@@Spegtacular At the end of the day, it's the same thing and same profit margins. You buy cull or junk silver at spot now, and in 20 years you sell it also at spot. You buy Silver Eagles now with premiums, you sell them with premiums in 20 years.
Regarding fake coins I received a mailing list of every U.S. coin in existence from a seller in China. The advertisement made a point of letting me know that it would NOT be marked fake. I had purchased one prior to the mailed listing on eBay to fill the 1790's slot in a dollar set I have, I carved COPY in the coin so that when my grandson inherites my collection he would not attempt to sell it. Now you can purchase the China fakes slabbed with worn appearances to make it easier to fool the buying public. Thanks for a wonderful video. Be well all.
@@davidbeckerich do you know if those coins are plated silver or not because I acid tested a few I bought the other day but I don't know if they were just plated heavily
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE me some silver war nickels. I used to be opposed to any older coinage that wasn't 90%, but I realized that for a barter scenario these could be extremely handy coins. They contain a bit less silver than a 90% dime, with the dime containing roughly 1/14 oz. of silver and the war nickel containing roughly 1/18 oz. of silver. To each his own of course, but with their superior recognizability factor (like you said, just look for the gigantic mint mark!,) I believe these rank right up there with 90% Constitutional coinage for barter. They're also just as liquid as any other type of silver. Yes, it pays to shop around and look for deals as with anything. Just MHO.
I buy them for anywhere from .85-1.10. I love war nickels. And I'll pay 2.75-3.10 for 40% half dollars. I also buy dateless under spot. Silver is silver and you can always purify and melt them down.
To weigh my safe down I just buy more silver . There’s about 160lbs + the weight of the safe it’s self . By the time they make it down the stairs I’d probably catch up with them and ask them “ hey do you need a hand with that” lol 😂
I've bought holed coins in otherwise fine condition like a 3 cent silver "trime" or "fish scale" recently off FleaBay, and for what little I paid have been happy just to have them as a "type". Then again, I'm a "casual" and not an "investor-collector", nor have I ever really focused on American coinage, aside from a brief stint as a kid focused on finer condition Mercury dimes. The older the better was always sort of my motto. So I've always tended to be drawn to affordable or even lots of uncleaned ancients like your very basic Roman Imperial stuff (tip: soak 'em in olive oil for a couple of weeks and only then break out the toothpicks and an old toothbrush to see what you got). At a coin shop I tend to be the guy pawing through those various bins of "randoms", often European or other "unclassifieds", just looking for interesting older nuggets. But your advice is good: if you're looking for a little "investment silver", in case the Dollar takes a poop, just rummage through the spot trays of the 90% pre-'65 American silver stuff. I'd further guess that Mercury Dimes, Franklin Halves, dated Standing Liberty Quarters, Morgan or Peace Dollars, or other non-current types might be preferable, since there's no chance of a base metals clad equivalent to confuse even the unknowledgeable, and "old" is generally, if inaccurately, considered more valuable. Even a fairly worn random Mercury dime will always look more "valuable" than a better condition Roosevelt one, which to the untrained eye, if we're someday reduced to fighting with dogs in the streets for food, might merely be seen as just another now-worthless dime. But if the excrement REALLY hits the ventilation device, weigh down your safe with a dozen cans of Fruit Cocktail from the Dollar Tree. One of those will be going for three or four Standing Liberty Halves if things get really bad. And it's anybody's guess what a can opener might be worth.
I don't have, but I wouldn't mind a decent coin with a whole. My understanding is the much older ones were hold because they were worn by native Americans back in the day. I always found that really intriguing. I like that you enjoy rummaging through sail bins and finding what stands out to you for your interest that's cool. And your description of the ventilation device and what goes with it... hilarious..
I have heard, because of the manganese, that refineries don't like these war nickels so you're only buyers would be collectors, small dealers and Some stackers. If everything collapsed and they wanted the silver from the nickel, with it being harder to work with war nickels, you might only be able to trade it with someone who will want them. So I've heard.
@@Spegtacular i think Dragons or another pointed it out. I have a couple. Just for fun. I had rolls of them but the fractions were debatable and not uniform throughout the community. When silver was $27 i sold them for spot, and my 40% Kennedys, and came back a week later and got bullion grade
To figure out how much a given half dollar is worth, follow these simple steps: Check the date on the coin. 1964 or earlier means it's 90% silver. 1965 to 1970 means it's 40% silver. Also, Even a dateless Standing Liberty 1916 is still generally worth over $1,000, so it's worth knowing what to look for.
Your comment is so true Will! Last week I went through my first 2 rolls of dateless standing liberty quarters 90% silver junk coins. In the 1st roll I found the 1916!. It has big full rims and the date is faint but readable under magnification. It is a fully original uncleaned example. What tipped me off to it being a type 1 was the absence of stars under the eagle. I flipped it over and BEHOLD! The weak rivets on the shield, no squared box on the right side cabinet, the drapery positioned differently on liberty's right arm (left side of obverse). Never thought this would happen to me. I have been very humbled by this experience.
Its amazing how so many people are worried about weighing down something that can easily be bolted to the floor or wall. Especially when they come with bolts🤯
I got really excited when I saw the faux-NGG-graded coin in the pile! Alas, it wasn't discussed. Can you (or anyone explain) how you were able to determine it was fake?
Yep, 100% on this video everyone! I like that you still have these examples to show everyone, the mistakes I've made or gaw's I've won that fall under these categories I've long since moved down the line towards gold (except for the fakes of course)...
So everyone that has war nickles, 40% halves & dateless silver coins, put them back in circulation and I'll hunt them. For those who have all ready done so, thank you very much.
Iv got 100 war nickels I bought on Jm bullion years ago. They were on say I paid 19bucks per dollar FV and I cleaned some for better details and I just give one away every now and again. Of coarse I explain how neat it is and that they should always be on the lookout for more.
i've learned so much on your channel on how to detect & avoid buying fakes. I have the sigma machine and all of the other little tools to help spoke a fake. Thanks Speg! You the man!
That is funny because I also have a dummy safe that I keep out in the open where the others are very well-hidden or off site and the dummy safe is full of some plaited rounds, and all of my electric bill stubs! I should maybe get some rolls of copper plated zinc pennies, probably 2020 and newer so they feel sick in their stomach
Twelfth. I'd never destroy my fakes. I have gotten some fakes in the past when I've been too quick to bid on a coin to check seller location or feedback... no sweat, I test every coin I buy and have been refunded (and kept the coin) for every fake that slipped by. I keep them in a labeled tube for "show and tell" and comparative purposes .
Still a great video even after a year or so. I am guilty of purchasing some Standing Liberty Quarters with no date left on it. After watching this video I put the couple I had on my scale and they weighed in at 0.193 ozt. I then placed a 1927 Standing Liberty and then a 1916 Barber on the scale and both weighed in at 0.890 ozt. The years of circulation sure took a toll on the coins! The Washington quarters I have weighed in at 0.200 ozt. Not much of a difference but difference none the less. Multiply that over many coins and you have a significant difference. The novelty of owning these Standing Liberty and Barber coins is nice and I am glad I have them but from now on I'll be sticking with Washington Quarters.
I dunno about your take on 40%… I bought them at $1 last year and I’m pretty damn happy at where they’re at now. Closest coin to get at spot. Great for budget stackers.
I started my stack with 40% Kennedy . I was buying them for spot and a full tube is about $68. That’s worth stacking to me . I have also never heard of a refiner or coins shop not wanting to buy them . Specially now with silver being so high in demand. War time nickels are also a good way to stack . Silver is silver no matter which way you look at it and you will never ever have an issue reselling . Someone will buy all of it .
I have a fake 78 8 tail feather Morgan dollar, it has "COPY" on the reverse and I polished the silver plate off, it's clearly brass. I carry it as a pocket coin
0:38 We adore War Nickels and always have. They contain 35% silver, and every other Jefferson nickel, every Buffalo nickel, every Liberty nickel, every Shield nickel contains 0%. The 1950-D nickel cost us a few bucks, but it's the only other Jefferson nickel that cost us more in a circulated grade than a War Nickel.
I have a thing for the humble war nickel. It's has its place as a potential good barter coin lesser than dimes and unique being the only US coin to have 35% silver. I got in when they were less than spot btw.
From a dealer , silver stacker perspective the war nickels and a few other categories absolutely makes sense. If you are a casual collector filling in a set, let's say a whitman book, if you pay a premium and we are talking about what amounts to coffee money it doesn't really matter. You aren't buying to invest. You are buying to hand over a set to hopefully hand over to a grandchild one day.
I completely agree, especially about the fakes. I've been able to sell (or buy, though I wouldn't do that anymore) cull/jewellery grade gold coins at my LCS. Not all of them want that stuff though so you really are better off avoiding it.
Some useful advice. A collector has to define why he is buying a coin. Usually it is to pass on to subsequent generations. Disposing of unwanted coins is hard work, but like a popular item in the public's eye that one no longer cares for opportunities do appear. Have you done one on junk silver coins, and what are the best ways to buy it? Besides the silver dimes. take care rwmccoy
You don't want to buy stuff by the weight! Because some vendors will make sure your coins are very dirty. So you'll be buying dirt and not silver. Never buy by weight only by face value
Great video! I agree on the War nickels, the 40% coins from 1965 and later, the slicks (although they do still count as silver), and the fakes. But please, I implore you, just for this one thing: please stop saying, "jewl-ery"! You said it so many times I was going into a spazalitic state. The word is, "jewelry." And by the way, when the mounted soldiers come to the rescue, it's the "cavalry," and not the "calvary." ("Calvary" is a different thing altogether.) Please help me to retain this tenuous grip I have on my sanity. Thank you!
I agree! Not hating on Spegtacular, just commenting in general on the pronunciation of these words. Another few that are like nails on a chalkboard for me..."nuke-you-ler" (wrong) vs. nuclear (nuke-lee-er) and "real-eh-tor" (wrong) vs. "real-tor"
I might have to disagree with some of your pricing. Getting anywhere near spot is generous in my state. The reason being is that silver depots have a hard time separating the silver from the rest of the metals which means more work so they don’t pay much for them. If you are lucky you might get slightly under a dollar. During the last run up of silver, when it hit over $50 an ounce I cashed in just about all of my war nickels for over $2.50 apiece. The 40% silver Kennedy half does sometimes get a nice premium over spot. It usually depends on condition and date. For them to be worth more, they need to be in pristine condition or 1970. The 1970 is collectible is because non were minted for circulation. So the only way you could get one is to buy an uncirculated set. This is also the lowest mintage of the 40% halves.
Cleaned coins are a definite don't for collectors of numismatics. I have bought a few 90% cleaned and polished coins here and there, but who I bought them from charges a very low price, so I was good with that purchase for my silver stack. I also have a cleaned 1883 Morgan I carry around as a pocket piece as well.
I feel like the thing to remember about all of these coins is that these coins with precious metals are always getting destroyed and etc, and I am a firm believer that you should always get anything and everything for the right price. I feel as though that even though the 40% silver half dollars contain as much silver as two 90% silver dimes, just remember that both coins still have copper content in them, and that is a very useful metal used in many different things. So even though they might not have as much precious metal in them, there is functional metal in them that can be used, and it should always be considered which is why you should be a bulk collector and just buy everything when its at the price that works for YOU.
i have one war nickel, just to have it.....but i do like the 40% kennedys....i get em pretty much at spot from my LCS....i like them alot and eventually they will be more in demand... they dont make them anymore and they are at least 50 years old....i have a few rolls....
There's a viable market for counterfeit/ copy coins/ tribute coins. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean people shouldn't buy, sale, trade in them.
I don't understand much of this. Sure, the war nickels are low percentage, but it's still got silver. 40% halves still got silver. Cleaned/ex-jewelry gold coins are still gold. And the argument that a dateless silver coin "is not a coin" makes no sense. How can a dateless SLQ not be a coin anymore? It still says "United States of America", and the face value on the back. By that logic, I can rub the year off a modern coin and use it, only to get in trouble because it's not considered a coin anymore due to the date being missing.
I recently bought 400 war nickels from my LCS for 9% below spot. I agree they aren't worth paying a premium for, but at that price I couldn't pass it up.
Why buy dateless coins if you can buy ones with dates for not much more? Coin with dates are more desirable to own, even if you're just stacking silver.
I don't see any issue buying a jewelry grade or cleaned coin, so long as the price is down closer to generic scrap gold. It's always worth something to the guy who's melting it all back down.
there is a legit good use for dateless coins ... punch four holes in them and repurpose them as coat buttons or cabochons on leather to add a bit of flare to a period outfit or just to have another use for silver bullion.
I used to drive around bank to bank in high school 96 2000 and buy half dollar rolls and go to the coin shop and make money all my friends caught on and I started driving Maine New Hampshire and Massachusetts now it's impossible unless u know someone who works for the bank and then call you when they get a grandma in
I avoid these types of coins if possible, sometimes they come in pre 64 bagged buys... I don't mind having some war nickels around to give as gifts, same with the 40%... I don't mind cleaned gold as long as it can be bought around spot... I think that is ok for stacking only... holes in coins are a real bummer...but I know it was used to jewelry or to carry around and not lose... still some of those might have a cool history if they are old enough... once again though needs to be sold at spot or really close and for stacking only...
QUICK NOTE: At the 10:38 minute mark, you show the engraving on the reverse of that Seated Liberty dime. Nice. But I did see a potential problem with the raised staples on that 2x2 flip. Ideally, those should be flattened down or it runs the risk of damaging other coins, when handling several together. I've done that by accident. So I use a 5 inch, flat nose pliers with 'smooth jaws,' that you can buy at any hardware store for about $15 bucks. It works perfectly to flatten down those raised staple edges, and leaves no marks as would a typical set of pliers with crisscrosses on the paper flip. No one wants to accidentally add a fresh, clean, modern scratch into the field of a nicely toned Morgan or on any valuable coin you have in your collection. -- Nice videos!
I either put them in a plastic flip or airtight as soon as I receive them.the ones that I put in airtight generally come in flips so I don't have to buy any.Having said that I really didn't even think about the damage caused by staples,so thank you for that information.👍👍
This is why being a Silver Stacker myself I stay away from coins. I only stack 10 and Kilo and 100 ounce BARS! DEMAND PHYSICAL SILVER NOW 🥈!! Destroy the BANKSTERS 🏦!!
Great content! As a very part time coin collector this info is very important to know. I love the off silver content of halves and nickels so I am guilty of stacking them!
I have a fake NGC 2009 Canada Maple Leaf G$50 MS69. Took it from a guy a couple years ago. It looks really good. Without the Sigma it would be hard to tell
Even though they are slick and dateless, I still like them. Reminds me when I was a kid and I would get one a run off to the nearby candy store and buy penny candy and five cent snack cakes
@@Spegtacular It was at a coin show, he had a pile like the one you had in the video. I bought $20 worth because my budget for shopping is pretty small and wanted to be able to buy other stuff, you know with dates LOL. I do videos on stuff as I pick it up if interested in checking it out. Just posted stuff from the last coin show, but the show I'm talking about is titled "Coin Show Haul (Lot 2) US not so JUNK silver, Constitutional 90% Quarters, Walkers, Half Dollars etc" from 6 months ago when silver was kind of high (little over $26 an ounce) some a quarter was worth around $4.68 if I remember correctly and the dateless SLQs were $2.50 each. So I bought 8 for $20
Ok the silver nickle and the 40% I see a use there normally cheaper right? Less premium right? If you think you might need to barter for small stuff. Like a few eggs a meal you anything small. Would they not be better than the little tiny silver bars? Would they not have less premium than the little bar?
Ms-62 gold coins that are problem free are okay by me, for bullion. Common date gold coins don't go too much higher than bullion, so why not get something that is authenticated as real gold? IMHO. Love your shows Speg!
Others have commented about this in other ways...If you are buying these coins for their silver content only AT WEIGHT value (like dateless coins) just to have silver, and expect to sell it that way, then you are probably ok. Especially if you are stacking for bullion value only....kind of like buying poured silver or rounds. Just make sure the price you pay is in line with the weight of the coins at the % silver in them...and I'd not pay any premium for any numismatic reasons if the coins are damaged/dateless.
The only thing I would disagree with you on Are dateless coins I thought it was the face value assigned to the coin that makes it a coin ..? Especially standing liberties was they usually done have the date anymore
I use to be a waitress in the 80's when tips were mostly cash and coins. I did this for 13 years. Had 1000's probably in coins I cashed in at banks. I had heard about some could be silver coins, but silver at that time was only $4 an ounce, so I couldn't be bothered to look for them. I wish I knew then what I know now. I would definitely taken the time to look for them. No, I wouldn't pay top price for what is being pointed out in this video but at a good price, i wouldn't discount them as worthless either. One thing we all do know, silver demand is increasing by the day. Dollar demand is decreasing by the day. If this were poker, any silver is an ace, king or queen and the dollar is the joker card.
My brother bought a lot of seven Morgan silver dollars at a flea market and all but one of them ended up being counterfeit (he really should have known something was up when the Morgan head was reversed on some of them). He ended up not getting fucked over too bad though because he paid a fairly small premium at the time (silver was just under $14/oz and he bought them for $15 each) and even though they were fake, they were still made to match the composition of the real coins and were 90% silver so he holds them as normal bullion.
So while you're enjoying dumping safe kept coins like they deserve a beatin- maybe you'll consider taking the next step into madness and donate some of them to a brand newbie hunter- collector lol. Its my first month doing this & I've seen 100s of vids on paper/coin currency, mostly coins, but you're the first one to inform on specific items to avoid buying. Thank you. Am not quite at the buying stage yet, hoping to sell or swap some coins/stamps saved over time simply bc they caught my eye for some reason, like being off colored or not feeling right weight or size wise, obviously old ones & some that looked like mint mistakes. The habit resulted in my having a bunch of crazy cool & a few sought after coins, & even some vintage stamps & postcards bc I can't throw old stuff out lol am keeping most of it, but have to try & sell some to fund this hobby. Where would you suggest buying silver anyway, if i may ask? Will check your vid catalog for the answer to that, thanks again- subscribed
As a collector of usa coins I bought war nickels and I know that I was buying them over what I could sell them but that’s the difference between a stacker and a collector I guess
If you're really just stacking, then all your buying and selling should be done based on weight/metal content. Things like condition/holes/no dates aren't important beyond personal preference... And if you aren't buying based on weight the best things to avoid are circulated coins. A roll of 50 circulated mercury dimes could weigh the same as 49 Roosevelt dimes, so paying based on per $ face the mercs are more expensive. If you buy based on per $ face then you need to sell based on that too. Where and how you buy is more important than which specific items. They're all round pieces of metal... Also - a dateless coin is still legal tender. Once a coin always a coin. And just because a coin doesn't have a date does not mean the year cannot be determined. Lots of ways to identify dateless coins.
I buy Morgans over silver eagles bc if silver goes down to $10 an ounce silver eagles will sell at $18-20 per ounce but Morgan's will still sell at $40-60 in decent condition with less total silver weight than eagles
I can’t go along with the idea that all of these are clear mistakes or that they should necessarily be avoided in all cases. I think that actually goes too far, and isn’t exactly acccurate. I agree with a great deal of what you said, but I think that there are a few things that you’re missing. I think the highest price I’ve paid for a War Nickel has been $2, but most have been a bit less $1.50, $1.60, $1.75, etc… I think I have a little over 100 of the War Nickels, but that’s after more than a decade of buying Silver. Regarding fakes of the coins in question, I think you could probably find fakes of almost every coin, if you looked hard enough. The point isn’t actually that they are “never” faked, but simply that they are faked far less often than other more profitable fakes. I agree with you on the jewelry grade coins, as well as the culls, slicks, damaged, polished, cleaned, and dateless coins. I never buy Barbers, Standing Liberties, etc… Generally speaking, I’m not a collector. I’m almost exclusively a stacker, but the most important part of my stack is its diversity, which in terms of the insurance policy that “real money” is for me, translates into “more options”. I do want value, yes, but I want options more than anything else. I can imagine possible circumstances where things like War Nickels and 40% half dollars could fly under the radar of taxes and regulations that will inevitably raise up around Gold and Silver. In an environment where the monetary metals are rising in price, being used more as both reserve assets and components of an ever-more technologically based world, as well as becoming more rare in terms of ore grade and overall global production, it still makes sense to purchase these coins passively. In a crisis situation, it is prudent to have several options. I can get on board with telling any stacker to avoid making these kinds of coins (i.e. War Nickels & 40% half dollars) a focus of your stack, but I would certainly buy them at good prices and purchase them passively or occasionally over time. Great video over all, but I felt compelled to tell you where you’re TOTALLY WRONG! Hahahaha! Keep up the good work!
My dad was scammed when he bought me fake coins for $5 each. But I love them. And $5 seems appropriate for a fake coin. Those are the coins that I show to kids and such so I don't have to show them my real valuable coins. I agree with you 100% but I love my fake coins.
I consider them junk silver.. I got a bite of junk I should buy alot good video thx for letting us know about them coins I remember buying 3 small gold coins took them in to sell them found out it was gold plated later I do the magnet test and they sticked to it dalm god very mad and they person who sold them to me disappeared but I learned my lesson don't buy from people u don't know... Know I buy from recognized dealers!!
My only fake coin I know of is a proof-like ASE I bought on eBay. It is on my fridge with a magnet just as a fun token of my stacking interests. I get lots of enjoyment from it, although I know it's next to worthless.
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I've bought cleaned, chipped, and dinged coins for spot or under spot. Silver is silver, gold is gold.
Unfortunately I have to disagree
Unfortunately, silver isn’t always just silver. That’s why people pay different prices for different silver.
@@Spegtacular At the end of the day, it's the same thing and same profit margins. You buy cull or junk silver at spot now, and in 20 years you sell it also at spot. You buy Silver Eagles now with premiums, you sell them with premiums in 20 years.
@@archimedes1077 LCS or Pawnshop for selling your silver is the worst way to go. Social media and online you will get better premiums when selling,
@@Spegtacular silver war nickels aways has a place in my stack.i'm not going too turn 35% silver down if the price is right.
Fine line between Silver, Coins and Silver Coins. Im a collector so I stack it all. Walkers, Ikes, SBAs, 64’s, 76’s, 35/40%… I love em all the same.
That's how I am I love all silver too
Regarding fake coins I received a mailing list of every U.S. coin in existence from a seller in China. The advertisement made a point of letting me know that it would NOT be marked fake. I had purchased one prior to the mailed listing on eBay to fill the 1790's slot in a dollar set I have, I carved COPY in the coin so that when my grandson inherites my collection he would not attempt to sell it. Now you can purchase the China fakes slabbed with worn appearances to make it easier to fool the buying public. Thanks for a wonderful video. Be well all.
@@davidbeckerich do you know if those coins are plated silver or not because I acid tested a few I bought the other day but I don't know if they were just plated heavily
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE me some silver war nickels. I used to be opposed to any older coinage that wasn't 90%, but I realized that for a barter scenario these could be extremely handy coins. They contain a bit less silver than a 90% dime, with the dime containing roughly 1/14 oz. of silver and the war nickel containing roughly 1/18 oz. of silver. To each his own of course, but with their superior recognizability factor (like you said, just look for the gigantic mint mark!,) I believe these rank right up there with 90% Constitutional coinage for barter. They're also just as liquid as any other type of silver. Yes, it pays to shop around and look for deals as with anything. Just MHO.
For real no one will ever talk me out of stacking war nickels
I love me some war nickels as well!
I buy them for anywhere from .85-1.10. I love war nickels. And I'll pay 2.75-3.10 for 40% half dollars. I also buy dateless under spot. Silver is silver and you can always purify and melt them down.
@@nordoflobsquipple3121 I’m with you brother , I have 5/6 rolls of war nickels
I like the barter scenario raised above and will buy some more
I like your barter scenario
To weigh my safe down I just buy more silver . There’s about 160lbs + the weight of the safe it’s self . By the time they make it down the stairs I’d probably catch up with them and ask them “ hey do you need a hand with that” lol 😂
I would guess, as a weightlifter, that your safe weighs about 5 pounds.
I stick with traditional $100 nickel boxes to assist with weighing the safe down,lol.
I've bought holed coins in otherwise fine condition like a 3 cent silver "trime" or "fish scale" recently off FleaBay, and for what little I paid have been happy just to have them as a "type". Then again, I'm a "casual" and not an "investor-collector", nor have I ever really focused on American coinage, aside from a brief stint as a kid focused on finer condition Mercury dimes. The older the better was always sort of my motto. So I've always tended to be drawn to affordable or even lots of uncleaned ancients like your very basic Roman Imperial stuff (tip: soak 'em in olive oil for a couple of weeks and only then break out the toothpicks and an old toothbrush to see what you got). At a coin shop I tend to be the guy pawing through those various bins of "randoms", often European or other "unclassifieds", just looking for interesting older nuggets. But your advice is good: if you're looking for a little "investment silver", in case the Dollar takes a poop, just rummage through the spot trays of the 90% pre-'65 American silver stuff. I'd further guess that Mercury Dimes, Franklin Halves, dated Standing Liberty Quarters, Morgan or Peace Dollars, or other non-current types might be preferable, since there's no chance of a base metals clad equivalent to confuse even the unknowledgeable, and "old" is generally, if inaccurately, considered more valuable. Even a fairly worn random Mercury dime will always look more "valuable" than a better condition Roosevelt one, which to the untrained eye, if we're someday reduced to fighting with dogs in the streets for food, might merely be seen as just another now-worthless dime. But if the excrement REALLY hits the ventilation device, weigh down your safe with a dozen cans of Fruit Cocktail from the Dollar Tree. One of those will be going for three or four Standing Liberty Halves if things get really bad. And it's anybody's guess what a can opener might be worth.
Don't fight with the dogs..eat them.
I don't have, but I wouldn't mind a decent coin with a whole. My understanding is the much older ones were hold because they were worn by native Americans back in the day. I always found that really intriguing. I like that you enjoy rummaging through sail bins and finding what stands out to you for your interest that's cool. And your description of the ventilation device and what goes with it... hilarious..
I have heard, because of the manganese, that refineries don't like these war nickels so you're only buyers would be collectors, small dealers and Some stackers. If everything collapsed and they wanted the silver from the nickel, with it being harder to work with war nickels, you might only be able to trade it with someone who will want them. So I've heard.
I've never heard that but it makes good sense for sure.
@@Spegtacular i think Dragons or another pointed it out. I have a couple. Just for fun. I had rolls of them but the fractions were debatable and not uniform throughout the community. When silver was $27 i sold them for spot, and my 40% Kennedys, and came back a week later and got bullion grade
You are correct ... Takes the same energy and labor to refine but less silver in the end
To figure out how much a given half dollar is worth, follow these simple steps: Check the date on the coin. 1964 or earlier means it's 90% silver. 1965 to 1970 means it's 40% silver. Also, Even a dateless Standing Liberty 1916 is still generally worth over $1,000, so it's worth knowing what to look for.
Your comment is so true Will! Last week I went through my first 2 rolls of dateless standing liberty quarters 90% silver junk coins. In the 1st roll I found the 1916!. It has big full rims and the date is faint but readable under magnification. It is a fully original uncleaned example. What tipped me off to it being a type 1 was the absence of stars under the eagle. I flipped it over and BEHOLD! The weak rivets on the shield, no squared box on the right side cabinet, the drapery positioned differently on liberty's right arm (left side of obverse). Never thought this would happen to me. I have been very humbled by this experience.
Its amazing how so many people are worried about weighing down something that can easily be bolted to the floor or wall. Especially when they come with bolts🤯
Yes. Every safe company that sells as safe that can be bolted to the floor has recommended that you do so.
I found a 43 P war nickel in my change last week. I did add that one to my stack
I got really excited when I saw the faux-NGG-graded coin in the pile! Alas, it wasn't discussed. Can you (or anyone explain) how you were able to determine it was fake?
Yep, 100% on this video everyone! I like that you still have these examples to show everyone, the mistakes I've made or gaw's I've won that fall under these categories I've long since moved down the line towards gold (except for the fakes of course)...
So everyone that has war nickles, 40% halves & dateless silver coins, put them back in circulation and I'll hunt them. For those who have all ready done so, thank you very much.
Why would they put them back into circulation? Kind of curious…
I wonder the same things spectacular. But once I found out silver is in our currency, I won't pay but face value for Constitutional silver.
Iv got 100 war nickels I bought on Jm bullion years ago.
They were on say I paid 19bucks per dollar FV and I cleaned some for better details and I just give one away every now and again.
Of coarse I explain how neat it is and that they should always be on the lookout for more.
i've learned so much on your channel on how to detect & avoid buying fakes. I have the sigma machine and all of the other little tools to help spoke a fake. Thanks Speg! You the man!
No no! You da man!
That is funny because I also have a dummy safe that I keep out in the open where the others are very well-hidden or off site and the dummy safe is full of some plaited rounds, and all of my electric bill stubs! I should maybe get some rolls of copper plated zinc pennies, probably 2020 and newer so they feel sick in their stomach
You should put one of those ink bombs in there too so they get blasted when they open it 😂
Still on the 1/10 oz challenge, got my September gold 2 days ago , sober October here we go
Twelfth. I'd never destroy my fakes. I have gotten some fakes in the past when I've been too quick to bid on a coin to check seller location or feedback... no sweat, I test every coin I buy and have been refunded (and kept the coin) for every fake that slipped by. I keep them in a labeled tube for "show and tell" and comparative purposes .
I have a couple of war nickels that I only paid face value for. I found them in my pocket change. Same with some silver Washington quarters.
Still a great video even after a year or so.
I am guilty of purchasing some Standing Liberty Quarters with no date left on it. After watching this video I put the couple I had on my scale and they weighed in at 0.193 ozt. I then placed a 1927 Standing Liberty and then a 1916 Barber on the scale and both weighed in at 0.890 ozt. The years of circulation sure took a toll on the coins!
The Washington quarters I have weighed in at 0.200 ozt. Not much of a difference but difference none the less. Multiply that over many coins and you have a significant difference.
The novelty of owning these Standing Liberty and Barber coins is nice and I am glad I have them but from now on I'll be sticking with Washington Quarters.
I dunno about your take on 40%… I bought them at $1 last year and I’m pretty damn happy at where they’re at now. Closest coin to get at spot. Great for budget stackers.
I started my stack with 40% Kennedy . I was buying them for spot and a full tube is about $68. That’s worth stacking to me . I have also never heard of a refiner or coins shop not wanting to buy them . Specially now with silver being so high in demand. War time nickels are also a good way to stack . Silver is silver no matter which way you look at it and you will never ever have an issue reselling . Someone will buy all of it .
The problem comes when you try to sell. Its way harder to find buyers for 40%. I personally don't touch them as they're way to bulky
I have a fake 78 8 tail feather Morgan dollar, it has "COPY" on the reverse and I polished the silver plate off, it's clearly brass. I carry it as a pocket coin
I love the old coins , dates or no dates. I want some
We collectors are all different. I collect coins from the year I was born and earlier no matter what metal was used for minting.
0:38 We adore War Nickels and always have. They contain 35% silver, and every other Jefferson nickel, every Buffalo nickel, every Liberty nickel, every Shield nickel contains 0%. The 1950-D nickel cost us a few bucks, but it's the only other Jefferson nickel that cost us more in a circulated grade than a War Nickel.
I've got the 1915 nickel d,a dealer raw offered my Chicago offered me 5 dollars for a ungraded nickel wats this guy taking abouttttttt
Good morning Speg!!!!..... yeah avoid anything with the queen.
I have a thing for the humble war nickel. It's has its place as a potential good barter coin lesser than dimes and unique being the only US coin to have 35% silver. I got in when they were less than spot btw.
I get lots of war nickels from circulation. Same with dimes quarters and Kennedys. Look inside vending machines and coinstars
From a dealer , silver stacker perspective the war nickels and a few other categories absolutely makes sense. If you are a casual collector filling in a set, let's say a whitman book, if you pay a premium and we are talking about what amounts to coffee money it doesn't really matter. You aren't buying to invest. You are buying to hand over a set to hopefully hand over to a grandchild one day.
I completely agree, especially about the fakes. I've been able to sell (or buy, though I wouldn't do that anymore) cull/jewellery grade gold coins at my LCS. Not all of them want that stuff though so you really are better off avoiding it.
WataFucjnfraud
I have purchased war nickels and 40% to give away. I've kept some because of the history behind them. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching, Gina!
Some useful advice. A collector has to define why he is buying a coin. Usually it is to pass on to subsequent generations. Disposing of unwanted coins is hard work, but like a popular item in the public's eye that one no longer cares for opportunities do appear.
Have you done one on junk silver coins, and what are the best ways to buy it? Besides the silver dimes.
take care
rwmccoy
i agree with all but the JFK halfs, as a collector gotta have them
Thanks for the information
Great video, as a part time coin investor too I would say its good, I do invest in other coins and currency pairs too.
Have been investing in crypto for some time now and I have to say, its really cool especially with the current rise of the market for now
I learned about Love Tokens from coin guy on your channel. I've bought so many at good deals. They're so awesome!
When it comes right down to it, personal preference is the key..
Thks for the great info
hating on all my faves 🤣 it’s cool it’s cool the less people that buy those the more for me to stack 🤪🔥🐉
Different strokes for different folks ;)
Excellent advice, SpegTacular 👍
Very informative always.
I have a couple of Love tokens still one of my drilled coin looks to be Mint State. So a bit positive even on a holed coin.
kind of lucked out with my local pawn SLQs, barbers, and slicks are sold by the weight.
You don't want to buy stuff by the weight! Because some vendors will make sure your coins are very dirty. So you'll be buying dirt and not silver. Never buy by weight only by face value
@@markroberts9577 I guess thats a valid point as well never thought about the dirt on coins
Thankyou Sir.
Great video! I agree on the War nickels, the 40% coins from 1965 and later, the slicks (although they do still count as silver), and the fakes. But please, I implore you, just for this one thing: please stop saying, "jewl-ery"! You said it so many times I was going into a spazalitic state. The word is, "jewelry." And by the way, when the mounted soldiers come to the rescue, it's the "cavalry," and not the "calvary." ("Calvary" is a different thing altogether.) Please help me to retain this tenuous grip I have on my sanity. Thank you!
I agree! Not hating on Spegtacular, just commenting in general on the pronunciation of these words. Another few that are like nails on a chalkboard for me..."nuke-you-ler" (wrong) vs. nuclear (nuke-lee-er) and "real-eh-tor" (wrong) vs. "real-tor"
I might have to disagree with some of your pricing. Getting anywhere near spot is generous in my state. The reason being is that silver depots have a hard time separating the silver from the rest of the metals which means more work so they don’t pay much for them. If you are lucky you might get slightly under a dollar. During the last run up of silver, when it hit over $50 an ounce I cashed in just about all of my war nickels for over $2.50 apiece.
The 40% silver Kennedy half does sometimes get a nice premium over spot. It usually depends on condition and date. For them to be worth more, they need to be in pristine condition or 1970. The 1970 is collectible is because non were minted for circulation. So the only way you could get one is to buy an uncirculated set. This is also the lowest mintage of the 40% halves.
Do you have a video on what to look for in fake coins? What markings to look for in a real coin vs fake one?
Cleaned coins are a definite don't for collectors of numismatics. I have bought a few 90% cleaned and polished coins here and there, but who I bought them from charges a very low price, so I was good with that purchase for my silver stack. I also have a cleaned 1883 Morgan I carry around as a pocket piece as well.
i would rather have a cull morgan than an xf cleaned one
I’m super happy with the 40% halves that I found. I will keep them.
Guess I'm overly cautious, don't buy from any source that I can't verify as reputable. Thanks, good advice. 👍👍
Thanks for watching, David!
I feel like the thing to remember about all of these coins is that these coins with precious metals are always getting destroyed and etc, and I am a firm believer that you should always get anything and everything for the right price. I feel as though that even though the 40% silver half dollars contain as much silver as two 90% silver dimes, just remember that both coins still have copper content in them, and that is a very useful metal used in many different things. So even though they might not have as much precious metal in them, there is functional metal in them that can be used, and it should always be considered which is why you should be a bulk collector and just buy everything when its at the price that works for YOU.
i have one war nickel, just to have it.....but i do like the 40% kennedys....i get em pretty much at spot from my LCS....i like them alot and eventually they will be more in demand... they dont make them anymore and they are at least 50 years old....i have a few rolls....
There's a viable market for counterfeit/ copy coins/ tribute coins. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean people shouldn't buy, sale, trade in them.
I understand both "fake" and "copy", but if it's a "Fake copy", doesn't that mean it's real?
Good video. Personally, I don't buy any bullion less than 90% silver.
I don't understand much of this.
Sure, the war nickels are low percentage, but it's still got silver. 40% halves still got silver. Cleaned/ex-jewelry gold coins are still gold.
And the argument that a dateless silver coin "is not a coin" makes no sense. How can a dateless SLQ not be a coin anymore? It still says "United States of America", and the face value on the back. By that logic, I can rub the year off a modern coin and use it, only to get in trouble because it's not considered a coin anymore due to the date being missing.
If you disagree with me then that’s ok. Go ahead and buy these that I don’t recommend and then let me know what happens when it’s time to sell :)
I recently bought 400 war nickels from my LCS for 9% below spot. I agree they aren't worth paying a premium for, but at that price I couldn't pass it up.
Always interesting watch even though I haven't got any US coins yet 😍👍👍👍
We can agree to disagree but I agree....
I would buy dateless coins if they are cheap enough
Avoid
Why buy dateless coins if you can buy ones with dates for not much more? Coin with dates are more desirable to own, even if you're just stacking silver.
I don't see any issue buying a jewelry grade or cleaned coin, so long as the price is down closer to generic scrap gold. It's always worth something to the guy who's melting it all back down.
there is a legit good use for dateless coins ... punch four holes in them and repurpose them as coat buttons or cabochons on leather to add a bit of flare to a period outfit or just to have another use for silver bullion.
I used to drive around bank to bank in high school 96 2000 and buy half dollar rolls and go to the coin shop and make money all my friends caught on and I started driving Maine New Hampshire and Massachusetts now it's impossible unless u know someone who works for the bank and then call you when they get a grandma in
Keeping garbage coins and replicas in my cabinet would give others a false impression of me
I avoid these types of coins if possible, sometimes they come in pre 64 bagged buys... I don't mind having some war nickels around to give as gifts, same with the 40%... I don't mind cleaned gold as long as it can be bought around spot... I think that is ok for stacking only... holes in coins are a real bummer...but I know it was used to jewelry or to carry around and not lose... still some of those might have a cool history if they are old enough... once again though needs to be sold at spot or really close and for stacking only...
Yes!
QUICK NOTE:
At the 10:38 minute mark, you show the engraving on the reverse of that Seated Liberty dime. Nice. But I did see a potential problem with the raised staples on that 2x2 flip. Ideally, those should be flattened down or it runs the risk of damaging other coins, when handling several together. I've done that by accident. So I use a 5 inch, flat nose pliers with 'smooth jaws,' that you can buy at any hardware store for about $15 bucks. It works perfectly to flatten down those raised staple edges, and leaves no marks as would a typical set of pliers with crisscrosses on the paper flip. No one wants to accidentally add a fresh, clean, modern scratch into the field of a nicely toned Morgan or on any valuable coin you have in your collection. -- Nice videos!
I either put them in a plastic flip or airtight as soon as I receive them.the ones that I put in airtight generally come in flips so I don't have to buy any.Having said that I really didn't even think about the damage caused by staples,so thank you for that information.👍👍
Not keen on staples altogether! Eek!
This is why being a Silver Stacker myself I stay away from coins. I only stack 10 and Kilo and 100 ounce BARS! DEMAND PHYSICAL SILVER NOW 🥈!! Destroy the BANKSTERS 🏦!!
Great video and info
Great content! As a very part time coin collector this info is very important to know. I love the off silver content of halves and nickels so I am guilty of stacking them!
Thanks for watching, Jaim!
2024 - Lot of (10) 1 oz Canadian Silver Maple Leaf Coin Brilliant Uncirculated $376.00
I bought a bunch of nickels for cheap when spot was 14$ mar 2020.
I use have wheat pennies and nickels in my safe, don't keep the shiny stuff at home.
Thanks for the info*
I have a fake NGC 2009 Canada Maple Leaf G$50 MS69. Took it from a guy a couple years ago. It looks really good. Without the Sigma it would be hard to tell
Even though they are slick and dateless, I still like them. Reminds me when I was a kid and I would get one a run off to the nearby candy store and buy penny candy and five cent snack cakes
What do you say to people who say we should stack nickels for the copper and nickel in them?
Lol, I bought a handful of no date SLQs because I like then and they were half of spot.
Half of spot? Sounds like you robbed someone
@@Spegtacular It was at a coin show, he had a pile like the one you had in the video. I bought $20 worth because my budget for shopping is pretty small and wanted to be able to buy other stuff, you know with dates LOL. I do videos on stuff as I pick it up if interested in checking it out. Just posted stuff from the last coin show, but the show I'm talking about is titled "Coin Show Haul (Lot 2) US not so JUNK silver, Constitutional 90% Quarters, Walkers, Half Dollars etc" from 6 months ago when silver was kind of high (little over $26 an ounce) some a quarter was worth around $4.68 if I remember correctly and the dateless SLQs were $2.50 each. So I bought 8 for $20
35% and 40% are perfectly fine, if you get them for a little under spot. Better to have silver than no silver.
These are your barter coins. When spot creeped near 29/ounce those 40 percenters thinking was bang on with spot.
Ok the silver nickle and the 40%
I see a use there normally cheaper right? Less premium right?
If you think you might need to barter for small stuff. Like a few eggs a meal you anything small.
Would they not be better than the little tiny silver bars? Would they not have less premium than the little bar?
Ms-62 gold coins that are problem free are okay by me, for bullion. Common date gold coins don't go too much higher than bullion, so why not get something that is authenticated as real gold? IMHO. Love your shows Speg!
Thanks for your support, Buckeye!
Others have commented about this in other ways...If you are buying these coins for their silver content only AT WEIGHT value (like dateless coins) just to have silver, and expect to sell it that way, then you are probably ok. Especially if you are stacking for bullion value only....kind of like buying poured silver or rounds. Just make sure the price you pay is in line with the weight of the coins at the % silver in them...and I'd not pay any premium for any numismatic reasons if the coins are damaged/dateless.
When I bought my Kennedy Clads, I did the math and it was a good value. The bad thing I see is having to carry around the 60% of no good metal.
Tim Kennedy Kennedy clad half dollars means no silver
Get some chemicals and refine them.
The only thing I would disagree with you on
Are dateless coins
I thought it was the face value assigned to the coin that makes it a coin ..?
Especially standing liberties was they usually done have the date anymore
Name another coin without a date
@@Spegtacular good point
I don't really stack quarters anyway .. o try to stay away from 50% and less as a general rule :) 👍👍
The Kennedy half dollars were not minted from 1965 through 1970, but were originally first minted in 1964 (@ 3.24 in your video).
Thomas, those years are 40% silver Kennedy. I think you have some confusion there. Thanks for the comment.
I use to be a waitress in the 80's when tips were mostly cash and coins. I did this for 13 years. Had 1000's probably in coins I cashed in at banks. I had heard about some could be silver coins, but silver at that time was only $4 an ounce, so I couldn't be bothered to look for them. I wish I knew then what I know now. I would definitely taken the time to look for them. No, I wouldn't pay top price for what is being pointed out in this video but at a good price, i wouldn't discount them as worthless either. One thing we all do know, silver demand is increasing by the day. Dollar demand is decreasing by the day. If this were poker, any silver is an ace, king or queen and the dollar is the joker card.
My brother bought a lot of seven Morgan silver dollars at a flea market and all but one of them ended up being counterfeit (he really should have known something was up when the Morgan head was reversed on some of them). He ended up not getting fucked over too bad though because he paid a fairly small premium at the time (silver was just under $14/oz and he bought them for $15 each) and even though they were fake, they were still made to match the composition of the real coins and were 90% silver so he holds them as normal bullion.
I would say he lucked out on that.
So while you're enjoying dumping safe kept coins like they deserve a beatin- maybe you'll consider taking the next step into madness and donate some of them to a brand newbie hunter- collector lol. Its my first month doing this & I've seen 100s of vids on paper/coin currency, mostly coins, but you're the first one to inform on specific items to avoid buying. Thank you. Am not quite at the buying stage yet, hoping to sell or swap some coins/stamps saved over time simply bc they caught my eye for some reason, like being off colored or not feeling right weight or size wise, obviously old ones & some that looked like mint mistakes. The habit resulted in my having a bunch of crazy cool & a few sought after coins, & even some vintage stamps & postcards bc I can't throw old stuff out lol am keeping most of it, but have to try & sell some to fund this hobby. Where would you suggest buying silver anyway, if i may ask? Will check your vid catalog for the answer to that, thanks again- subscribed
As a collector of usa coins I bought war nickels and I know that I was buying them over what I could sell them but that’s the difference between a stacker and a collector I guess
I like your videos nice coins my friend
The war nickels and 40 percent halves I have I have acquired at face value. I have only paid more than face value once
If you're really just stacking, then all your buying and selling should be done based on weight/metal content. Things like condition/holes/no dates aren't important beyond personal preference... And if you aren't buying based on weight the best things to avoid are circulated coins. A roll of 50 circulated mercury dimes could weigh the same as 49 Roosevelt dimes, so paying based on per $ face the mercs are more expensive. If you buy based on per $ face then you need to sell based on that too.
Where and how you buy is more important than which specific items. They're all round pieces of metal...
Also - a dateless coin is still legal tender. Once a coin always a coin. And just because a coin doesn't have a date does not mean the year cannot be determined. Lots of ways to identify dateless coins.
15:45 What's the Saint Gaudens actually made from?
Thank you. I found this video informative.
Glad you enjoyed it, Thamarkman!
I was under the assumption that professionally graded coins are checked to be genuine.
Just before the 2008 mellt down,Melt value of the Nickel was 8 CENTS. IT FELL TO 3 cents, and is now about 4 cents.
I buy Morgans over silver eagles bc if silver goes down to $10 an ounce silver eagles will sell at $18-20 per ounce but Morgan's will still sell at $40-60 in decent condition with less total silver weight than eagles
I can’t go along with the idea that all of these are clear mistakes or that they should necessarily be avoided in all cases. I think that actually goes too far, and isn’t exactly acccurate. I agree with a great deal of what you said, but I think that there are a few things that you’re missing. I think the highest price I’ve paid for a War Nickel has been $2, but most have been a bit less $1.50, $1.60, $1.75, etc… I think I have a little over 100 of the War Nickels, but that’s after more than a decade of buying Silver. Regarding fakes of the coins in question, I think you could probably find fakes of almost every coin, if you looked hard enough. The point isn’t actually that they are “never” faked, but simply that they are faked far less often than other more profitable fakes. I agree with you on the jewelry grade coins, as well as the culls, slicks, damaged, polished, cleaned, and dateless coins. I never buy Barbers, Standing Liberties, etc… Generally speaking, I’m not a collector. I’m almost exclusively a stacker, but the most important part of my stack is its diversity, which in terms of the insurance policy that “real money” is for me, translates into “more options”. I do want value, yes, but I want options more than anything else. I can imagine possible circumstances where things like War Nickels and 40% half dollars could fly under the radar of taxes and regulations that will inevitably raise up around Gold and Silver. In an environment where the monetary metals are rising in price, being used more as both reserve assets and components of an ever-more technologically based world, as well as becoming more rare in terms of ore grade and overall global production, it still makes sense to purchase these coins passively. In a crisis situation, it is prudent to have several options. I can get on board with telling any stacker to avoid making these kinds of coins (i.e. War Nickels & 40% half dollars) a focus of your stack, but I would certainly buy them at good prices and purchase them passively or occasionally over time. Great video over all, but I felt compelled to tell you where you’re TOTALLY WRONG! Hahahaha! Keep up the good work!
Thank you for this information. My question is how do you know if the coin is fake? Does it still have silver or gold? Is it just plated? JH
th-cam.com/video/xfhS23pBaF4/w-d-xo.html
My dad was scammed when he bought me fake coins for $5 each. But I love them. And $5 seems appropriate for a fake coin. Those are the coins that I show to kids and such so I don't have to show them my real valuable coins.
I agree with you 100% but I love my fake coins.
Fake coins should sell for nothing because they’re fake and that’s illegal to knowingly sell counterfeit coins.
I think that fake coins should be sold for melt.
I consider them junk silver.. I got a bite of junk I should buy alot good video thx for letting us know about them coins I remember buying 3 small gold coins took them in to sell them found out it was gold plated later I do the magnet test and they sticked to it dalm god very mad and they person who sold them to me disappeared but I learned my lesson don't buy from people u don't know... Know I buy from recognized dealers!!
My only fake coin I know of is a proof-like ASE I bought on eBay. It is on my fridge with a magnet just as a fun token of my stacking interests. I get lots of enjoyment from it, although I know it's next to worthless.
The coin graded Is not fake right