Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Adams Auction Sales Coins and Currency

Merv and Steve Adams of Adams Auction Sales of Millersburg, Pennsylvania, have been in the auction business for over 55 years and are celebrating their 45th anniversary of specializing in coins and currency. In that time they have developed a clientele throughout the country. “We have sold silver dollars for $1.50 and $20 Gold Pieces for as little as $40 in the early 1960’s,” says Merv Adams. “We have also sold $20 dollar Gold Pieces for as much as $14,000 in the past few years. We have auctioned coins through the silver craze in the 1980’s and have seen the resurgence of coin collecting with the new mint issues today” said Adams. “Coins are a beautiful commodity that makes collecting as popular today as before. As an investment we believe that coins are a hedge against inflation. They also offer a lover of history a connection with the past. At our next auction we will be selling a paper bill with significant historical value, an 1882 series National Bank Note from Halifax, Pennsylvania, that has never been previously offered for sale. It has been held by a local banking family from the date of issue.”

Mervin recommends that if you plan to consign coins, there are certain things you should remember:

Just because your coin is old does not necessarily mean it’s valuable. There are factors that will influence the value.

Date

Mintage, the lower the mintage the higher the value.

Mint mark, certain mints are more valuable than others of the same year. This is most often due to a lower mintage.

Grade, Uncirculated and high grade coins are normally worth more than lesser grades.

Condition, nicks, scratches, holes and toning also affect the value.

These variables are obvious when reviewing the Red Book values for various examples of 1909 cents.

(Examples showing Red Book values:) 1909 Indian Head mintage 14,368,470 graded Good $12, graded Very Fine $14. 1909-S Indian Head mintage 309,000 graded Good $475, graded Very fine $575. 1909 Lincoln mintage 72,702,618 graded Good $2.50, graded Very Fine $4. 1909 VDB Lincoln mintage 27,995,000 graded Good $13, graded Very Fine $15. 1909-S Lincoln mintage 1,825,000 graded Good $100, graded Very Fine $150. 1909-S VDB Lincoln mintage 484,000 graded Good $750, graded Very Fine $1,200.

It’s obvious from the above example that changing any one of parameters will have a direct effect on the value of the coin.

Another thing to keep in mind is the metal content of the coins. Anything in silver minted from 1964 and earlier has a .900 silver content which will cause the value to increase or decrease with the daily price of silver. 1965-1970 Kennedy Half Dollars have a .400 silver content. Gold and bullion coins are affected in the same manner.

For more information on selling coins, phone Adams at (717) 692-3076.