Which coins are worth more than face value?
Most coins in a jar are worth exactly what is stamped on them. A small share are worth more, sometimes far more, and those are the ones to pull out before anything goes into a counting machine.
- Pre-1965 silver. Nearly every US dime, quarter and half dollar struck before 1965 is 90 percent silver. They still turn up in old jars and inherited change.
- War nickels. Jefferson nickels made from 1942 to 1945 are 35 percent silver. Look for a large mint mark letter above the dome of Monticello on the back.
- 40 percent Kennedy halves. Kennedy half dollars dated 1965 through 1970 are 40 percent silver and look almost the same as the later ones.
- Silver dollars. Morgan and Peace dollars struck from 1878 to 1935 are 90 percent silver.
- Gold coins. US gold struck before 1933 is 90 percent gold, and modern bullion coins such as the American Gold Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf and Krugerrand hold a full troy ounce in their one ounce size.
- Proof sets, mint sets and foreign silver or gold. Sets from the US Mint and world coins with precious metal in them all carry value above face.
If you are not sure which pile a coin belongs in, that is our job. See what your coins are worth for the full silver and gold content tables by coin type.
Should I take my coin jar to a bank or a coin kiosk?
For modern pocket change, yes. Many banks will take rolled coins from their customers, and coin counting kiosks take loose change for a fee or a gift card. We do not count pocket change and we do not run a coin machine.
Before you pour a jar into a machine, spend ten minutes looking at dates. A counting machine pays face value for a 1964 quarter, which holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver, and it pays face value for a war nickel or a silver half dollar too. Pull out anything dated 1964 or earlier, any half dollar dated 1965 to 1970, any nickel dated 1942 to 1945, and anything that looks foreign or unusual. Those are the coins worth bringing to us.
What happens when I bring coins in for cash?
| Step | What happens | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walk in | Hand over the coins as they are, in a jar, album, folder or envelope. Nothing needs sorting first. | Your coins stay on the counter in front of you. |
| 2. Sort | Coins are sorted by series, date and mint mark, and anything that may carry a collector premium is set aside before any metal is weighed. | You can ask about any coin as it is sorted. |
| 3. Test and weigh | Bullion and unmarked pieces are checked with an XRF analyzer and metal lots are weighed on a state certified scale. | You see the reading and the number on the scale. |
| 4. The offer | One figure for collector coins and one for metal coins, worked out against that day's live spot price. | Every figure is written down and explained. |
| 5. You decide | Accept and leave with cash the same day, or take your coins home exactly as they arrived. | An itemized receipt for every coin purchased. |
You never have to sell everything. Plenty of people sell the silver and the bullion, keep the coins with family meaning, and walk out with cash and the rest of the collection.
How is the cash offer for my coins worked out?
Every coin with precious metal in it has two possible values: the metal inside it, called melt, and what a collector will pay for its date, mint mark and condition. We check for collector value first, on every coin, and pay whichever is higher.
Melt is simple arithmetic you can check yourself. Take the pure metal content of the coin in troy ounces, multiply by how many you have, then multiply by the live spot price shown in the ticker above. The spot price moves all day, so no fixed number appears on this page; the figure you are quoted at the counter is worked out in front of you.
Do not clean your coins. Cleaning strips the original surface a collector pays for and can wipe out a premium for good. Bring them exactly as you found them.
Where can I turn coins into cash near me?
Cash 4 Gold Trading Post is a licensed, bonded and insured New Jersey precious metals buyer with 8 walk-in stores: Aberdeen, Brick, East Brunswick, Farmingdale, Manalapan, Middlesex, Millstone and New Brunswick. We have been family owned since 2012, we are woman and minority owned, and we hold a 4.90 star average across 1075 Google reviews with more than 500,000 customers served across Central New Jersey.
Every store buys coins, no appointment is needed, and New Jersey law requires a valid government photo ID for every precious metals purchase. Find your nearest counter, its hours and directions on the locations page, or read where to sell coins near me for how to compare buyers. If you would rather read this page in Spanish, see convertir monedas en efectivo.
Coins into cash questions, answered
Do you take jars of pocket change?
No. Modern pocket change is worth face value, and a bank or a coin counting kiosk is the right place for it. We buy coins worth more than face: pre-1965 US silver, 1942 to 1945 war nickels, 1965 to 1970 Kennedy halves, silver dollars, gold coins, proof and mint sets, and foreign gold and silver. Sort those out of the jar first and bring them to any of our 8 stores.
Do I need an appointment or ID to turn coins into cash?
No appointment is needed at any of our 8 Central New Jersey stores. New Jersey law requires a licensed dealer to record a valid government photo ID for every precious metals purchase, so bring a driver's license, state ID or passport. The evaluation is free and there is no obligation to sell.
Should I clean my coins before I sell them?
No. Cleaning removes the original surface a collector pays for and can permanently remove a premium that would otherwise be part of your offer. Bring your coins exactly as you found them.
Do you buy foreign coins for cash?
Yes, when they contain gold or silver. We buy Canadian Maple Leafs, South African Krugerrands, British Sovereigns, Mexican gold pesos and Libertads, and world silver. Foreign coins with no precious metal in them are generally worth face value in their own currency, and we will tell you which is which.
Do I have to sell all my coins at once?
No. We go through your coins item by item, so you can see what each part is worth and choose what to sell. Many people sell the silver and bullion and keep the coins with sentimental value.