Sell Rare & Key-Date Coins in Northwest Arkansas
A rare coin is about the right date, the right mint and the right condition. We look at all three with you and give you a clear answer, whatever it turns out to be.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
- Gold and silver weighed where you can see it
- Bring a photo ID
- No obligation to sell
- By appointment, with time set aside for you
Who this page is for
Anyone who suspects a coin is worth more than its face value or its metal.
- You think a coin might be a key date or carry a scarce mint letter.
- You own coins in PCGS or NGC holders and want to know where they stand.
- You built a collection over the years. Our coin collection page covers keeping albums and sets together.
- You hope an old coin is rare and would like a plain answer either way.
What makes a key date
In any coin series, the key date is the year and mint that is hardest to find. The 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent and the 1916-D Mercury dime are two well-known examples.
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Few were struck
Some mints made only a small run of a coin in a given year, while others made millions of the same design.
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Few survived
Many coins were melted, lost or worn smooth. A large mintage can still leave few good examples today.
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Varieties and errors
A doubled die shows doubling in the date or lettering that came from the die itself. Overdates and other varieties draw their own collectors.
Famous dates attract fakes
Key dates are the coins most often counterfeited or altered, for instance by adding a mint letter to a common coin. Every one gets a careful look before any offer.
Mint letters
Same date, different mint, different story. A tiny letter can separate a common coin from a scarce one.
- Where to look varies. Lincoln cents carry the letter under the date. Mercury dimes carry it on the reverse, beside the base of the bundle of rods.
- No letter at all usually points to Philadelphia on older U.S. coins.
- Letters you may see on older U.S. coins include D for Denver, S for San Francisco, O for New Orleans and CC for Carson City.
- A loupe helps. Letters can be worn, filled in or, on altered coins, added later.
Think you have a scarce date?
Call or send a request to arrange a time. Please keep the coin in whatever holder it is in now, and we will look at it with you.
Condition, and why cleaning hurts
Collectors grade coins on a scale from 1 to 70. Near the top of that scale, one step can matter a great deal.
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Wear
Friction first flattens the highest points of the design, such as hair, cheek and feathers.
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Luster
The original frosty shine a coin left the mint with. Once rubbed away, it never returns.
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Marks
Nicks, rim dings and scratches, especially in open areas where the eye lands first.
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Eye appeal
Even toning and a clean strike can lift a coin above others with the same grade.
Cleaning cannot be undone
Scrubbing, dipping or polishing strips the original surface and leaves fine hairlines. Buyers and the major grading services spot it, and those services note it on the holder.
How we evaluate a possible rare coin
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Identify the item and its marks
We start with what each coin is: its series, date and mint letter, and any holder it sits in.
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Gold and silver weighed where you can see it
Gold and silver are weighed where you can see it.
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Judge collector value against metal value
Condition, date and mint letter can make a coin worth more than its metal. We tell you which coins that applies to.
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Explain the offer, then you decide
We explain how we arrived at the offer. You can accept it, decline it, or sell only part of what you have.
Graded coins in PCGS or NGC holders
PCGS and NGC are the two major U.S. grading services. Their sealed holders show the grade and a certification number.
- Graded coins are welcome. Please keep them sealed.
- Please do not open a holder to show us the coin.
- Raw coins and coins from other services are welcome too.
Most old coins are not rare, and we will say so plainly
Age alone rarely makes a coin valuable. Plenty of coins from a century ago were made by the millions.
If yours is common, we will tell you so, along with what it is worth to us.
Bringing a rare coin to your appointment
The four steps from first contact to an answer. You are welcome to bring someone with you for a second opinion.
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Get in touch
Request an evaluation with the form or call us. Form requests are returned by phone during business hours.
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Choose a weekday time
We meet sellers by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.
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Bring the coin untouched
Please bring it in its flip, album or slab, and have your photo ID with you.
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A plain answer, then your choice
We study the date, mint letter and surfaces with you and explain what we see. The offer is yours to accept or decline, coin by coin.
Where to bring rare coins in Northwest Arkansas
Our shop is in Lowell, along I-49. Drive times are estimates without traffic.
Collectors in Rogers are about 12 minutes from the shop, and those in Fayetteville about 25 minutes; each city page maps out the drive. Nearby towns beyond those two appear on our service area page.
Every other kind of coin is on our sell coins page. For scarce gold and silver pieces, our guides to selling gold and selling silver set collector value beside metal value.
Rare coin questions
How do I know whether my coin is a key date?
Compare its date and mint letter with a guide book for that series, or ask us to look at it. We check the date, the mint letter and any sign of alteration together with you.
Is my coin rare because it is old?
Usually not. Many coins over a century old were struck in huge numbers and survive in quantity. Scarcity and condition matter far more than age.
Should I send my coin to PCGS or NGC before selling?
Not necessarily. Grading costs money and takes time, and it only makes sense for certain coins. Let us look first, and we will tell you whether we think grading is worth it.
Would polishing help my coin?
No. Even gentle polishing leaves hairline scratches and strips the original luster. Collectors pay less for cleaned coins, and the damage is permanent.
Can anyone check the grade on a PCGS or NGC holder?
Yes. Each holder carries a certification number that can be looked up on the grading service's own website to confirm the coin and its grade.
Visit us in Lowell
- Address
- 107 S Lincoln St A, Lowell, AR 72745
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
- Where we meet
- At our Lowell shop, your home or a secure location such as your bank
- Bring
- A photo ID and the items you want us to look at
A purchase evaluation is not a formal written appraisal for insurance, probate or tax purposes.
Tell us about your items
If you would rather speak with us, please call (479) 250-1954. Or leave your name and number here, and we will call you during business hours to arrange a time.