Beginner FAQ

No. 1964 was the last year of 90% silver quarters; from 1965 on they're copper-nickel clad. Look at the edge: a silver quarter has a solid silver-colored edge, while a clad quarter shows a copper stripe. A silver quarter also weighs 6.25 g versus 5.67 g for clad. (Rare exception: a handful of 1965 quarters were struck on leftover silver blanks and are worth thousands — the edge and a scale will tell you, but expect clad.)

No. Never. Cleaning permanently destroys the original surface and can cut a coin's value in half or worse, and graders spot it instantly. This applies to erasers, ketchup, vinegar, baking soda, polish, and 'gentle' rubbing with a cloth. A dirty original coin is always worth more than a cleaned one. If a coin is dirty, leave it dirty.

Honestly, most wheat cents (1909-1958) are worth 3 to 10 cents each — common dates were made by the hundreds of millions. The money is in specific date/mint combos: 1909-S VDB ($700+), 1914-D ($200+), 1922 no-D, 1931-S, and the 1943 copper and 1944 steel rarities. Check the date and mint mark under the date, look those up, and keep every wheatie regardless — they're always worth more than face value.

On Washington quarters from 1968 to today, it's on the obverse (front), just right of Washington's ponytail ribbon, near the date. From 1932-1964 it was on the reverse, below the eagle's wreath. No mark means Philadelphia before 1980; from 1980 on, Philadelphia quarters carry a P.

A 10x loupe handles almost everything: mint marks, doubling, wear, die cracks. 5x is comfortable for general viewing, and 16x is the practical ceiling for variety hunting. Skip the 30x-60x loupes and cheap microscopes at first — the field of view is so tiny that everything looks dramatic and beginners see 'errors' that aren't there.

Probably not, and here's the honest test: valuable doubled dies show doubling that is raised, rounded, and notched, like two complete letters overlapping. If the doubling looks flat and shelf-like, as if the letter was smeared sideways, that's machine doubling — extremely common and worth nothing extra. Compare your coin to photos of the known doubled die for that exact date; real doubled dies always double the same spots.

Check the date and the edge. US dimes, quarters, and halves dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver; 1965-1970 half dollars are 40% silver; war nickels (1942-1945 with a large mint mark over Monticello) are 35% silver. A silver coin's edge is solid silver-white with no copper stripe, it rings with a high 'ping' when balanced and tapped, and it weighs slightly more than its clad version. When in doubt, weigh it.

Circulated ones, almost never more than face value — billions were made and they're neither silver nor scarce. The exceptions are specific varieties and errors: the 1972 doubled die cent, 1982 no-P Roosevelt dime, 1983 doubled die reverse cent, and similar. So spend the ordinary ones, but it's still worth a quick scan for those specific varieties before you do.

Know what you have before you sell — that's your whole protection. Identify and roughly value your coins first (this app, plus a price guide), then get offers. Dealers legitimately pay below retail (often 50-80% depending on the item) because they need margin to resell; that's normal, not a scam. For common silver, compare offers against the day's melt value. For anything rare, get it certified first and consider a major auction house or eBay. Never sell an inherited collection in one unsorted lot on the first offer.

Usually it just means Philadelphia, which struck coins without a mint mark for most of US history (and still does on cents). A missing mint mark only matters when that coin should have one: the 1922 'No D' cent and the 1982 no-P dime are famous examples worth real money. Check whether your date and denomination normally has a mark before getting excited — this app's coin pages tell you.