How do I find out what an old coin is worth?
Short answer: an old coin's value comes from four things — what it is (country, denomination and series), its year, its mint mark and its condition (grade). Read those off the coin, then look up that exact coin and grade in a free public price guide such as the PCGS Price Guide or the NGC US Coin Price Guide, and compare with prices realized at auction. Silver coins are also worth at least their silver melt value. If the coin could be a key date or an error, have it authenticated by PCGS or NGC before you sell.
Sources: PCGS Price Guide, NGC Price Guide, NGC grading scale. Updated October 7, 2026.
Step 1: Identify the coin
Find the country, the denomination (cent, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar) and the design or series — for example a Lincoln wheat cent or a Morgan dollar. Price guides are organized this way: the NGC US Coin Price Guide is split into cents, nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, dollars, gold coins, commemoratives and more.
Step 2: Read the year and the mint mark
The year is usually on the front. The mint mark is a small letter showing where the coin was struck; on US coins it is often near the date or on the back, and many Philadelphia coins have no letter at all. The same year can be common from one mint and scarce from another, so the mint mark matters as much as the date. Two examples:
- Morgan dollars: the mark is on the back, below the wreath — where is the mint mark on a Morgan dollar?
- Wheat pennies: the mark is just below the date — are wheat pennies worth anything?
Use a 5x–10x magnifier and light from the side. If a digit or letter can't be read, don't guess — the value can depend on it.
Step 3: Judge the condition (grade)
Professional graders use the Sheldon scale from 1 to 70. NGC describes 60 and above as Uncirculated (MS, Mint State), the About Uncirculated, Extremely Fine, Very Fine, Fine and Good grades below that as increasing wear, and grade 1 as just enough detail to identify the date and type (NGC grading scale). Look at the highest points of the design — hair, cheek, feathers — and at the rims: sharp details and no wear mean a higher grade.
Don't clean the coin. Cleaning leaves hairline scratches and lowers a collectible coin's value; NGC notes that coins with surface problems may receive a "Details" grade instead of a numeric grade (NGC).
Step 4: Look up that exact coin in a public price guide
| Source | What it shows |
|---|---|
| PCGS Price Guide | Current and historic coin values, with price indexes and charts, updated daily. PCGS also publishes auction prices realized and CoinFacts reference pages. |
| NGC US Coin Price Guide | Average dealer retail prices for NGC-certified coins, based on documented transactions reported by collectors, dealers and auction houses. NGC also has world coin price guides and auction results. |
| NGC coin melt values | The silver melt value of US silver coins — the value of the metal alone. |
Match the year, the mint mark and the grade. A guide price is a reference point, not an offer: NGC says retail prices can vary between dealers, sometimes significantly, and that its guide is only one of many measures of value (NGC Price Guide). Prices realized at auction and completed sales of the same coin in a similar grade show what buyers actually paid.
Step 5: Melt value for silver coins
Many older US dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars contain silver, so even a common date is worth at least the value of its silver, which moves with the silver price; NGC notes that a coin's collector value may be higher than its melt value (NGC melt values). Copper cents are different: US rules prohibit melting one-cent and five-cent coins, with limited exceptions (31 CFR Part 82).
Step 6: Get a valuable coin authenticated
If the year and mint mark match a key date, a famous error or a rare variety, the coin is worth a closer look by an expert. Valuable coins are counterfeited, and mint marks and dates are sometimes altered (NGC counterfeit detection), so before you sell or buy one, have it authenticated and graded by PCGS or NGC, or shown to a reputable dealer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out what an old coin is worth?
Work out exactly which coin you have — country, denomination, year and mint mark — then judge its condition (its grade). Look up that exact coin and grade in a free public price guide such as the PCGS Price Guide or the NGC US Coin Price Guide, and compare it with prices realized at auction. For silver coins, the silver melt value is a useful floor. If it could be a key date or an error, have it authenticated and graded by PCGS or NGC before you sell.
Where can I look up coin values for free?
The PCGS Price Guide lists current and historic coin values, and the NGC US Coin Price Guide shows average dealer retail prices for NGC-certified coins. Both sites also publish auction prices realized, and NGC lists silver coin melt values.
Will I get the price guide value for my coin?
Not necessarily. NGC says its guide shows average dealer retail prices for NGC-certified coins, that retail prices can vary between dealers — sometimes significantly — and that the guide is only one of many measures of a coin's value (NGC Price Guide). What you are offered also depends on the buyer and on whether the coin is certified.
How does condition change a coin's value?
A lot. Coins are graded on the Sheldon scale from 1 to 70; NGC treats 60 and above as Uncirculated, and at the low end a grade-1 coin has just enough detail to identify its date and type (NGC grading scale). The same year and mint mark can be worth very different amounts at different grades.
Should I clean an old coin before having it valued?
No. Cleaning leaves hairline scratches that collectors and graders can see, and it lowers a collectible coin's value. NGC notes that coins with surface problems may not get a numeric grade and receive a "Details" grade instead (NGC).
When should I get a coin professionally graded?
When the year and mint mark match a known key date or error, or the coin could be worth much more than its face or melt value. Valuable coins are counterfeited and altered, so authentication by PCGS or NGC protects you as a buyer or seller (NGC counterfeit detection).
Can an app tell me what my coin is worth?
An app can identify the coin and point you to real price data. Honest Coin, a coin identifier app for iPhone coming soon to the App Store, reads the year, mint mark and series from photos, flags key dates and famous errors, shows the silver melt value, and links to eBay sold listings and the PCGS and NGC price guides for that exact coin — it does not guess a price.
Check your coin with Honest Coin
Honest Coin, a coin identifier app for iPhone, is coming soon to the App Store. Photograph both sides and it reads the year, mint mark and series, flags key dates and famous errors with a list of what to check, shows the silver melt value at the current silver price, and links to eBay sold listings and the PCGS and NGC price guides for that exact coin — no guessed prices. When a date or mint mark can't be read, it asks for a close-up instead of guessing.
Also read: Where is the mint mark on a Morgan dollar? · Are wheat pennies worth anything? · CoinSnap alternatives · Coin identifier app without a subscription trap · About Honest Coin
Honest Coin identifies coins from photos — it is not an appraisal, grade or authentication. See the disclaimer. Not affiliated with PCGS, NGC, eBay or the US Mint.