Expert: PAPAJACK - 12/10/2007

Question
How do I find out how much they are valued or if they are counterfeits
1-Indian head copper wheat penny-1909
1-pure silver dime

Answer
Hello Debra,                     

I doubt these are counterfeit coins. They are very common coins and not overly valuable in circulated grades.

If you do not want to do the work yourself there are many coin dealers and appraisers available to use.
Values for coins are determined by grade and how rare a coin is.
With no or little experience you may want to let a dealer or an advanced collector look at them.

In each series of coin type there are some quick reference points of wear to be seen on the high points that are known to show wear first. Most of these are covered in the RED BOOK. If you can borrow a copy it will help. The grading details it describes at the start of each coin series is taken from the American Numismatic Association Standard. And uses the 1 to 70 scale recognized by all professionals since the 1970's.

Most circulated coins range from Good (grade-G4) to Almost Uncirculated (grade-AU50) on the scale. So remember a grade of Good is only 4 out of a possible 70.

I can only give you a range of prices without more details on the coin.

For a 1909 Indian head Philadelphia mint Cent:
Very Good (Grade-8) = $7.00
Fine (grade-12) = $8.00
Very Fine (grade-20) = $8.50
Extremely Fine (grade-40) = $14.00 and
Almost Uncirculated (grade-50) = $20.00
The San Francisco mint coin is much more valuable. It would have an S on the back below the wreath.

For a 1910 Barber Head Philadelphia mint dime:
Very Good (Grade-8) = $2.50
Fine (grade-12) = $3.50
Very Fine (grade-20) = $5.50
Extremely Fine (grade-40) = $20.00 and
Almost Uncirculated (grade-50) = $50.00
Both the Denver and San Francisco mint coin is much more valuable. It would have a D or S on the back below the wreath.

A word of advice; do not try to clean the coins in any way. Learning to estimate the grade of the coins and noting any cleaning or mishandling is the key to finding the value.
For more information on US coins see if you can borrow or use at your library a copy of the book titled "A Guide Book of U. S. Coins" by R. S. Yeoman.

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack

P.S. If you do need more information I can direct you to a coin person in your area. Write me back to let me know.