What we buy · Coins & Bullion
Two Completely Different Things in One Box
An inherited coin box usually contains bullion, which is worth its metal, and collectible coins, which are worth whatever a collector will pay.
Unhurried, itemized, and with a written record. Bring the co-executor, the attorney, or whoever else needs to see it.
2004
Buying precious metals in South Florida since
Itemized
Every item weighed and priced separately, in front of you
Written
A record the estate can put in the file
No pressure
Take the offer away. It will still be there
Sorting them is the entire task
Bullion is straightforward — weight, purity, the market on the day. Numismatic coins are not, and a rare date or a high grade can be worth many multiples of its metal. Selling a mixed box by weight is one of the more expensive mistakes an estate can make, and it happens regularly.
The sorting also protects the seller from a genuine information asymmetry. A mixed box weighed and bought at metal value transfers any numismatic premium to the buyer, silently. Sorting first is what makes the transaction one both sides can defend afterwards.
What we do first
- Separate bullion from anything potentially collectible.
- Flag dates, mint marks and grades that warrant a specialist look.
- Price bullion against the market on the day, openly.
- Leave collectible material for a numismatist where it warrants it.
- Never buy a mixed box by weight.
Why cleaning destroys value
A collectible coin's surface carries its history, and specialists can see cleaning immediately — in the flow of the luster, in fine scratches, in a brightness that does not match the wear. A cleaned coin is worth substantially less than the same coin untouched.
It is done with good intentions, usually by somebody who thinks they are presenting the collection well. It is the most common way an inherited collection loses money before it is even offered for sale.
How we handle it
- 01Sort the box before offering anything.
- 02Buy the bullion, transparently priced.
- 03Tell you which pieces should go to a numismatist.
- 04Provide a written itemized record of everything.
Do not clean coins, ever. Cleaning is visible to any specialist and it can substantially reduce the value of a collectible coin. It is the single most common way an inherited collection loses money before it is even offered for sale.
Said plainly
Where we stop
We are metals buyers, not numismatists. Where a coin's value is in its rarity rather than its metal, we will say so and you should take it to a specialist.
FAQ
Common questions
- Should we clean the coins?
- Never. Cleaning is visible to specialists and can substantially reduce value.
- Will you buy the whole box by weight?
- No. Mixed boxes get sorted first, always.
- How do we know if a coin is collectible?
- We flag candidates. Confirming value is a numismatist's work.
- Do you buy bullion coins?
- Yes, priced against the market on the day.
For executors
Authority to Sell
Being named in a will is not the same as being appointed, and selling before appointment can create a genuine problem.
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Records & Accounting
An executor accounts to beneficiaries and to the court. A receipt that says "assorted jewelry" is not an account.
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Beneficiaries
Most estate arguments about jewelry are not about money. They are about somebody finding out afterwards.
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Timing
Executors frequently feel pressure to resolve things quickly. On jewelry, very little of that pressure is real.
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The Irreversible Decisions
Almost everything in an estate can be reconsidered. These five cannot, so they deserve the extra minute.
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More what we buy
Gold Jewelry
Most inherited gold jewelry is worth its metal content. A meaningful minority is worth considerably more, and telling them apart is the whole job.
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Sterling Flatware & Hollowware
The canteen nobody wants and nobody wants to throw away. Usually worth real money as metal, occasionally worth more as a set.
Explore →
Watches
A watch is worth what the watch market says, which usually has nothing to do with the gold in the case.
Explore →
Next step
Run it both ways before you decide.
No credit check and no obligation. Tell us what you hold and what the money is for, and if selling is the better answer for your situation you will be told that first.