how can I get top dollar for my foreign coin collection???...

Hi everybody my first post on this site, great site, good to be here. My name is Kasey Ive been doing some research lately and considering selling my coin collection but not sure how to go about selling it if I do. "most the coins are foreign from all around the world not old or rare just have alot of them from all over, also jars of wheat pennys. I have a 20 gallon container full of coins from all over the world. I figured if I had a 20 gallon container full of American coins and cashed them in at my local bank Id have a good amount of money but these are foreign coins from all over the world so theyve got to be worth something to somebody right?...Got to be worth much more in wieght than American coins to collecters at least right?...question is how would I go about getting top dollar for these coins, I know I would make much more selling them individually but there are too many coins for that I would be here all day so maybe I would be better off selling them in greater numbers?...I dont know how to go about selling these coins I was hoping my fellow coin collectors could shine some light on this and help me find ways to get top dollar. Any info or tips are greatly apreciated, thanks in advance...Kasey

 

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Welcome to the forum. Other than ebay I can't think of anywhere you can sell foreign coins. I have a collection of foreign but the only ones I've ever made any money off of were the silver coins. That said, the silver content has to be high enough for collectors to care and pay money for. I collect foreign because I like the art and history, it's certainly not for the money. Maybe someone else will come up with an idea for you.

 

I also enjoy World Coins because of their history and some are very unique looking. I hate to hear other coin collectors comment how they don't like foreign coins because there is know value. Some foreign coins are very valuable. I also like them because how else are you to get foreign coins unless you travel or know someone traveling outside the US or buy them. Today, I posted a question regarding a 1816 5 Zlotych from Poland. Very nice silver coin.

Steve

 

there is a lot of value in some world coins, especially 18th and 19th century, they should never be dismissed as junk and by terming them as foreign are you also referring to UK coins? of which some are extremely valuable.

 

my advice to you would be to do your research. search through what you have as there may be coins of some value especally silver and then any thing else maby sell off in, for example, 2 pound bags like a lot of others on ebay.

 

you could find some real hidden gems, last week a search through a pile of "junk" at a flea market and turned up an ottoman empire gold coin. as calum has already said search through them first before deciding what to do with them.

it's a pity that you don't live in north west england, i am sure calum and i would certainly help you sort them.

 

i certanly would. i love world coins and have quite a lot. it can be very interesting to own coins from other cultures that are s different from your own

 

as a collector you can easily broaden your horizons, i specialize in UK and german states, but i always find time for world coins new or old. the thrill of the the chance of finding a rarity is part and parcel of the hobby.

last week i paid £1,785 for an edward VII proof set, but i still got as much pleasure in finding a netherlands 1943 2 1/2 cent coin in zinc for 10p because it completed my collection of wartime occupation coinage from europe.

 

You might try consigning to Bowers and Merena. A couple of years ago they merged with a very large world coin auction house and they run some very successful world coin auctions.

 

wow ...20 gallons that must weigh alot !!!!! acing:

i would think ebay would be the best bet. Maybe you could sort them out by different countries but that would take alot of time and see what you have. Some collectors like certain countries coins. Like myself i like to collect Philippine coins.

i love this link below of foreign coins made by the US Mint. Some foreign coins made by the US mint have their mint mark on them. Example - 1942 S Fiji penny plus it shows what the coin is made of.

http://www.minterrornews.com/news-1-10-06-foreign_coinage_production_figures.html

 

I agree with GDJMSP here.
I was gonna say to post a list of some of the older ones. I know there's a lot and it would take some time but going through a collection like that without risking a bad deal requires it.

 

that's it them calum and i will now go on a crusade to get the US switched on to collecting world coins......have a look guys and girls, you might like it.

 

In my opinion, if they are just bulk common foreign coins, sell them by the pound on eBay. (Unless you have ALOT of time on your hands.)

 

While several have pointed out the possibility of the group containing valuable coins, the opposite is also true. Not old and not rare foreign can easily be worth less than the cost of postage. While it is true that a coin might be worth over a dollar face in its land, most currency traders only do paper and a service charge often eats up even the value of exchanging a few dollars worth of major currencies. Since there are millions of variations of foreign coins and many are boring, it is not correct to say they have to be worth more than the same weight to collectors. I know a local dealer that has a pick out pot where any coin is 25 cents to adults (kids get to take a handful free just for visiting). I've seen half Euro coins in that pot but to go somewhere to spend it would eat up the profit.

Here is the tough love part: If your time is too valuable to sort and identify them why would someone else worth for free? You will be paying someone to take them off your hands hopefully paying a fair price for the coins minus a fair price for their expert services. Unless your coins were bought fifty+ years ago or come only from premium countries, you should be offered a per-pound price. No one really wants a ton of aluminum coins from failed governments of the 1990's. You might do better donating them to a scout troop and taking a deduction for the face value. Just be careful not to claim more than they are really 'worth'.

 

This has been an interesting post with some good advice and great opinions. I'm only posting here because I can identify with the OP about having a lot of foreign or world coins/currency that I have been collecting since I was a kid some 40 years ago. It's what actually got me started collecting in the first place, albeit the common US coin books we filled back in the day. Back then you could get a lot of world coins for little cost, and I found such beauty and differences (both technically and artistically) compared to our US coinage.

Anyway, I have no interest in getting rid of any of it (save some odd rare big $$ find) but wanted to mention that I have been told as well over the years that many world currencies when made obsolete by that country have little to no value, and in fact cost more to ship than they are worth.

I'm sure you may have a few 'gems' in your collection, but based on the experience and advice I've been reading from these folks here, looks like you have basically two choices:

-First: (if time permits) Go through them and categorize them, look for any gems. Obviously there is a wealth of knowledge here to help us/you.

-Second: Sell them in bulk packs on ebay or a local coin show, CL etc.. Maybe you'll come out ok $$ wise, maybe not.

If I wasn't over loaded with my own collection of world stuff, I'd be interested, but currently I'm just trying to take the time to see what I've got in both world and US coins and paper from the last 40 years..

Good luck what ever you decide!

 

For what I know (France) no dealer would even consider buying bulks of foreign coins. They assume the guy (gal) selling them has previously picked the valuable ones, thus they won't spend money on them. If they get them for free they will of course try selling them "out of the box".

It's a pity as many of them are very nice and enjoyable (I have 1200+ foreign coins as I got into the hobby through them 45 years ago) but must admit I didn't pay for most of them (except for say a dozen) and should I get rid of them, wouldn't expect to get a lot for the whole...

Q

 

That's an interesting list. I got down to the Philippines listings and had to shake my head though.

The Philippines were part of the US from 1898-1945. The US mints didn't mint coins for another country when they were minting in that time. One of the things that annoys me most is when I ask dealers if they have any US Philippine coins and they respond with "No, I don't have any foreign stuff."

US Philippines coins are not foreign coins any more than Morgan Dollars minted in the New Orleans mint in 1861 (or in 1879) are foreign coins.

 

It will take some work but separate and catalog your coins basically see what you
Have then if you dont know what they are take some pics and let us give you
A hand in helping you identify them

 

+1 :thumb:

I collect world coins, and I am constantly looking at all the world coin auctions on places like ebay, and I agree, an overwhelming number of world coins that I see on a daily basis are worth very little. The value is 100% dependent on the actual coins you have. Someone could have 100,000 different world coins in a bucket, but if it's just a common, modern pocket change graveyard, there's not much money to be made there.