A village with a marina, a Navy pier and a film set
Leonardo is one of the villages of Middletown Township rather than a town of its own, home to about 2,500 people at the 2020 census. It went by Leonardville until 1897, when the post office shortened the name. The Leonards it honours were Henry and James Leonard, counted as New Jersey's first ironmasters.
The bay is the reason most people know the place. Leonardo State Marina puts public slips and a boat launch on Sandy Hook Bay, and further out, the long waterfront pier of Naval Weapons Station Earle reaches into the bay from Leonardo, tied to the main base in Colts Neck by a Navy road and rail line. On Leonard Avenue, the Quick Stop storefront is where Kevin Smith shot Clerks, and film fans still stop for a photo.
Chains that were worn, not stored
In a boating village, gold tends to be something people wear every day: heavy rope and curb chains, anchor and fish pendants, ID bracelets, and rings that spent years around salt water and engine grease. Alongside them come the drawer pieces every family has, a class ring, a single earring, a watch that stopped, and sometimes a roll of old coins.
Salt air does not change karat, but it does wear stamps away, and a 14K mark on a clasp is often the first thing to go. So every chain is read by the XRF analyzer instead of by its stamp. 14K is 58.5 percent gold and 10K is 41.7, and a hollow rope chain weighs far less than it looks while a solid curb weighs more, so the scale settles what the eye cannot. See the gold jewelry page for how each chain is weighed and the coin page for older coins.
Broken gold from the bottom of a box, and how the visit went
“Had a great experience today selling some broken gold jewelry I found at the bottom of my jewelry box. Austin was really great, he was friendly & knowledgeable and offered me an extremely fair price (more than I thought I would get actually) I would highly recommend Cash for Gold and more to my family & friends & to anyone looking to sell their unwanted items. Thank you Austin I will definitely be seeing you again soon!”
Juliet Owens, five-star Google review of Cash 4 Gold Trading Post in Aberdeen
When a Leonardo home is being emptied
Do not sort things into keep and junk before anyone has tested them. Tarnished chains, a green-looking ring and a bag of odd earrings are often gold underneath. Keep a sterling set together, spoons, forks and serving pieces alike, because it is weighed as one lot once the plate is sorted out. And bring the coin jar as it is; the older coins are pulled out first.
For a whole house rather than a drawer, the estate buyers service can see the collection at home, and the New Jersey estate jewelry guide explains probate and paperwork.
Route 36 west, then Route 34 into Aberdeen
From Leonardo, head west on Route 36 through Belford and past Keansburg and Hazlet, then take Route 34 into Aberdeen, where the store is at 1102 NJ-34. It is about 11 miles and usually 25 minutes, a little more on a summer Saturday when shore traffic builds. Park right outside.
Which parts of the eastern Bayshore do we hear from?
Leonardo's streets from Leonard Avenue to the marina, the Atlantic Highlands and Highlands side to the east, and Belford and the rest of Middletown Township to the west and south.
What do Leonardo sellers bring to Aberdeen?
Everyday chains and pendants first, then coins, sterling and the rest of the drawer. Open a category to see how each is judged.
How a Leonardo sale goes at the Aberdeen counter
Lay it all out and show your ID. Coins go to one side, chains are read link by link where the stamp has worn, and sterling is separated from plate. Everything is weighed in view and priced at that day's live market, and anything worth more than its metal, a signed piece, a watch, a stone, gets its own number. Say yes and you are paid on the spot; say no and it all goes home with you, no charge.
A worn chain, a coin jar, a sterling set from the dining room? Bring it west from Leonardo and watch every piece tested, free.
📞 Get a Free Appraisal: (732) 723-9090Leonardo sellers ask us
How far is the Aberdeen store from Leonardo?
About 11 miles and 25 minutes. Take Route 36 west past Belford, Keansburg and Hazlet, then Route 34 into Aberdeen; the store is at 1102 NJ-34. Phone (732) 723-9090.
Is Leonardo its own town?
No. Leonardo is a village, or census-designated place, inside Middletown Township, between the borough of Atlantic Highlands and the village of Belford.
Is the Aberdeen store open on Saturday?
Yes, from 11 to 4. Weekdays it is open 10 to 6, and it is closed Sunday. Walk in with a government photo ID; no appointment is needed.
The karat stamp on my chain has worn off. Can you still buy it?
Yes. The XRF analyzer reads the metal itself, so a chain with a worn or missing stamp is priced on what it actually is, not on what the clasp says.
Do you buy rolls of old coins?
Yes. Bring them as they are. Older silver coins are sorted out and checked for dates and mint marks before anything is weighed.
Do you buy from Atlantic Highlands and Belford too?
Yes. Sellers from both neighbors, and from Highlands and the rest of Middletown Township, make the same drive to Aberdeen.
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