Invest in Coins But Be Careful: 5 Things to Avoid

Buying silver and gold coins as a way to expand your financial portfolio can be very lucrative.  There are however, some things you should look into before you invest your hard-earned cash into coins and bullion.

1. You may tempted by that late night infomercial on the shopping tv stations showing you this brand new set of collectible commemorative coins for sale. They sound great and seem like a great investment, after all they do say they are limited in quantity and made from pure gold or silver. But the price does not reflect the value and it is not the best way to invest in coins.

For example, as much as the children in your life may love these "Frozen" Elsa coins now, they are probably not the best choice to beef up your portfolio for the future.  (However, if you do want to buy these, they are available at www.hsn.com

2. Prices that are too good to be true.  When you shop online for coins, be careful about who you trust. Places that claim to have lower prices, or are selling coins and bullion below market value, can be as the saying goes "too good to be true."  For example, if you find a Canadian Gold Maple on Ebay for $100, you can pretty much guarantee you are getting scammed.  While buying silver and gold coins and bullion in bulk can make the price lower, pay close attention to any hidden fees and shipping costs that are associated with the purchase.

3.  While collectors of coins may find value in rare and mishandled coins, investors should stay clear of these high-premium new issue commemorative coins that are often heavily promoted. For example each year the mint will produce a commemorative Gold Eagle or Gold Maple Leaf that will fetch higher premiums. Steer clear of these and stick to the regular Gold Maple Leafs and Gold American Eagles so you get more bang for your buck.

4. Buying gold and silver coins as an investment without doing your research. This is a mistake we see very often. People who have spent a lot of money on different gold and silver coins, but when they want to get a value, they are shocked by what they find. Not all coins are created equal. An NCG graded coin with a high score and an even higher price tag is probably not going to make you more money in the future. Instead, invest in coins that are more common and are more than likely going to multiply in worth over time.

5. Not reading the fine lines before purchasing.  A lot of times, we buy something only to realize that we did not read the fine print that was hidden at the bottom of the page. The internet makes it so easy for anyone to purchase coins with your debit card, through a bank wire and even with a credit card. But, always read all the polices and terms and conditions before you do.  What you may find is that the company does not take responsibility if your coins are "lost" in transit or there may be crazy fees that will be tacked on to  your purchase.

Come into our Midtown, Atlanta location of Atlanta Gold and Silver and talk to us about some coin and bullion investment options that may be right for you. We make sure our customers are well informed and we keep the entire process a transparent one. Trust and accountability are the cornerstones of our family gold and coin business.

Old Coins Can Be Worth More Than You Think

 For years, people have been saving up there up their coins for a rainy day. Whether or not you ever cash them in, it feels good to know that they are there if you ever need them.  

But what you may not realize, especially if you have inherited a family members old coins, or you yourself have a jar stashed somewhere that you started collecting many years ago, is that there may be a lot more value in that old jar of coins than meets the eye. 

In fact, at Atlanta Gold and Silver, we have been seeing a lot of people coming in with old coin collections and walking out the door with a large check in hand. Of course, not every old jar of coins is valuable (in terms of silver, you want to look for dimes and quarters pre 1965), but there is no harm in looking. 

So, how do you know if your bag of dimes is worth more than, well, a bag of dimes? Here are some things to look for and some tips that may help you find some substantial money laying around the house.

Note: these values are not absolute and they are based on the price of silver in May 2013.  These are based the melt value, and do not consider condition or possible collector's value. 

• 1916-1945 Mercury dimes.  These are 90% silver (10 percent copper) and each dime can fetch a price of around $1.50 
  
• 1946-1964 Roosevelt Dime: Despite the year, these dimes are the same weight (2.5 grams) as the Mercury dimes and are worth the exact same as the earlier dimes. 

• The rest of your dimes (beginning in 1965), are simply dimes worth 10 cents each. 
• 1916-1930 Standing Lady Liberty Quarter.  If you happen to have these in your old stash, you are in luck. At 6.25 grams, you have a little over $4 in silver value. 

• 1932-`1964 Quarter.  Any quarters during this period (before 1965) are worth the same as the Lady Liberty Quarters and weigh the same 6.25 grams.
• While you are less likely to have half dollars just collecting dust in the house, it's still worth looking.  Any half dollar minted in 1964 or earlier can be worth about 12 dollars. 
• Even the ones that are made between 1965-1970 still have a little value in them (they are composed of 40% silver, compared to the pre-1964 90% silver ones)

Here are a few more coins that may bring you some extra cash..

• Morgan Dollar (1878-1921).  Based on the price of silver, you could have about 17 dollars in just one of those. 
  
• Peace Dollar (1921-1935) Same as above

To find out more about the different types of coins and mintage of the coins, visit http://www.usmint.gov/

Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Still Sell Your Gold and Silver

Even though gold prices have dropped, that does not mean you should not sell your unwanted jewelry and gold.  Here are 3 top reasons why it's still okay to cash in your silver gold and platinum when the prices are low.

1. SPRING CLEANING. If you have items that are gold or silver or old diamonds just sitting and collecting dust, why not sell? 
2. YOU STILL MAKE MONEY. Just because the prices of the metals are not sky high, does not mean you can't make money. In fact, there is still a lot of money to be made from your unwanted scrap metals.




3. BUY NEW and trade old. Buy that new piece of jewelry you deserve.  Out with the old and in with the new.


To find out more about how to sell your silver and gold, click here.

Got Gold Coins?

Gold and Silver coins can be very valuable. Whether you are a collector or happen to find a gold coin in an old box that belonged to your grandfather, these rare finds are worth a lot of money.


If you are not an avid coin collector, determining what you have and if it has value can be difficult.  Below is a quick guide to the most valuable coins and more specifically, the gold coins.   To find out what we will pay for yours, call us or come into Atlanta Gold and Silver.

American Eagle Coin-


Canadian Gold Maple Leaf:


South Africa Gold Krugerrand


If you are not sure what kind of coin you have and if it is of any valuable, go to www.coinflation.com. There you will find the price and value for specific coins.

For example a Liberty Quarter Eagle from 1840 to 1907 is valued at $190.40!





If you still cannot find the coin you are looking for, try to put the year and type of coin in google. You never know how much value a simple coin can hold.