Yes, but usually not in the way people hope. In a typical inherited jar or cigar box, roughly 95 percent of the coins are worth face value or a few cents over it. The real money almost always comes from two places: US silver coins dated 1964 or earlier, which are worth their metal no matter how worn, and a small number of key dates, mint marks and errors that collectors pay hundreds or thousands for. Sorting a pile to find those takes an afternoon, not a week.
The order of work matters. Pull the silver first, because its metal value sets a firm floor. Then go through the older copper and nickel by date and mint mark. Leave foreign coins, tokens and modern clad change for last, because they rarely change the total. Do not clean anything along the way. A cleaned coin loses 30 to 70 percent of its collector value, and that damage cannot be undone.
The few coins that matter are easy to miss if you only look at the face. A worn 1916 dime from Denver is worth more than a shiny uncirculated dime from 1960. Date and mint mark come first; condition is the multiplier.
How to sort a pile of coins in one afternoon
Work on a towel under a bright desk lamp with a cheap magnifier. Make four piles: silver, old copper and nickel, foreign, and modern change.
Step 1: pull the silver
US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier are 90 percent silver. Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40 percent silver. All silver dollars (Morgan and Peace, dated 1935 or earlier) are 90 percent silver.
The fastest check is the edge. Stack the coins and look from the side: a coin with a copper stripe down the middle is clad, made from 1965 on. A solid silver-gray edge on a pre-1965 date is silver. Silver also rings when dropped lightly on a table, while clad gives a dull clink, but the edge test is more reliable.
War nickels from 1942 to 1945 with a large P, D or S above Monticello on the reverse contain 35 percent silver. Pull those too.
Step 2: go through the old copper and nickel by date
Lincoln cents dated 1909 to 1958 have two wheat ears on the back. These are wheat pennies, and while most are worth a few cents, a handful of dates are worth hundreds. Buffalo nickels (1913 to 1938) and Indian Head cents (1859 to 1909) are also worth sorting by date, because both series have expensive keys.
For anything before 1960, write down or photograph the date and look for a mint mark. Mint marks are small letters: D for Denver, S for San Francisco, O for New Orleans, CC for Carson City. Philadelphia coins before 1980 usually carry no mint mark at all.
Step 3: set the foreign coins aside
Foreign coins are a separate job. Most post-1950 world coins are worth a few cents each, but older silver and certain crowns are worth more. The foreign coins guide covers how to read the legend and what to keep.
Step 4: the modern change
Clad quarters, dimes and Lincoln Memorial cents are face value with very few exceptions. Spend them, roll them or take them to a bank. The exceptions worth a quick glance are listed below.
Where the money actually is
Silver: a floor under every pre-1965 coin
Silver coins are worth their silver content even when worn smooth. The pure silver content is fixed:
- Dime (1964 and earlier): 0.0723 oz
- Quarter (1964 and earlier): 0.1808 oz
- Half dollar (1964 and earlier): 0.3617 oz
- Kennedy half 1965 to 1970: 0.1479 oz
- Morgan or Peace dollar: 0.7734 oz
- War nickel 1942 to 1945: 0.0563 oz
Multiply by today's silver price to get melt value. A face value total of $10 in pre-1965 dimes and quarters contains about 7.2 oz of silver, so a coffee can of old silver change can be worth several hundred dollars on metal alone. Dealers buy common silver at or slightly under melt. If the pile includes silver dollars, the Morgan dollar guide explains the dates that sell for far more than metal.
Key dates and mint marks
These are the coins that turn a jar into a real sale. Approximate values for worn but honest examples, without cleaning or damage:
| Coin | What to look for | Typical value, circulated |
|---|---|---|
| Common wheat cent | Any date 1909 to 1958 | 3-10 cents |
| 1909-S VDB cent | S below date, VDB on reverse | $700-1,000 |
| 1914-D cent | D below date | $150-250 |
| 1955 doubled die cent | Bold doubling on date and LIBERTY | $1,000-2,000 |
| 1937-D Buffalo nickel | Bison has three legs | $600-900 |
| 1916-D Mercury dime | D left of the fasces on reverse | $900-1,500 |
| 1932-D or 1932-S quarter | Mint mark below eagle | $100-200 |
| Common silver dime, quarter, half | 1964 or earlier | Silver value |
| Common Morgan or Peace dollar | Any common date | Silver value plus $5-15 |
| 2004-D Wisconsin extra leaf | Extra leaf on corn stalk | $50-200 |
| Clad change, Memorial cents | 1965 and later | Face value |
Higher grades multiply these numbers, sometimes by ten. A worn key date still beats an uncirculated common date in nearly every series.
Errors that are real, and damage that is not
Real mint errors carry premiums: off-center strikes, double strikes, clipped planchets (a curved bite missing from the edge) and coins struck on the wrong metal. What does not count is damage after the coin left the mint: plating, acid, heat discoloration, squashed coins and the flat, shelf-like "machine doubling" that is common on many dates. A true doubled die shows rounded, separated letters, not flat shadows.
What usually turns out to be common
It helps to know what not to get excited about, because these show up in nearly every inherited collection:
- Bicentennial quarters, halves and dollars dated 1776-1976: face value unless silver proof sets
- Eisenhower dollars and Susan B Anthony dollars: face value or a dollar or two over
- 1943 steel cents: 10-50 cents circulated
- Wheat cents in rolls: a few dollars per roll of 50
- State quarters and Presidential dollars: face value
- Proof and mint sets from the 1970s onward: often at or below their original issue price
- Commemorative medals and "silver" rounds with no denomination: metal value if silver, otherwise little
None of that is a disappointment worth hiding. Most collections were put together from pocket change, and pocket change was made by the billion.
Photos that settle the hard cases
A single good photo usually answers the question. For the coins that might matter:
- A sharp macro of the date and mint mark, taken straight on in daylight
- An edge shot when silver versus clad is unclear
- Both sides of anything with possible doubling, with light coming from one side
- A photo with angled light for any coin that might be uncirculated, so luster or cleaning hairlines show
- A kitchen scale reading for a 1943 or 1982 cent, and a magnet test on any 1943 cent
When to bring in a professional
If you find a key date, a strong error or a silver dollar that looks uncirculated, the next step is a reputable coin dealer or a grading service such as PCGS or NGC. Grading costs money, so it only makes sense for coins likely worth $100 or more. Key dates like the 1909-S VDB and 1916-D dime are frequently faked with added mint marks, which is one more reason to have a grader look before you sell.
For bulk silver and common coins, two or three local dealer quotes are enough. Expect around 60 to 80 percent of retail for collector coins and close to melt for silver.