By private appointment · Mon to Sat, 10am to 6pm
Rare Coin Buyers in Chicago
We buy rare and scarce U.S. coins in Chicago, from early American copper to the 1893 Isabella quarter made for the fair in Jackson Park. Every coin is graded under a loupe in front of you and priced on current collector demand.
- Free appraisal
- No obligation
- Paid same day
Prefer to talk? Call (773) 241-8624
Get your free offer
Tell us what you have. We call back the same business day.
$100M+ in gold and coins bought
How rare coins are priced
A rare coin sells for what collectors will pay, and its metal content often matters very little. We grade each coin on the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale and check for cleaning, damage and eye appeal.
Then we compare it against published price guides, dealer wholesale sheets and recent auction results. Two coins with the same date can be priced far apart on grade alone.
What sets the price of a rare coin
- Grade carries the most weight, and small steps on the Sheldon scale can move the price.
- Date and mint mark decide how many coins of that kind collectors can find.
- Original surfaces count, since collectors pay far less for a cleaned coin.
- Eye appeal, including toning and strike, separates two coins of the same grade.
- Mint errors such as off-center strikes and doubled dies draw their own buyers.
Melt value today: 1893 Isabella quarter (silver content only)
$9.39
6.25 grams at 90% silver, about 0.1808 troy oz, times today's spot. Collector coins can be worth more than melt.Rare coins we buy
- Scarce dates and mint marks
- Half cents and large cents
- Bust and Seated Liberty silver
- Mint errors and die varieties
- 1893 Isabella quarters
- 1892 and 1893 Columbian half dollars
- 1918 Illinois Centennial half dollars
- Other early U.S. commemoratives
- Carson City coins
- Proof coins
Chicago's own rare coins
Anyone looking to sell rare coins in Chicago should check old family boxes for coins tied to the city itself. The World's Columbian Exposition was held in Jackson Park in 1893 to mark 400 years since Columbus's first voyage, and the Mint struck two coins for it. The Museum of Science and Industry building in Hyde Park is the fair's former Palace of Fine Arts.
The 1893 Isabella quarter was requested by the fair's Board of Lady Managers, led by Bertha Palmer. It shows a crowned Queen Isabella of Spain on the front and, on the back, a kneeling woman holding a distaff and spindle, a symbol of women's industry. The fair sold it for $1.
Of the 40,023 struck, 24,214 were sold and the other 15,809 were melted. It was made for collectors and never meant to circulate, so it sells well above its silver value in any grade.
Struck for the fair and dated 1892 and 1893, the Columbian half dollar was the first U.S. commemorative coin. Columbus is on the front, and his flagship Santa Maria sails over two hemispheres on the back. The Mint struck 950,000 dated 1892 and about 4 million dated 1893, then melted about 2.5 million unsold 1893 coins.
Many others were spent at face value, so worn ones are common and sell for a little more than their silver. Pieces with sharp detail and original luster sell for more.
Statehood brought a third Chicago-area coin. The 1918 Illinois Centennial half dollar shows a young, beardless Lincoln based on a statue by Andrew O'Connor, and its back carries the eagle on a rock with a shield and banner from the Illinois state seal.
Only 100,058 were struck, all in 90% silver, and the price follows grade. The Illinois Centennial Monument in Logan Square, a column topped by an eagle, was dedicated the same year.
We find these coins in estates from Hyde Park to Evanston and Oak Park, often kept in a small box apart from the rest of a collection. Our Isabella quarter guide walks through how grade changes what one is worth.
Rare coins take longer to examine than a pile of silver because each one is graded on its own. A handful takes about 10 minutes, and a large collection can take 30 to 60.
Appointments run Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. Call (773) 241-8624 and we call back the same day to set a time and place.
How selling works
Three steps, usually done in one visit.
- 1
Tell us what you have
Send the form or call. We call back the same day and book a private appointment, Monday to Saturday.
- 2
Watch the appraisal
We check each coin's date, mint mark, grade and metal in front of you, then write the offer down line by line.
- 3
Get paid that day
Say yes and leave with cash, or a same-day wire for a large sale. Say no and keep everything.
Questions about selling rare coins in Chicago
Are you a rare coin dealer in Chicago?
We buy rare coins and do not sell them. Sellers who search for rare coin dealers in Chicago can book a private appointment at (773) 241-8624, Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. The free appraisal ends with a written, item-by-item offer, and you can accept it and be paid the same day or keep your coins and the list.
What is an 1893 Isabella quarter worth?
We cannot give a number without seeing the coin, because grade sets the price. The Isabella quarter sells well above its silver value in any grade, since only 24,214 were sold at the fair and 15,809 were melted.
Coins with original surfaces and sharp detail bring the most. Bring yours uncleaned and in its holder, and we will grade it in front of you.
Is my Columbian half dollar rare?
Most Columbian halves are common. The Mint struck 950,000 dated 1892 and about 4 million dated 1893, and many were spent at face value, so worn ones sell for a little more than their silver.
Coins with sharp detail and original luster sell for more. We grade each one at the appointment and tell you which group yours falls into.
How do I know if a coin is rare?
Start with the date and mint mark, then look at condition. Scarce dates and mint marks, early American coins and mint errors can all carry collector value.
You do not need to sort anything yourself. Bring the coins uncleaned and in whatever holders they came in, and we will check each one under a loupe at the free appraisal.
Should I send my rare coins to PCGS or NGC before selling?
You do not need to. We grade raw coins at the appointment and price them on what we see.
Sending a coin to PCGS or NGC costs money and takes time, and it tends to pay off only for coins worth well above the grading fee. If a coin is already in a slab, bring it as it is.
Where we buy rare coins around Chicago
See what your coins are worth today
The offer is free, you're under no obligation, and we pay the same day you accept.
(773) 241-8624Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm
Get your free offer
Tell us what you have. We call back the same business day.