Start with the metal. U.S. dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. Kennedy half dollars from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. Silver dollars through 1935 are 90% silver. Those coins have a floor set by the silver price whatever their condition. Most later circulating coins are copper-nickel and are worth face value unless they are a scarce date or an error.
Then date, mint mark and grade. A handful of dates are worth far more than their neighbours, the 1909-S VDB cent and the 1916-D dime being the famous ones, and the mint mark is often a single small letter. Condition decides the rest. Professional grading by PCGS or NGC costs money per coin and only pays on coins above a certain value; we tell you which ones clear that bar.
Modern Mint products are what we see most, and what families most often overestimate. Proof sets, silver proofs and commemoratives in their original box and certificate usually sell close to the value of their silver, with a modest premium on top. We value the 2025 silver proofs on our own shelf the same way: the silver first, then whatever premium sold results support.
Do not clean them. Cleaning leaves fine scratches that a grader sees at once, and a cleaned coin is graded with a details designation and sells at a discount. Leave the toning alone, and keep coins in the holders, folders and boxes they came in.
We sort and identify the coins with you, set aside the silver, and research the rest against sold results. Better coins are listed one at a time on eBay and in our own shop. Common silver is sold in sensible lots. If a local coin dealer's offer beats what the coins would bring after marketplace fees, we will tell you to take it.
What the family receives.
- ✓A free walkthrough, or a first look from photos of the folders, boxes and rolls
- ✓A written quote before any work starts
- ✓Coins sorted by metal, date and mint mark, with the silver content worked out
- ✓Prices researched against sold results, not dealer asking prices
- ✓A recommendation on which coins, if any, justify professional grading
- ✓Better coins listed individually, common silver in sensible lots
- ✓A written inventory of what was found and what it sold for
Why VaultXL.
The silver is counted first
Older silver coins and modern silver proofs all have a floor set by their metal. We work it out before anything else, so nothing is priced below it.
Grading recommended, not assumed
Grading pays on a few coins and costs money on the rest. We tell you which is which before anything is sent away.
Original packaging kept
Mint boxes, certificates and holders are part of what a buyer pays for. They stay with the coins.
We will point you to a dealer when that pays more
For a can of common silver, a good local dealer can beat a marketplace after fees. We would rather tell you that than take the job.
Where we serve.
Charlotte · Myers Park · Eastover · SouthPark · Dilworth · Cotswold · Ballantyne · University City · Huntersville · Cornelius · Davidson · Matthews · Mint Hill · Concord · Gastonia · Fort Mill · Rock Hill
Start with a walkthrough.
A free walkthrough in your home, then a written quote before any work starts.
Frequently asked.
Dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver. Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. Silver dollars through 1935 are 90% silver. Modern Mint silver proofs and bullion coins are marked with their silver content. Circulating coins from 1965 on, apart from those halves, are not silver.
No. Cleaning almost always lowers the value. Graders spot it at once, and cleaned coins sell at a discount to uncleaned coins in the same condition.
Only for coins worth enough to cover the grading fee and insured shipping both ways, and where a certified grade is likely to raise the price. For most inherited coins it is not. We flag the ones where it is.
Most modern proof sets sell for modest amounts, close to face value for clad sets and close to the silver value for silver sets. Older sets and certain years are exceptions. Keep them in the original box with the certificate.
A dealer offer is fast and certain. Consigning pays more on better coins, because the specialist buyers who want them pay more than a dealer buying to resell. For a mix, the best answer is often both: we sell the better coins and point you to a dealer for the rest.
Every project is quoted in writing after a free walkthrough: a non-refundable setup fee set in your quote, and 15% of what sells after marketplace fees. You keep 85%.
