Coin value checker
Coin value from a photo: what is your coin worth?
The coin value check reads the type, the date and the mint mark the photo shows, estimates what coins like yours sold for recently, and says whether to keep it, sell it or have it graded.
What the coin value report shows
Country, denomination, type and date, and the mint mark when the photo shows it, with a likely condition band.
An estimate from recent sold prices of that date, mint mark and condition.
One plain verdict, with the reason in a sentence.
- Common
- Semi-key
- Key date
- Error coin
Hold it, list it for sale or send it for grading, with the kind of place that does each.
Optionally, add the coin to a simple list of your coins and their estimates.
Your turn
Check a coin value from one photo
Start with the side that shows the date. Daylight and a plain dark background are all it takes.
Method
How the coin value check works
- 01
Capture the date side
Lay the coin flat on a dark cloth in daylight and take one photo, the date sharp, and the mint mark if it is on the same side. Your phone camera is enough.
- 02
Identify the exact coin
The check reads the country, the denomination, the type, the date and the mint mark when the photo shows it, and notes the details that set a variety or an error apart.
- 03
Estimate the value
It finds recent sales of the same date, and the same mint mark when the photo shows it, in the same condition band and gives an estimate from them.
- 04
Read the verdict and decide
Common, semi-key, key date or error coin, with the reason. Then hold it, list it or send it for grading, and add it to your collection list.
Photos
How to photograph a coin for a value check
Handle the coin as little as you can, and photograph it as it is: the check works from what the photo shows, and nothing it hides.
Do
Use daylight
Near a window, out of direct sun: daylight shows the true colour and the wear.
Lay it on a dark cloth
A plain, dark background keeps the edge sharp and the coin in focus.
Fill the frame
The coin should fill most of the photo, with the date readable, and the mint mark if it is on the same side.
Hold it by the edge
Between thumb and finger, over a soft towel, so you do not touch either face.
Don't
Never clean it
Cleaning generally lowers a coin's value by removing its patina.
No flash
Flash hides the details and changes the colour.
No glare from plastic
A soft flip adds glare. Take a loose coin out over a towel; leave a sealed grading holder closed.
No hand in the shot
Fingers cast shadows and hide the rim, where wear and damage show.
Source: Wikipedia (Coin cleaning)
Reference
What decides a coin value
The same date can be pocket change or a collector's coin. These are the details that set a value, and the ones the check looks for in your photo.
- Date and mint mark
A mint mark is a letter or symbol that names the mint that struck the coin. Some dates were struck in small numbers at one mint, and collectors look for them.
- Condition
The grade of a coin, from wear and strike to surface and luster, is one of the key factors in its collectible value. The modern scale runs from 1 to 70.
- Errors and varieties
A coin struck wrong at the mint, such as a doubled die or a coin on the wrong metal, can make a common date sought after. Error coins are checked by the details the photo shows.
- Metal content
Silver and gold coins carry the value of their metal too. A bullion coin is bought for the metal; a collector coin for its date, mint and grade.
- Originality
Cleaning generally lowers a coin's value: it removes the patina, the surface collectors value. Photograph a coin as it is.
- Demand
What collectors want right now. Coins that trade often have more recent sales to compare; rare ones have fewer, and their prices vary more.
Source: Wikipedia (Mint mark; Coin grading; Coin cleaning); NGC US Coin Price Guide, as of
Reference
1943 penny worth: steel, copper or plated?
Almost every 1943 cent is steel. A magnet and a close look at the date sort most of them; what they cannot sort needs an expert.
- 1943 steel cent
- Low-grade steel coated with zinc, struck at Philadelphia, Denver (D) and San Francisco (S). It sticks to a magnet: the common 1943 cent.
- 1943 copper cent
- A rare error: copper blanks left in the presses at the changeover. A genuine one does not stick to a magnet and weighs about 3.11 g against 2.70 g.
- Copper-plated 1943 cent
- Looks copper but sticks strongly to a magnet: a plated steel cent, made as a novelty or to deceive.
- Altered date
- Usually a 1945, 1948 or 1949 cent with its date changed to read 1943. The 3 of a genuine 1943 cent has a long tail.
- 1944 steel cent
- The reverse case: a few 1944 cents struck on steel blanks left over from 1943. They are fewer than the 1943 copper cents.
- Rust at the edge
- Punching the blanks cut through the zinc, so the edge of a steel cent was left bare and rusts easily.
Source: Wikipedia (1943 steel cent), as of
Reference
US wheat penny value: the dates collectors look for
Wheat cents were struck from 1909 to 1958, with two stalks of wheat on the back. Read the date, then look below it for a mint mark: none is Philadelphia, D is Denver, S is San Francisco.
| Date and mint | What to look for | Why collectors want it |
|---|---|---|
| 1909-S VDB | An S below the date, and the initials VDB at the base of the back | The rarest Lincoln cent by date and mint mark: 484,000 were released |
| 1922 with no D | A 1922 cent with no mint mark, or a very faint one | Denver struck it with a worn die, and its mint mark filled with oil and dirt |
| 1943 bronze | A copper-coloured 1943 cent that a magnet does not pick up | Struck on copper blanks by mistake; plated and altered fakes exist |
| 1944 steel | A silver-grey 1944 cent that sticks to a magnet | Struck on steel blanks left over from 1943 |
| 1955 doubled die | Doubling on the date | Several thousand were struck with a doubled die and released |
- Date and mint
- 1909-S VDB
- An S below the date, and the initials VDB at the base of the back
- The rarest Lincoln cent by date and mint mark: 484,000 were released
- Date and mint
- 1922 with no D
- A 1922 cent with no mint mark, or a very faint one
- Denver struck it with a worn die, and its mint mark filled with oil and dirt
- Date and mint
- 1943 bronze
- A copper-coloured 1943 cent that a magnet does not pick up
- Struck on copper blanks by mistake; plated and altered fakes exist
- Date and mint
- 1944 steel
- A silver-grey 1944 cent that sticks to a magnet
- Struck on steel blanks left over from 1943
- Date and mint
- 1955 doubled die
- Doubling on the date
- Several thousand were struck with a doubled die and released
Source: Wikipedia (Lincoln cent; 1943 steel cent), as of
Reference
Quarter value: the 1965 quarter and the 1977 quarter with no mint mark
The date and the mint mark say which Washington quarters deserve a closer look, and how to read them.
- Dated 1964 or earlier
Silver. The Coinage Act of 1965 took silver out of the circulating dime and quarter.
- 1965 to 1967
Clad: layers of copper-nickel on a core of pure copper. These quarters carry no mint mark, whichever mint struck them.
- 1968 to 1979
Denver quarters carry a D, to the right of Washington's neck. Philadelphia quarters carry none, and so do the West Point quarters of 1977 to 1979.
- A 1977 quarter with no mint mark
The normal Philadelphia or West Point coin, not an error. Condition and real mint errors are what set one apart.
- From 1980
Philadelphia quarters carry a P.
- 1776-1976
The Bicentennial quarters carry the double date with a drummer on the back. There are no 1975-dated quarters.
Source: Wikipedia (Washington quarter; Coinage Act of 1965), as of
Reference
Bison nickel value: a Buffalo nickel or a 2005 nickel?
Two different nickels show a bison. The date tells you which one you have.
1913 to 1938, designed by the sculptor James Earle Fraser; also called the Indian Head nickel
75% copper and 25% nickel
The date wore away easily in circulation, and many Buffalo nickels have none left
Type 1 shows the bison on a mound; Type 2 puts it on flat ground with a larger FIVE CENTS
A Denver pressman removed or weakened one leg while cleaning a die, and thousands were struck before it was stopped
An S mint mark repunched with a D: the first repunched mint mark of any US coin to be found
A Jefferson nickel: for the first half of 2005 its back showed an American bison, for the Lewis and Clark bicentennial
Source: Wikipedia (Buffalo nickel; Westward Journey nickel series), as of
Reference
Morgan silver dollar value and the 1921 silver dollar
Two silver dollar designs carry the date 1921. The year, the mint mark and the condition decide which questions to ask next.
Struck 1878 to 1904 and in 1921, and again from 2021 as a collectible; named after its designer, George T. Morgan
The classic coins of 1878 to 1921: 90% silver and 10% copper, 38.1 mm across
On the back, above the D and O of DOLLAR: none is Philadelphia, CC Carson City, S San Francisco, O New Orleans, D Denver
Only a small share of Morgan dollars came from Carson City, and collectors pay a premium for them
Struck for one year under the Pittman Act, and the only year Denver struck Morgan dollars until the modern issues of 2021
First struck on December 28, 1921, with a bald eagle at rest and the word PEACE; just over a million carry the date 1921
Struck for circulation 1921 to 1928 and 1934 to 1935: the last circulating US dollar in 90% silver
Source: Wikipedia (Morgan dollar; Peace dollar), as of
Scope
What a coin value check can and cannot tell from a photo
A photo can show
- Its type and date, the mint mark when the photo shows it, and the variety or error the photo shows
- A likely condition band, from the wear and details the photo shows
- A value estimate from recent sales of coins like it
- Whether it is common, semi-key, a key date or an error coin
- Whether to hold it, sell it or send it for grading
Only an expert with it in hand can tell
- Whether a valuable coin is genuine
- Its exact grade, which a grading service sets in hand
- Its weight and its exact metal content
- Anything that only the other side shows
Many searchers already know what their coin is called. The check starts there and adds what it is worth and what to do with it.
Next
After the coin value check: keep, sell or grade
- 01
Compare sold prices, not asking prices
What coins like yours sold for says more than what sellers ask. A price guide such as NGC's lists the average dealer retail prices of certified coins, by grade.
NGC price guide - 02
Grade a key date before you sell
Certification services grade, authenticate and seal coins in clear holders for a fee. For a key date or an error, that is the step before a sale.
NGC grading scale - 03
Ask a coin dealer or a club
For a coin worth a closer look, get a second opinion in hand: find a local coin club or dealer who can look at both sides and the edge.
- 04
Keep it as it is
Do not clean or polish it. Store it dry, in a holder, and handle it by the edge.
Free to try: no app store download, no trial
The coin value check runs in your browser, on Android, iPhone or a computer, with your camera or a photo you already took. Trying the form asks for no card, no account and no trial, so there is nothing to cancel.
Limits
What a coin value estimate cannot promise
Values are estimates from recent sales, not an offer or an appraisal. A photo cannot prove a coin is genuine: have a valuable coin graded before you sell it.
FAQ
Coin value questions, frequently asked
How much is a 1943 penny worth?
It depends on the metal first. A steel 1943 cent, the one that sticks to a magnet, is the common one. A 1943 cent struck in copper is a rare error, and plated and altered fakes of it exist. The check reads the date, the mint mark and the condition and estimates a value from recent sales.
Is a 1943 steel penny worth anything if it sticks to a magnet?
Sticking to a magnet means it is the regular steel cent, struck at all three mints. What sets one apart is its condition and its mint mark below the date; the check reads both and estimates its value from recent sales.
What is the value of a 1977 quarter with no mint mark?
No mint mark on a 1977 quarter is normal: Philadelphia, and the West Point quarters of 1977 to 1979, carried none. Condition and true mint errors are what can lift one above face value. The check reads both from the photo.
What is my bison nickel value?
First see which nickel it is. A Buffalo nickel is dated 1913 to 1938; some 2005 Jefferson nickels, those of the first half of the year, also show a bison on the back. The check names the type and reads the date, or the mint mark if you photograph the back (on a Buffalo nickel it sits under FIVE CENTS), and estimates a value from recent sales of the same date and condition.
What if my Buffalo nickel doesn't have a date?
Many Buffalo nickels have lost their date to wear. Without it the year and any key date cannot be read, so the check says so plainly and gives what it can still read, such as the type.
How much is a 1965 quarter worth, and what sets its price?
A 1965 quarter is clad, not silver: the Coinage Act of 1965 took the silver out. Its condition and any mint error set its price above face value. The check reads both.
How do I check my silver dollar value?
Photograph the side with the date. One photo shows one side: on Morgan and Peace dollars the date is on the front and the mint mark on the back. The check names the design (Morgan, Peace or a later dollar), reads the date or the mint mark the photo shows, and estimates the value from recent sales of that date in that condition. Its silver content is part of the answer.
What is the price of a 1921 silver dollar, Morgan or Peace?
Both designs carry 1921. The Morgan dollar was struck again that year, and the Peace dollar began on December 28. The check tells them apart and reads the date, and estimates the price from recent sales of that design and date. The mint mark is on the back, so a photo of the date side does not show it.
What makes a wheat penny valuable?
A scarce date and mint mark, such as the 1909-S VDB, a known error such as the 1955 doubled die, and little wear. The check says which kind you have.
Can it check a Roman coin value, or other ancient and foreign coins?
Yes, it reads ancient and world coins as well as modern American ones: the ruler or country, the denomination and the date where the coin shows them. For a rare one, where few sales are recorded, the report says so and points you to a specialist.
How much is my coin worth after I identify it from a photo?
That is the step the check is for. It starts from the identification and gives a value estimate from recent sales of the same coin in the same condition, a rarity verdict and what to do next.
How is the estimated value calculated?
The valuation comes from recent sold prices of coins with the same date, mint mark and condition band, not from asking prices.
How far can I trust a value estimate from a photo?
As a starting point. A photo shows the date, the mint mark when it is on the same side, and the wear, but not the weight, the metal or every flaw. For a key date or an error coin, the report says to have it graded before you rely on the value.
Is this coin value checker free, or will I be pushed into a subscription?
Trying the form is free: no card, no account and no trial, so there is nothing to cancel.
Can I check coin grading online for free?
The check gives a likely condition band from your photo, free to try. An exact grade on the 1 to 70 scale comes from a grading service that has the coin in hand.
Who will buy my coins once I know their value?
A coin dealer, an auction or an online marketplace, depending on the coin: the report says which kind of buyer fits.
Should I clean my coin before I check it?
No. Cleaning generally lowers a coin's value because it removes the patina collectors value. Photograph it as it is.
Can I keep a list of my coin collection?
You can add each coin you check to a simple collection list, with its date, mint mark and estimate, so a jar of inherited coins becomes one list.
Does it work on modern coins and commemorative silver dollars?
Yes. Modern coins, commemoratives and bullion coins are read by their design, date and mint mark, so a modern Morgan dollar from 2021 on is told apart from one struck before 1922.
Sorting a jar of old coins?
Start with the dates and the mint marks. The coin value check says which coins are common change and which deserve a closer look.