
Never Clean Your Coins: Why Cleaning Destroys Value and What to Do Instead
Quick answer No. Do not clean your old coins. Cleaning removes original mint luster, creates microscopic hairlines that professional graders detect everyβ¦
Read guide βΊEvery coin has two values: the metal it contains and what a collector will pay for it. For most bullion coins those numbers sit close together; for the right date, mintmark or grade they can be worlds apart. Knowing which side of that line your coins fall on is the difference between a fair sale and an expensive mistake, and it is the first thing a good coin dealer checks.
These guides cover the major bullion coins, grading and third party certification, and how to tell whether a coin is worth more than its melt value. Begin with is your coin worth more than melt, and use the gold and silver value calculators for the metal floor. To buy, sell or get an opinion in person, the coin dealer directory lists shops near you ranked by verified customer reviews.

Quick answer No. Do not clean your old coins. Cleaning removes original mint luster, creates microscopic hairlines that professional graders detect everyβ¦
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Quick answer On bullion, negotiating room is thin. On numismatic and mixed lots, the first offer usually leaves real money on theβ¦
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β Quick Answer A silver monster box holds 500 troy-ounce coins in mint-sealed tubes, and buying at that scale typically lowers yourβ¦
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Quick answer Walk in knowing today’s spot price, expect a buy/sell spread, and treat your first visit as a research trip Localβ¦
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Quick answer The $50 face value is a legal formality, not a spending suggestion Congress assigned the American Gold Eagle a $50β¦
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Quick answer Junk silver is pre-1965 US 90% silver coins priced near melt value Junk silver means circulated US dimes, quarters, andβ¦
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Quick answer Melting pennies and nickels is a federal crime. Pre-1965 silver coins and gold coins are legal to melt. A 2006β¦
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Quick answer The US Mint sells collector coins to the public, not investment bullion Usmint.gov is open to individual buyers and sellsβ¦
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Quick answer Coin shows reward the prepared buyer and the patient seller. A coin show puts dozens of dealers under one roof,β¦
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Quick answer Coin roll hunting lets you search bank rolls for 90% silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars at face value, returningβ¦
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Quick answer The Sheldon scale runs from 1 (nearly destroyed) to 70 (flawless). For bullion investors, the only zone that usually mattersβ¦
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β‘ Quick answer US coins stopped being silver because rising silver prices made the metal in the coins worth more than theirβ¦
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Quick answer Grading adds real value on scarce numismatic coins. On modern bullion, the premium rarely survives resale. Third-party grading by PCGSβ¦
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β Quick Answer Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters, and halves hold 0.715 troy oz of silver per dollar of face value Every dime,β¦
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Quick answer Both coins contain real silver, but refiners charge more to process lower-purity alloys, so expect dealer bids 5 to 15β¦
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Quick answer Both coins are .9995 fine platinum and IRA eligible; the American Eagle trades at a higher premium, the Maple Leafβ¦
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β Quick Answer The Krugerrand is a 22 karat gold coin holding exactly one troy ounce of pure gold, first minted inβ¦
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Quick answer Mexico has two distinct gold coin families. The historic peso series (1905 to 1947, ninety percent fine) trades on goldβ¦
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Quick answer The Canadian Maple Leaf is the Royal Canadian Mint’s flagship bullion coin in .9999 fine gold and silver, with legal-tenderβ¦
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Quick Answer How coin shops grow their customer base The coin shops that attract the most buyers and sellers share six habits:β¦
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?Quick answer Maybe. Melt is only the floor. Rarity, date, mint mark, and condition can push a coin well above the metalβ¦
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Quick answer: As of 2026, the IRS approves roughly 60+ specific coin products for self-directed precious metals IRAs under IRC §408(m)(3). Theβ¦
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A numismatic premium is the price you pay above a coin’s melt value based on its collectible, historical, or rarity appeal. Forβ¦
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Both the American Gold Eagle and the American Gold Buffalo qualify for self-directed IRAs under federal law. This guide compares them directlyβ¦
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