Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Gold Coin

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Expert: - 10/22/2009


Question

14gm (4) ducat
Hi!

I have 3 Gold, 14g coins, I believe to be 4 Ducat coins
Dates:
1856-1857-& 1855 how can I find out if they have numismatic value ?

Answer
Hi Tom,
These coins certainly have numismatic value beyond that of the gold. These are scarce coins, with less than 10,000 coins minted for each of these dates.
Are all of them holed like the one in the picture? I ask because condition makes an enormous difference in the value of these coins. Mint condition examples are worth in excess of $3,000 despite the bullion value of around $500. However, the hole will decrease the value by more than half, and sometimes as low as just 10% or so above bullion value. The coin in the picture looks to be right around mint condition, if not for the hole. Lightly circulated examples without a hole or damage still run into the $1,500 range.
Thanks for the question! =)

Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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