A free coin appraisal with us is a private, one-on-one appointment, Monday to Saturday between 10am and 6pm. We check each coin under a loupe in front of you, weigh gold and silver on a scale you can read, and hand you a written, item-by-item offer. A handful of coins takes about 10 minutes, and you can decline and keep everything.
Booking the appointment
Call (773) 241-8624 or send the form on this site. We call back the same day to set a time and tell you where we will meet. Appointments run Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
On the call, give a rough idea of what you have. A coffee can of old change, five albums and a box of slabs, or a few gold rings and a Krugerrand all help us plan the right amount of time.
You do not need to know what anything is worth or even what it is. Plenty of callers describe a box by its size and weight, and that is enough to book.
For larger collections and estates, ask about a home visit when you call. Smaller groups of coins are seen at a private appointment at the place we set when you book.
If you are calling for a parent or for an estate, say so when you book. We can plan a longer appointment, and the person who owns the coins, or who is handling the estate, should come with a government-issued photo ID.
What to bring
Bring the coins as they are. Leave them in their albums, flips, tubes, slabs or Mint boxes, and do not clean anything first. A coin that has been scrubbed or dipped grades lower, and collectors discount it sharply.
If you plan to sell, bring a government-issued photo ID. Anything written down by the person who built the collection is useful too, from a notebook of purchases to a list taped inside an album lid.
Pack coins so they do not rub together. Loose silver dollars or gold coins in one bag scratch each other on the way, and new marks lower the grade. A soft pouch or a folded paper towel around each coin is enough for a short trip.
Leave rolls unopened. We open them at the appointment while you watch, so you do not have to break them at home and risk mixing up dates.
- A government-issued photo ID
- Coins in their original albums, holders or boxes
- PCGS or NGC slabs, kept together
- Gold jewelry and scrap in a bag or box
- Paper money kept flat in an envelope or folder
- Any notes, receipts or old inventory lists
What happens during the appraisal
Everything is done in front of you. Each coin is checked under a loupe for date, mint mark, grade and eye appeal. Gold and silver go on a calibrated scale with a readout you can see, and gold jewelry is sorted by karat and weighed.
As we go, the coins sort into two groups. Collector coins, such as a Carson City Morgan, an Isabella quarter or a scarce-date gold piece, are priced one by one against current collector demand.
Coins that sell for their metal, such as worn 1964 and earlier dimes and quarters, are priced off the live spot price. A better date is never priced as bullion.
For collector coins we draw on published price guides, dealer wholesale sheets and recent auction results. You can ask about any coin as we work, and we will show you the date, the mint mark or the wear that sets its price. If you want to look through the loupe yourself, you can.
Coins in PCGS or NGC slabs stay sealed. We read the label and check the coin through the plastic. Gold coins get a close look at the date, the mint mark and the surfaces before they go on the scale, since a scarce gold date is priced as a collector coin.
| Step | What we do | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Check | Look at each coin under a loupe for date, mint mark, grade and eye appeal | The coin in front of you the whole time |
| Weigh | Put gold and silver on a calibrated scale | The scale readout |
| Sort jewelry | Separate gold by karat stamp and weigh each group | Each karat group and its weight |
| Sort coins | Separate collector coins from melt coins | Which coins are priced as collector pieces |
| Offer | Write an item-by-item offer | Every item and what we offer for it |
How long it takes
A handful of coins takes about 10 minutes. A large collection can take 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how many albums, rolls and loose coins there are and how many collector coins turn up.
Gold jewelry is usually quick, since it is sorted by karat and weighed in groups. Rolls take longer, because every date in a roll of silver dimes or dollars gets a look before the roll is priced. Albums take longest of all when they are full, since each slot is a separate coin with its own date and mint mark.
If you are bringing a large estate, mention it when you book so the appointment is long enough, and tell us roughly how many albums, rolls or slabs there are. A big collection can also be split across two visits.
Paper money adds a little time, since each note is checked for its series, its seal color and any star in the serial number. Large-size notes, issued before 1929, and National Bank Notes from Illinois banks get a closer look.
The written offer and your choices
When the check is done, you get a written, item-by-item offer. Each line covers one coin, one set or one group of metal, so you can see where the total comes from.
Accept it and you are paid the same day, in cash or by a same-day wire to your bank for larger sales. You can also sell part of what you brought and keep the rest. Decline it and you take everything home along with the written list.
There is no fee and no obligation. Some sellers take the list home to talk it over with family and call back later in the week, and some use it to compare with another buyer.
The offer covers what you brought that day. Spot prices for gold and silver move every trading day, so if you return later to sell metal you held back, those lines are figured again at the live price.
- Sell everything on the list and be paid the same day
- Sell some items and take the rest home
- Decline and keep every coin along with the written list
- Take the list home and call back once the family has talked it over
Purchase appraisals and certified appraisals
Our appraisals are free purchase appraisals. They tell you what we will pay for your coins, gold and silver today, based on the live spot price for metal and current collector demand for numismatic coins.
They are not certified appraisals, and they cannot be used for court, probate, insurance or IRS purposes. If an estate attorney or insurer asks for a certified appraisal, that comes from a certified appraiser. Tax questions belong with an attorney or tax advisor.
The written list still helps families dividing an estate and executors working with an attorney, since it records every item and what we offered for it on that date.
Before you book, ask whoever requested the paperwork what it will be used for. If the answer is a court filing, an insurance policy or a tax return, you need a certified appraiser first, and you can still book with us afterward if you decide to sell.
Coin appraisals across Chicago and the suburbs
Sellers book a coin appraisal in Chicago from every part of the city and the suburbs. Some come from Lincoln Park or Lakeview with a single album, and others are clearing a house in Des Plaines or Schaumburg after a parent moved into assisted living. Each appointment is private and set for one seller at a time, and the meeting place is fixed when you book.
Many people who call want to know how much their coins are worth before they decide anything. A free appraisal answers that with a written offer, and taking the list home is common.
Families along the BNSF line in Naperville and Hinsdale can bring the list back to a second visit once siblings have agreed on what to keep. Saturday slots, open from 10am to 6pm, suit sellers who work during the week.
Chicago collections are full of things that need a trained eye: Columbian halves and Isabella quarters from the 1893 fair, 1918 Illinois Centennial halves, silver certificates, and National Bank Notes from small Illinois banks. Gold jewelry from a family in Berwyn or Oak Lawn gets the same care, sorted by karat on a scale you can read. Call (773) 241-8624 and we call back the same day to set your time.
Ready to sell? See how we handle free coin appraisals in Chicago, read about selling coins in Chicago, or call (773) 241-8624.