If you want to sell part or all of your rare coin collection, you’ll naturally want to get the maximum value. Finding the best place to sell rare coins can go a long way toward pocketing what you believe your coins are worth.
You have several options, depending on the value of your coins and the time you want to spend selling them. With that in mind, here’s a look at the six best places to sell rare coins.
- 6 Best Places to Sell Rare Coins
- 1. APMEX
- 2. Heritage Auctions
- See All 9 Items
6 Best Places to Sell Rare Coins
Coin collecting is considered one of the world’s oldest hobbies. The fascination with rare and old coins as history and art dates back at least to the first century A.D.
Whether they consider themselves collectors or investors, many who maintain collections look to sell coins at some point. Here are six potential avenues to help you find the best place to sell rare coins.
1. APMEX
APMEX is one of the world’s largest buyers and sellers of precious metals and rare coins. The company has been in business for over 20 years and has a numismatic staff with more than 60 years of combined experience, making it one of the most established coin dealers in the industry.
The company provides a streamlined selling process through its APMEX Logistics. After agreeing to a price online or over the phone, you can ship your coin securely by Next Day Air and get paid within two business days (one day if you’re a VIP or Elite Bullion Club member). APMEX requires a minimum product value of $1,000 for a transaction.
2. Heritage Auctions
Founded in 1976 in Dallas, Texas, Heritage Auctions is the largest auction house established in the United States, the third-largest global auction house and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer.
Heritage Auctions boasts 1.83 million registered bidders from 195 countries. The company's worldwide sales jumped 21% in 2023 to $1.76 billion.
Professional appraisers from Heritage Auctions can evaluate your collection for free. You can submit items online and the organization will ship you packaging materials if it approves a sale. You can sell coins through consignment, receiving a percentage of the auction sales price or the company might buy your item outright, paying you cash.
Heritage Auctions’ commission on coin sales is typically 10% or less ($25 minimum), with a sliding scale down to 3% as the coin's value increases to $1 million or more. You can receive payment immediately from an online auction.
3. Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries is the world’s oldest and most prominent auctioneer of rare coins, including ancient coins, from the U.S. and around the globe. It has been selling coins and currency since 1933.
Stack’s Bowers also holds the world record for the highest price ever paid for a coin at auction – the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar graded MS66 by the Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS) – at $10,016,875 at the 2013 New York Americana Auction.
In 2002, a 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle sold through the auction house for $7.5 million, a record at the time. Previously, in 1999, an 1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar sold for $4.1 million.
4. USA Coin Book
USA Coin Book is a leading online platform for dealers and individuals to buy and sell rare U.S. coins. Its goal is to be as straightforward and user-friendly as possible, allowing you to reach any coin price in one click from the homepage.
The interface also allows members to view each other’s pages. You can access your own page from anywhere to view or show others your sales inventory, auctions, wish lists and collections.
You pay nothing to list your coins on USA Coin Book. The company charges a 2% fee on the final value of any sale, so the site only makes money if you make money.
5. eBay
Founded as AuctionWeb in 1995, eBay (rebranded in 1997) is one of the internet's oldest and most successful e-commerce sites. It’s a popular marketplace for selling coins online due to its ease of use, ability to set custom prices and 132 million annual buyers in 190 countries.
You can list your coins on eBay in three ways: auction, where you set a starting price and have buyers bid on your coin; fixed price, where you set a flat purchase price; and classified ad, where you list your item and the sale takes place offline.
Some notable coins have moved through eBay over the years. They include the 1922-S U.S. Peace Silver Dollar, the Silver Ben Franklin Half Dollar and the 1964 Proof Silver Kennedy Half Dollar.
6. Local Coin Dealers
One of the easiest ways to sell rare coins and paper money is through a local coin dealer. A dealer may be interested in purchasing part or all of your collection. If not, they can likely point you to another dealer who might be interested.
The process couldn’t be easier – simply take in your collection, hand it over and get cash in return. You might not claim the market price for your coins, as the dealer has to profit from reselling them. Still, the price you receive may match or exceed what you might get online after listing fees and commissions.
One advantage of working with a local dealer is keeping the sale private, unlike online and in-person auctions. However, it’s important to do your homework to find a reputable dealer or work with someone you already have a relationship with.
You Have Many Options for Selling Your Rare Coins
When the time comes to part with your coin collection (and it usually does for numismatists), you’ll want to know the best place to sell rare coins. Hopefully, you now know better where to get the highest value for them. All left is for you to decide which place works best for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I sell my coins to make the most money?
When selling your coins, consider how much they’re worth, how much time you’re willing to put into selling them and how quickly you want the money. You can sell coins to a reputable local dealer, at a coin show, through auction houses or on your own through online auctions with varying prices and yields based on their value.
How do I find out what my coins are worth?
Many factors influence a coin’s value, including condition (grade), rarity, mint year, market demand, melt value and historical significance. To determine what a coin is worth, you can hire an appraiser, work with a coin dealer, visit a trade show, consult coin clubs and numismatists, check online guides or use a mobile app.
How much does it cost to get a coin graded and appraised?
The world’s top coin grading companies are the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS). Both charge based on the value of a coin and the service requested. Both require a membership and neither appraises coins – that job is best left to local and online appraisers and coin dealers.