Why people ask us
Most coin collections change hands exactly once: when someone inherits one. Suddenly you own three albums, a cigar box of loose coins and a stack of Royal Canadian Mint sets, and no idea whether you're holding $200 or $20,000. Before you let an auction house, liquidator or pawn shop tell you, it's worth getting an independent opinion from someone who will put it in writing.
That's the service: send photos, and within about a business day you get an honest preliminary range and a plain-language explanation of where the value is, and where it isn't. It costs nothing, and you don't have to sell us anything.
The four things that decide what a coin is worth
1. Metal content
For most Canadian collections, the largest slice of value is simply silver. Canadian dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars dated 1967 and earlier are 80% silver (with some 50% pieces in 1967–1968), and U.S. coins dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. A tube of ordinary circulated silver quarters is worth real money at melt even if no single coin is rare.
2. Rarity and key dates
Within any series, a handful of dates and varieties carry most of the numismatic value: low-mintage years, mint errors, and famous keys like the 1921 50-cent piece or the 1948 silver dollar. Ninety-five percent of coins in a typical album are common; the evaluation exists to find the five percent that aren't.
3. Condition and grade
The same coin can be worth $30 worn and $3,000 in pristine mint state. Grade matters most on scarcer coins, which is why we look at every photo, not just the labels.
4. What the market actually pays
Catalogue prices are a ceiling, not a promise. Real value is what dealers and collectors pay today, which moves with silver and gold prices and with collector demand. Our range reflects the market you can actually sell into, not a wish-book number.
What's usually inside an inherited collection
- Royal Canadian Mint proof and uncirculated sets: collected by the drawer-full in the 1970s–1990s. Most trade near their silver content, and we'll tell you which ones are the exceptions
- Circulated silver coinage: the workhorse value in most Canadian accumulations, priced by weight against the live silver market
- Silver dollars: 1935–1967 Canadian dollars, some common, a few very much not
- Gold coins: sovereigns, Maple Leafs and U.S. gold have significant value even in worn condition
- World coins and moderns: usually modest, with occasional surprises worth flagging
How to photograph a collection for evaluation
- Album pages: one photo per page, straight on, in daylight
- Loose coins: spread them on a plain surface so dates are visible; groups are fine
- Mint sets and cases: photograph them closed, plus any paperwork
- Anything that looks special: one close-up of the front and back
Ten photos are enough for a small collection; for a large one, send what you can and we'll ask for more where it matters. Our form takes up to ten photos per submission, and you can submit more than once.
What happens after the evaluation
You get a range and a recommendation, then you choose. Sell to us and receive a firm written offer at 80–90% of value with prepaid insured shipping. Take a rare piece to a specialist auction, and we'll tell you honestly when that's the better route. Or simply keep it all, now knowing what's in the box. Within roughly a one-to-two-hour drive of Napanee we can often evaluate large collections in person; tick the in-person box on the form.
Common questions
Is this a certified appraisal?
No. It's a free, informal opinion of market value from a dealer who buys collections every week. For insurance schedules or contested estates you may need an accredited appraiser, and we'll tell you when that's the case.
Do I need to sort or identify anything first?
No. Unsorted is normal. Identifying what's in the box is the free part of our job.
Should I get coins graded before selling?
Usually not. Third-party grading costs $30-plus per coin and only pays for itself on genuinely scarce pieces. If something in your photos deserves grading, we'll flag it.
What does the evaluation cost?
Nothing, whether or not you sell to us. Honest evaluations are how we earn the chance to make an offer.