[coin 561 entered Wed, 03-Jun-2009 18:45:00 GMT, visitor 7491] [Show Singly]

[Appraisal ok, reviewed by CoinQuest, be sure to use the current value of gold Sun, 11-Jul-2010 02:25:42 GMT]

Like all gold coins today, yours is a valuable piece. Does it look like the picture I've supplied, with lots of frosty, creamy luster? Or is it more shiny or polished looking? The lustrous look is desirable. The polished look is not. A dull look is less valuable.

NEVER CLEAN A COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

Your coin contains 0.0981 Troy ounces of gold, so that makes it worth a minimum of $100 (US dollars) at today's gold prices. But if it has luster, the value goes up, sometimes substantially. Since you've indicated 'little or no wear' in our CoinQuest questionnaire, I'll assume you have an almost uncirculated piece and assign a value of about $200. The coin pictured is in excellent shape would sell on eBay for $300 to $400 or more. These are valuable coins due to their low mintages.

A good rule of thumb for these coins is to multiply the current value of gold in Troy ounces (available on web sites like kitco.com) by 0.0981, and then add $50 for worn coins or $150 for undamaged, lustrous, uncirculated coins.

Coins dated 1880 in this series are extremely rare. Figure $1000s of dollars. Hope you have one!

[coin 560 entered Wed, 03-Jun-2009 18:15:26 GMT, visitor 7479] [Show Singly]

[Reviewed by CoinQuest, appraisal ok Sun, 18-Jul-2010 21:59:00 GMT]

Nice coin, Inge. Since it is mounted on a chain, it carries no value to coin collectors. If your coin were in average circulated condition, it would catalog about $20 to $40 US dollars, double that if fully uncirculated.

This coin comes from Prussia, a state in the German Empire. Apparently the man on horseback, and perhaps the snake, is Napoleon. 1913 is the 100th anniversary of his defeat by the United Kingdom, Russia, Austria, and Prussia.

[coin 556 entered Mon, 01-Jun-2009 16:59:40 GMT, visitor 7276] [Show Singly]

[Appraisal reviewed by CoinQuest, appraisal ok Sun, 11-Jul-2010 02:22:30 GMT]

Well that's kind of a neat coin, isn't it, Pirate?

(Too bad our modern US designs look so lame compared to nice old European issues like this one. Just my opinion, that's all.)

Your coin catalogs for $1 US dollar in average circulated condition. None of the coins in this series are particularly valuable. Coins that are fully uncirculated catalog around the $10 mark.

There were two 10 centesimi coins issued in 1939. One was made of copper and one was made of aluminum bronze. The one with aluminum feels light compared to a similar sized coin made of pure copper. If you have an aluminum bronze coin, the value goes up a little. Maybe $2 average circulated, $15 fully uncirculated.

[coin 554 entered Mon, 01-Jun-2009 16:32:01 GMT, visitor 7276] [Show Singly]

[Reviewed by CoinQuest, appraisal ok Mon, 05-Jul-2010 16:02:02 GMT]

Nice coin, Pirate.

The thing that is interesting about your inquiry is that you state your coin has 'little or no wear.' This always increases value.

My guess about the value of your coin is $35 to $50 US dollars because it is in nearly uncirculated condition. Circulated coins are worth far less: $3 to $10 or so.

Does your coin look like the one in the picture? Can you see the nice luster, or 'creaminess', reflected in the coin as light shines across it? If so, this means your coin is almost uncirculated, and that it what pushes the value up toward $50.

All the coins in this series are worth about the same. There are no 'key dates' that stand out as very, very valuable.

DO NOT CLEAN YOUR COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

Resist all temptation to clean your coin to make it look more shiny. This will eliminate the luster and make the coin essentially valueless.

[coin 547 entered Sat, 30-May-2009 03:37:56 GMT, visitor 7070] [Show Singly]

[Appraisal ok, reviewed by CoinQuest, be sure to use the current value of gold Sat, 03-Jul-2010 13:24:53 GMT]

Don't use metal polish to remove the spots, Meutia. That will ruin the value of your cool British coin. Be sure to handle your coin by its edges only. No fingerprints allowed!

It sounds like you have a gold sovereign from 1914. It could be a half soveriegn, because the two coins look alike, only their size is different:

Half sovereign: 19 mm diameter, 0.118 Troy ounces gold
Sovereign: 22 mm diameter, 0.235 Troy ounces gold

Like most of the coins in these series, the 1914 coins from the British mint are 'common date' coins, so their fundamental value comes from gold content. In other words, these coins are 'worth their weight in gold.' Only the 1917 sovereign is a *good date* and is worth 1000s of US dollars.

There is a terrific web site that covers everything you will ever want to know about gold sovereigns (and more!). It is GoldSovereigns.co.uk. Be sure to visit.

At the current gold value of about $900 US dollars per ounce, your coin is worth 0.235 times $900, or $212. The value of gold varies daily, so be sure to look it up on a web site such as Kitco.com. If you have a half sovereign, the formula is 0.118 x 900 = $106.

Collectors often pay more than gold value alone, especially for coins that are in excellent condition. $270 is a typical retail price for a sovereign containing $212 worth of gold. If you are selling your gold sovereign, expect to get offers from dealers at levels well below the retail price.

Now, Meutia, here is the tantalizing part. Your coin was probably minted in Great Britain and carries no mint mark. Look at the side with the dragon slayer, just above the date. What do you see? You may need a magnifying glass to see it. If you see no mint mark, then the discussion above applies. If you see C, for the Canadian mint, then you have hit the jackpot! A 1914C sovereign catalogs for $1500 in uncirculated condition. If you have one of these, that's great!

The picture shows what an M mint mark would look like. Yours, must have a C. There is a fantastic web site dedicated to gold soveriegns. You can view it here. There are several different mints and different reverse designs as well.

Be careful, too, about the word 'catalog' in the discussion above. It is a weasel word. Read about it in our Important Terminology link at the upper left. Finally, as with all valuable collector coins, a C coin might be a counterfeit.

[coin 543 entered Thu, 28-May-2009 00:27:39 GMT, visitor 6905] [Show Singly]

[Reviewed by CoinQuest, this piece is heavily counterfeited Mon, 05-Jul-2010 15:58:13 GMT]

If I understand you correctly, PJ, and if I got the right picture of your coin, you have a valuable old 2 1/2 escudos from Portugal. Most dates of these coins are not worth very much, cataloging for a few US dollars even in well preserved condition. But the 1937 date is a good date. I've seen these selling on the Internet for as much as $750. Zowie! That is probably an inflated price. A more common value would be $100 to $200.

DO NOT CLEAN YOUR COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.

As always, one must be careful of counterfiets for valuable collector coins. You know the history of your coin, and if it could be a fake, it probably is a fake. There are third party numismatic services which will authenticate your coin and assign its numismatic condition for a fee. You might consider one of these. If you want more info on this topic, use the Contact Us link at the upper left or go to our appraisals of counterfeit coins on this web site.

Here is a partial quote from an eBay user who has been stuck with counterfeits from China.

'Never EVER ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever buy coins from a Chinese seller. I don't care how good the coins look in the picture or how good their feedback rating is, just don't do it. I have purchased litterally thousands of dollars worth of Trade Dollars from sellers located in China, sent them off to be graded and had them ALL come back as fake. I have purchased from sellers who claimed their items were Guaranteed 100% Genuine, I've purchased Slabbed Certified Trade Dollars from China and without exception ALL of them, every one has been fake. Even reputable sellers can sell fake Trade Dollars and not even know it. I purchased more than $900 in trade dollars from a reputable seller in the US and sent all the coins off to be graded and EVERY ONE came back from ANACS as 'Not Genuine: Struck Copy.' These coins fooled me as well as the seller who was honest and gave me a complete refund. Stick to PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG graded and authenticated coins.'

[coin 542 entered Wed, 27-May-2009 23:43:17 GMT, visitor 6894] [Show Singly]

[Reviewed by CoinQuest, appraisal ok Mon, 05-Jul-2010 15:55:57 GMT]

You have a nice old Canadian medal (not a coin) issued to commemorate the royal visit in 1939. Oodles and oodles were issued, and they do not carry much value today. About $1 or $2 US dollars. The hole in your specimen renders it valueless to collectors.

[coin 533 entered Tue, 26-May-2009 02:47:32 GMT, visitor 6737] [Show Singly]

[Appraisal ok, reviewed by CoinQuest, be sure to use the current value of silver Tue, 06-Jul-2010 01:58:19 GMT]

You probably have a well-worn 8 reales coin from the old Republic of Mexico. Does your coin look like the one in the picture? If it does, and if it has equivalent wear, color, and stains like the one in our picture, a typical retail price would be $25 US dollars, or thereabouts. A coin dealer would probably pay about one-half retail for this coin.

These coins contain 0.786 Troy ounces of silver. So that sets the minimum value they can attain. For instance, if silver is selling at $12 per Troy ounce (look it up for today's price at kitco.com), the minimum price is 0.786 x 12 = $9.40.

Coins with the liberty cap and starburst pattern were minted in smaller denominations than 8 reales. In fact, denominations of 1/2, 1, 2, and 4 reales look the same, only smaller. The denomination appears explicitly on the coin in the place where '8R' appears on the 8 reales. Look for '1/2R', '1R', '2R', or '4R' on your coin and, if you have one, click to this appraisal page.

The general progression of catalog values for *common date* 8 reales goes like this:

8 REALES
worn: $20 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $40
well preserved: $60

but, these old 8 reales from Mexico have a long history. The further back you go, the more valuable they get. Deb's coin, dated 1882, is a later piece than most. There are several variations of this coin and some of them can be quite valuable, cataloging for $100s of US dollars even in worn condition. There is an elaborate system of mint marks and initials. Coins worth $100 or more in worn condition are shown in the list below. Some of these are quite valuable, tipping the scales over $1000 when in uncirculated condition. Worn coins do not reach this high.

1823 - 1825
1825 - 1831 initials FS
1826 mint mark Zs, initials AV and AO
1827 - 1828 mint mark Go
1828 mint mark Pi, initials JS
1828 - 1830 mint mark EoMo
1832 mint mark Ca, initials MR and AM
1833 mint mark Mo, initials ML
1838 - 1839 mint mark Ga, initials JG and MC
1843, 1845, 1847 mint mark Ga, initials JG
1844 - 1852 mint mark GC
1846 - 1854 mint mark C or Cn
1848 - 1854 mint mark Do
1851 - 1855 mint mark Ca, initials RG
1851 - 1858 mint mark Pi, initials MC
1863 - 1867 mint mark Ho, initials FM
1864 - 1865 mint mark A, initials PG
1864 - 1867 mint mark Do, initials CP
1865 mint mark Zs, initials MO
1865 - 1867 mint mark CA, initials JC
1873 mint mark O or Oa, initials AE
1875 mint mark Do, initials JH
1880 mint mark Do, initials TB
1883 mint mark Ho, initials JA

[coin 526 entered Fri, 22-May-2009 23:00:36 GMT, visitor 6524] [Show Singly]

[Appraisal reviewed by CoinQuest, appraisal ok Sun, 25-Jul-2010 23:39:57 GMT]

Most of these nice 1 centime coins from France are found in worn condition like Havak's coin. This keeps their value down to a few US dollars or less. In well preserved condition their value goes up substantially.

France made coins like this in both 1 and 2 centime denominations. The patters are the same except, of course, for the big 1 or 2 on the reverse side.

1 CENTIME:
worn: less than $1 US dollar catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $5
fully uncirculated (like our picture): $15
1900 well preserved: $100
1908, 1909 well preserved: $25
1910 well preserved: $80

2 CENTIMES:
worn: less than $1 US dollar catalog value
average circulated: $3
well preserved: $8
fully uncirculated (like our picture): $15
1900 well preserved: $250
1907 well preserved: $100
1909 well preserved: $70

The coin in the photo has great eye appeal, even wear, and interesting color. Coin collectors love those attributes. Because of them, this coin catalogs around $20 and would retail around $15. Use our Important Terminology link (upper left) to understand how catalog values relate to actual retail values. Thanks to cgb.fr for letting us use this gorgeous image.

OPTIONAL RANT: Isn't this a beautiful coin? I really like the composition and overall artistic skill used to produce this miniature piece of art. Too bad the US screwed up the 50 State Quarters program so much. They had 50 chances to make great-looking coins but, in each case, artistic strength and flair gave way to political correctness and pet projects. Baloney!

[coin 521 entered Fri, 22-May-2009 03:35:43 GMT, user 6414] [Show Singly]

[Reviewed by CoinQuest, appraisal ok Mon, 05-Jul-2010 13:30:40 GMT]

We received an inquiry via e-mail about this unusual coin. Shailender sent us this photograph but no other information except that it is an ancient coin from India.

The coin is apparently a piece related to Hindu temples, i.e., it is a 'Temple Token'. I have been told that there are 1000s of Hindu gods, but I do not know anything about them. This token does not appear in my reference books, and I do not see one for sale on the web sites of any of the coin dealers I usually frequent. Apparently the Hindu gods are Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and the monkey god Hanuman around a platform (dubar). The design comes from the great Hindu epic 'Rama's Journey' (the Ramayana).

The two figures on the other side of the token are Rama with his half-brother and inseparable companion, Lakshman.

Although I do not know them personnally, it appears that Lila and Joel Anderson are bona fide coin dealers. Their page with Temple Tokens appears at JoelsCoins.com. The subject item, called Ramatanka, or Ram Tonka, sells for a few US dollars.

This appraisal is strongly tainted by CoinQuest's lack of knowledge of the subject.

My best information is that this coin is a reproduction of an old temple token produced recently and sold profusely. If the piece were an actual temple token, and not a reproduction, the value would be much higher. Of course I can be wrong on this, but I don't think so. Here's why.

If you do a Google image search on 'coin Ram Darbar' you will receive a plethora of images that look like this one. Almost without exception these coins appear on OLX, an Indian Free Classified site akin to Craig's list in the US. OLX has no certification of sellers or protection of buyers. These pieces are for sale by many different private individuals, but little or no description of the coin is supplied. Most professional coin dealers understand the history of their coins, and are eager to share this information with potential buyers. This does not happen on the OLX listings for this coin.

Further, the information that appears on OLX varies widely from coin to coin. Claims about the date of the coin start as early as 100 AD, continue through 447 and 517 AD, and end somewhere during the 1800s. The prices range from 'best offer' to 2,500 English pounds to $3,000 US dollars to (are you ready?) $1,000,000 US dollars!