Correct Coin Valuation
Evaluation of coins by quality and other criteria
Coin valuation is the most responsible business before selling, and when buying, it is advisable to know its real price in order to understand whether you can sell it in the future or not, and most importantly, how much to sell it in a few years.
How coins are valued — basic rules
The first thing they pay attention to, of course, safety. Scuffs, rust, chasing errors, a layer of patina — all this is of great importance. The second point is the year of issue, at first glance it seems that the older the coin, the more expensive it is, but this applies to very rare coins, which, as a rule, are currently in the possession of collectors.
The third point is the material of manufacture. Gold, silver, copper have very different prices, however, copper may be more expensive than gold if it turns out that, for example, the penny you found is the only one of its kind. They also look at whether it is included in the set and whether it is a proof.
For those who are just getting acquainted with numismatics, let us explain — proof, this is not safety, but a method of special quality minting. Type sets are quite expensive, since their release is small, proofs are evaluated according to all accepted standards and sometimes they are inferior in price to ordinary rare ones. The last criterion is the circulation, the smaller it is, the higher the price of any copy.
How to value a coin yourself
You already approximately know the valuation rules, but experts also use a special classification, and more than one person considers rubles and kopecks, but several at once, in order to indicate a more accurate value. In other words, the human factor plays a huge role, so don’t be surprised when different people, even your acquaintances, express different opinions. The main system for evaluating coins according to Sheldon, there are seven of them and each has its own characteristics:
- MS — perfect condition with a nice sheen or layer of patina, no signs of marriage, minimal to no wear after handling.
- AU — the luster is preserved, there are no defects, but there are scuffs indicating that the coin was in circulation
- XF — no defect, no stamp gloss
- VF — rust is acceptable, gloss is preserved in places
- F — the pattern is clearly visible, there are rust spots, the coating is not glossy
- G and VG — the image is not clear, there is a manufacturing defect, almost completely covered with rust spots, the cost is minimal
Below is a photo with detailed designations, as we can see, there is also an additional assessment of the numbers that are set by the specialist depending on the existing, minor damage. The most expensive MS70, a very low quality G4 coin.
Self-assessment of coins is possible thanks to numismatist forums and auction sites, after you have visually identified the classification section, go through the sites. Perhaps you will find options similar to your copy in terms of year of manufacture, type and safety, then setting the price will be much easier.