Big Boys Hobbies

Who has sold "dug" key date silver

remmy

remmy

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Ok, this topic really gets under my skin. I see so many posts where people say dug coins are basically worthless. Every day I see youtube videos where people are so worried about rubbing the dirt off. This I can understand to a point because I have had a member post and scold me accusing me of mistreating relics because the coin I dug from a 100+ yr plowed rocky farm field had some scuffs on it. I saw a DR tones 24k video where he dug a rare coin and it sold for thousands, is this smoke and mirrors? There has to be some people who have sold such coins to state if they got anywhere near the book value. I mean if the "dug" coin thing is true, why do we all have the redbooks? Should I throw my 1921 slq in my junk silver pile with the forks and spoons? Maybe the peace dollar too? I have 2 barber dimes that look like the day they were minted with fantastic detail, are they worth melt? I am not in any way looking to sell anything, I just want to know how much truth is in these statements.
 
I offered my buddy $500 for the 1916D merc that he dug, I know he wouldn't sell for that price, I'm sure he would be offered more. OTOH, his neighbor might offer him a buck. In other words, it's worth the most someone might pay.
 
I don't know if this qualifies as sold, however I traded a 1921 SLQ (semi-key) for a Garrett Groundhog back in the late 80's- even trade.
 
I suppose it's like anything else, IF someone is looking for that item, they will pay a lot for it.


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How would someone know if it was dug vs. found in change, grandpa's collection, etc? Why would it coming from metal detecting lower it's value?
 
remmy said:
Ok, this topic really gets under my skin. I see so many posts where people say dug coins are basically worthless.
Click to expand...

If you change worthless to worth less it would be more accurate. With any collectible you have the big guys who pay top dollar and want only perfect examples and you have the common folk that want the best they can afford and will settle for less than perfect when they are trying to fill a card.
I did a lot of research with my Great-Grandfather's marbles and the marble guys are the same way with dug marbles.
Collectibles are a strange market anyway. There is always a group looking at it as an investment and another as a hobby. I know a reasonably intelligent person who sincerely believes their trash bags of beanie babies are valuable because they still have the tags.
 
dlax said:
How would someone know if it was dug vs. found in change, grandpa's collection, etc? Why would it coming from metal detecting lower it's value?
Click to expand...

Anyone with experience can spot environmental damage on coins easily... minute scratches, stains, discoloration etc
 
I sold a 1896 S barber dime on eBay for 100, I sold a dug 1876 ihp for 89 bucks on eBay and a I sold a dig 1875 H Canadian dime for 120 on eBay


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coin whisperer said:
I sold a 1896 S barber dime on eBay for 100, I sold a dug 1876 ihp for 89 bucks on eBay and a I sold a dig 1875 H Canadian dime for 120 on eBay


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Click to expand...

That's the way to do it. eBay reaches the largest audience and is really a good measure of what someone is actually ready to spend on THAT item at THAT time, as Mr Bill alluded to.
I am now sending CW all of my better ones to sell for me!:lol: I stink at sales...
 
IDXMonster said:
That's the way to do it. eBay reaches the largest audience and is really a good measure of what someone is actually ready to spend on THAT item at THAT time, as Mr Bill alluded to.

I am now sending CW all of my better ones to sell for me!:lol: I stink at sales...
Click to expand...



Lol my wife is a selling machine on eBay


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IDXMonster said:
That's the way to do it. eBay reaches the largest audience and is really a good measure of what someone is actually ready to spend on THAT item at THAT time, as Mr Bill alluded to.
I am now sending CW all of my better ones to sell for me!:lol: I stink at sales...
Click to expand...

Yeah! I dont have an Ebay account, but one of our Forum Brothers and a great friend/hunting buddy STURRAT sells some of his finds on the Bay...he sells my stuff even...He sold a bad water Indian head key date of mine last year for me..

Yep, large audience, so somebody out there is looking for a certain coin to fill a hole and as long as you list it right and honest, it will sell....
 
I sell key-date coins all the time. Anything that has a better numismatic value (versus just bag-silver value) gets sold. Because I'm not a coin-collector. I just hold sample stuff for my personal museum trays. But ... beyond that ... cash out on the stuff to finance my toys :)

Granted, you will often have to settle for less if they have corrosion, tarnish, scratches, etc... But I have found coins that came out of the ground quite nice. Almost to the point where you can't tell they were dug. Some soils are kind to silver. And gold coins always come out of the ground with zero trace of any ground effect :)
 
I sold two 1926S dimes for 100.00 each. I was told they were worth 150.00 each but I rubbed the dirt off to see the "S" on both. GRRR This was in the late 1990's. I also sold an 1894O dime for 100.00. All sold to All About Coins in Sugarhouse Utah. I also sold them a Barber half for 85.00 but can't remember the year. Unfortunately I needed money then.

Depending on ground and water conditions you can find some pristine coins.
 
I keep all my key & semi key dates, but I have sold error coins that I've found..
Here are a couple that I can remember selling..
1942/1 D Overstrike Mercury Dime-210.00
1922 no D Lincoln Wheat Cent-300.00
 
I purchased a Draped Bust Half-Dime from a fellow metal detectorist (we met on another forum). I paid $500 for it, and felt it was a fair deal. I got a decent coin at a decent price, and he didn't have to pay eBay fees.

Win-win.

My point is only this, though. A coin is only worth what someone will spend on it.

If you can find a buyer, awesome. If not, then you're up a creek holding 5 cents worth of half-dime.

Whether a coin is dug or not doesn't matter to some folks. How the coin LOOKS, and whether they WANT it, does. I have some extra fine detailed coins that have a hole in them. I LOVE the coins. I bought them for the details, couldn't care less about getting them graded. It's always funny when a coin snob comes in and says, "oh, that's too bad it's got a hole in it." Why? I ask. I love to see their responses... "uhh... because it's got a HOLE."

"So." I say, "why does that matter."
"It's not worth as much to people who collect coins."
"Doesn't matter to me, I LOVE the coin."
"Oh."
"Do you have one?"
"Oh, no, I couldn't afford one."
"I bought mine for $40."
"WHOA! I should get one!"

Yeah... ya think? :)

Cracks me up. Same conversation, everytime.

Buy the coins you want for why you want them... If you're interested in an investment, go for it. If you want the history, get a dug coin, and find out where it was dug! If you want the details, you might pick one with a rim ding, or hole. If you're looking to fill a hole for a date year, a slick AG coin with a barely readable date might be the trick.

Value is in the eye of the beholder. Last coin I bought, I paid $101 for it. A Draped Bust Large cent. I love it. Every bit of it. But you know what? I love my 1945 Walking Liberty even more (that's worth about $12). Why? I dug it up myself.

BTW, all my hobby coins, with the exception of 2, I've purchased with money procured through my metal detecting. Pretty cool, that. I'm converting clad to an 1800's coin type set! Down to just three coins left. Draped bust quarter, Draped bust Half, and Draped bust Dollar. Anyone have a dug coin with decent details they'd like to sell? LOL


Cheers!
Skippy
 
Ok, good points from all! This is what I thought reality should be, if it is beautiful, rare or both someone will want it. I just saw so many opinions that sounded like "dug" coins were plain trash to so many.
I have no plans to sell any of my coins but I wanted to know how others made out in case I have to someday. I am not a coin collector but digging has made me collect coins. I live for the hunt and the wow moment of finding anything cool or just plain neat.

And just for the record, I still think the "environmental damage" is really a jealous putdown because we "find" instead of "buy" our coins. No disrespect to my brothers here who are coin collectors as well as diggers. I value their opinions greatly. It makes me wonder if you found a coin in great condition and washed the dirt off in an ultrasonic cleaner and distilled water how would it grade? I mean any coin that was in circulation and has wear is going to have scratches right? Wear is caused by abrasion...thus scuffing right?:?:
 
Just because a coin was dug doesn't guarantee it won't straight grade. I believe we had a member here find and have a 1916-D Merc slabbed in a problem free holder. If you have kind soil like the guys out West, and you don't ruin the coin trying you clean it, you could get full market for it. It's rare that we find coins with no signs of being dug AND we manage to not ruin them during retrieving and cleaning the dirt off.

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I regularly sell tokens I find for $150ish, and my buyers KNOW they were dug. But then again, i am dealing with some rare stuff. Someones complains about the condition I tell them go find another one for sale...
 
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