whole jar is a jackpot.
On the other side, some coins genuinely deserve attention:
Pre-1965 US silver. Any dime, quarter, half dollar, or dollar dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver and worth a multiple of face value for the metal alone.
Recognized key dates. A small number of dates are famous among collectors — the 1909-S VDB and 1914-D Lincoln cents, the 1916-D Mercury dime, and the 1955 doubled-die cent, among others. If you spot one of these dates, have it checked.
Error coins. Genuine mint errors — off-center strikes, doubled dies, wrong planchets — can carry real premiums. (Damage that happened after the coin left the mint does not.)
Pre-1933 US gold. Any classic US gold coin is worth investigating carefully, for both its gold content and potential collector value.
Old paper currency. Large-size notes, silver certificates, and unusual serial numbers can be worth more than face — don't overlook the paper money.
Online research is great for sorting common coins from interesting ones. But condition is hard to judge from a photo, counterfeits exist, and a single grade point can change a coin's value substantially. For anything that looks genuinely valuable — or for a whole inherited collection — an in-person look from an expert is worth it.
A local coin shop will tell you, usually for free, which coins are common, which are worth real money, and which are worth sending off for professional grading. When you're ready to act on what you find, our appraisal guide and guide to selling coins cover the next steps.
Browse verified coin shops near you. A good shop will help you sort the common coins from the keepers.
Find a coin shop near you →How do I find out what a coin is worth? Identify the coin first — country, denomination, date, and mint mark. Then check a coin price guide for that exact coin in roughly its condition, and look at recent sold prices rather than asking prices. For anything that looks scarce or valuable, get an in-person opinion from a coin shop, since condition heavily affects value and is hard to judge from a photo.
Are wheat pennies worth anything? Most Lincoln wheat cents (1909 to 1958) are extremely common and worth only a few cents above face value. A small number of key dates and error coins are genuinely valuable — for example the 1909-S VDB and the 1914-D. Check the date and mint mark of each one rather than assuming the whole group is valuable or worthless.
What makes a coin valuable? Four things: the date and mint mark, the coin's condition or grade, its rarity and collector demand, and its precious-metal content. A coin needs at least one of these working in its favor to be worth more than face value. Age alone does not make a coin valuable — many old coins are common.
Are old coins always worth more than face value? No. Age by itself does not create value. Many coins that are a century old were minted in huge numbers and remain common, so they trade at or near face value. What raises value is scarcity, condition, demand, or silver and gold content — not the date on its own.
How do I find the mint mark on a coin? A mint mark is a small letter showing which US Mint struck the coin — D for Denver, S for San Francisco, O for New Orleans, CC for Carson City, and no letter for Philadelphia on most issues. Its position varies by coin and era, usually near the date or on the reverse. The mint mark, combined with the date, often determines whether a coin is common or a key date.