Selling an Inherited Coin Collection in Dallas
When a parent leaves coins behind, we help Dallas families sort out what is there, explain it in plain English, and make one clear written offer. Finding out costs nothing, nobody is pushed to sell, and you take the written list home to share with the rest of the family.
Get a free offer
Three quick questions. We call you back to set a time.
How we value an inherited collection
An estate collection is priced the same way as any other coins, just with more of them. Each piece goes into a group: pocket change at face, silver and gold priced on metal, better coins priced on collector demand, and sets or slabs priced as they sit. Metal content comes from the XRF reader and a state-inspected scale, tied to today's spot price. You get a written total plus the line items behind it, so every heir sees the same numbers.
One pre-1965 Washington quarter from a jar of old change at today's spot price
6.25 grams × 90% silver = 0.1808 troy oz × spot $60.51 = $10.94 in metal
Melt value only. Collector value, when an item has it, is priced separately and shown to you at the table.
What shapes the value of an estate collection
- How much of it is silver or gold, and how much is face-value pocket change.
- Whether better dates hide inside rolls, jars and blue cardboard folders.
- The condition of the coins and whether anyone cleaned or polished them.
- Original boxes, papers and mint packaging for proof and mint sets.
- Gold coins, which often account for a large share of an estate's total.
- The live spot price for silver and gold on the day you come in.
What happens at your appointment
- 1
Gather, don't sort
Put everything in one secure spot as you find it. Call (469) 754-8608 and we call back the same business day.
- 2
Bring ID and papers
The person selling brings a driver's license or state ID, plus any notes, receipts or estate papers you have.
- 3
Sort it together
We group the collection at the table, test metal on the XRF reader and weigh on an inspected scale while you watch.
- 4
Choose your path
Take a written offer, a written appraisal for probate or heirs, or both. Selling is entirely up to you.
The first few weeks: what to do and what to leave alone
Most families find the coins while doing ten other things: calling relatives, meeting the attorney, clearing out a closet. There is no rush to sell. A few simple steps now protect the value of what your parent saved and keep the family on the same page.
- Do gather every coin, bill and bar into one locked place, even if it seems like loose change.
- Do jot down where each group was found. A note like 'top shelf, hall closet' can help later.
- Do keep coins in the albums, rolls, envelopes and holders they came in, including ones with handwriting.
- Do confirm who has authority to sell, such as the executor, before anyone makes a deal.
- Do snap a few photos of everything for the family's records.
- Don't clean, polish, dip or rub any coin. Cleaning lowers the grade and cannot be undone.
- Don't pull coins out of albums or slabs, or split up a set to divide it.
- Don't spend old change or deposit it at the bank until someone checks it for silver.
- Don't let an estate sale crew price the coins at face or sell them by the jar.
How we sort a collection, group by group
Inherited collections are rarely tidy. One box can hold a Gold Eagle, a roll of wheat pennies and a proof set from the year a grandchild was born. Sorting it into groups is the first thing we do, because each group is priced a different way. Here is what that looks like at the table.
| Group | What usually lands here | How it is priced |
|---|---|---|
| Modern pocket change | Clad quarters and dimes from 1965 on, nickels, modern pennies | Face value in most cases. We point these out so you can spend or bank them. |
| 90% silver coins | Dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 and earlier | Silver content at today's spot, unless a date carries collector demand |
| 40% and 35% silver | Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970, war nickels from 1942 to 1945 | Silver content at spot |
| Silver dollars | Morgan and Peace dollars | Silver as the floor, with premiums for better dates, mint marks and grades |
| Gold coins | Pre-1933 U.S. gold, Gold Eagles, Krugerrands, Maple Leafs | Gold content, plus collector demand for older U.S. gold |
| Proof and mint sets | Sets in original U.S. Mint packaging | Set by set. Silver sets carry metal value, and many clad sets bring modest amounts. |
| Graded coins | PCGS and NGC slabs | The grade on the label and current dealer demand |
| Paper money | Silver certificates, large-size notes, star notes | Condition, series and collector demand |
| Bullion and sterling | Bars, rounds, sterling flatware and jewelry | Weight and purity at spot |
Written lists for probate, insurance and dividing among heirs
Families settling an estate often need a record before they need a buyer. We prepare written item-by-item appraisals that list each coin or group, what it is, and its value on the day we see it. Executors use them for probate paperwork. Families use them to split a collection fairly, so one sibling can keep the gold coins and another can take the silver dollars, with the math written down for everyone.
If your attorney or tax preparer needs the list in a certain format, ask them before the appointment and tell us when you book. We will tell you up front whether we can match it.
You do not have to sell to get a written appraisal, and you do not have to sell everything to sell something. Many families keep a few coins with meaning, like a parent's birth-year dollar, and sell the rest. Others keep the list on file while the estate settles and call us back when ready.
Settling a coin collection as part of a Dallas estate
In Dallas, the coins usually surface during the clean-out, after the funeral and before the house goes on the market. A son flies into Love Field for a long week and opens a closet in his mother's Lake Highlands ranch house. A daughter in Kessler Park finds her father's gun safe holds more silver than rifles. A grandson clearing an M Streets bungalow pulls a dozen blue folders of pennies from under the bed. Nobody planned for it, and that is fine.
Estate sales are a weekend ritual across this city, from Preston Hollow to Lakewood, and they move fast. If you hire an estate sale company, pull the coins, bills and bullion out before the crew starts pricing. Coin jars marked at face value and albums sold for a few dollars are common sights at those sales, and the family rarely learns what went out the door.
If the estate goes through a Dallas County probate court, the executor or administrator named by the court is usually the person who should sign for a sale. Bring your letters testamentary or other estate papers if you have them, and ask your attorney what they need from us. When there is no probate, families often agree among themselves who will handle it. Either way, the person selling shows a driver's license or state ID, which Texas law requires us to record.
Many Dallas families have heirs spread across the country. Since appointments run Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, try to book one while out-of-town siblings are in for the week. If that will not work, one person can come in, and the written list goes out to everyone else by email the same day.
Some estates are simply too heavy to load into a car: a floor safe in a North Dallas home, a closet of bullion, years of rolls stacked in a garage. For those, call (469) 754-8608 and ask about a home appointment. We call back the same business day.
What Dallas sellers say
125 five-star Google reviews and a perfect 5.0 average.
“Solid valuations and super easy to work with. They know the key dates for collectibles and take the time to go through each coin and banknote. 5 stars.”
“This place is trustworthy and fair. They took the time to evaluate my coins, gave me a great price, and made the whole experience comfortable. I’m very happy with what I received and will be coming back again.”
“Honestly such a smooth experience. They were super helpful and didn’t try to lowball me. You can tell they know their stuff and actually care. I was in and out quick and left feeling good about what I got. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area.”
Common questions
We just found Dad's coins. Should we sort them before calling?
No. Keep them just as you found them, in their original rolls, folders and envelopes. Sorting can mix up groups and separate coins from notes that help us. That is our job, and we do it with you watching.
Who needs to come to the appointment?
The person with authority to sell, usually the executor or the heir who owns the coins, should come with a driver's license or state ID. Other family members are welcome to sit in and ask questions.
Do we need letters testamentary to sell?
If the estate is in probate, the executor or administrator usually handles the sale, and bringing the letters helps. If there is no probate, ask your attorney what fits your situation. We are glad to give a written appraisal while that gets sorted out.
Can you give us a written appraisal for probate or insurance?
Yes. We prepare written item-by-item appraisals for probate, insurance and dividing an estate among heirs. Tell us what you need it for when you book.
Do we have to sell the whole collection?
No. Each coin or group has its own line on the written offer. Keep what means something to the family and sell the rest, or sell nothing at all.
Most of it looks like old pocket change. Is it worth bringing in?
Usually, yes. Jars of change from older homes often hold pre-1965 silver dimes, quarters and halves mixed in with modern coins. We pull the silver out and tell you which part is face value.
Can you come to the house?
For larger estates, safes and heavy collections, yes. Call (469) 754-8608 to set up a home appointment, and we will talk through what is there before the visit.
Find out what your coins are worth
Free appraisal. Clear offer. Your call.
By appointment, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Rated 5.0 from 125 Google reviews.
Call (469) 754-8608Get a free offer
Three quick questions. We call you back to set a time.