Expert: Ronald Fern - 11/14/2009

Question
Mr. Fern, Hello my name is Joe and the other day my grandma wanted to show me a bunch of coins and came across a few that I was hoping to find out more about.

First, I have 6 Silver " Morgan " dollars, with the following years:
1879,1882,(2) 1890, 1900, and 1901

I was also told to look at the letter above the" DO " in dollars on the back, that they could be significant?

1879 none.. ,1882 none ,1890 S , 1890 S, 1900 O , and 1901 O

Next I have 1 dozen Buffalo Nickles years from:1919 to 1937, and i cannont read the years on about 6 of them.

I also have a handful of silver/Nickle colored Pennies from the 30's and 40's.

Also a 1922 liberty silver dollar.

And before I forget, there are also 6 coins smaller than a dime that appear to be made of gold.. but I cant really read them although they appear to be in great condition. Thanks for all your time!  

Answer
Hi Joe:

You actually are asking about 5 different types of coins, not three. I'd suggest you try and limit the types to no more than one or two per question. You should take your coins to a professional dealer near you for a "free" estimate of their worth. Most dealers will tell you what they'd offer for your coins at no charge.

To be able to give you the best opinion on the values of any of your coins, they need to be properly graded. I can give you a range for the retail values, but you should review the link I provide to better grade your coins by comparing the examples to your pieces.
Link: http://coinauctionshelp.com/How_To_Grade_Morgan_Dollars.html

You can replace the "Morgan Dollars" with the other types you have to get the other grading guides.

A current issue of "Coin Values" show the retail value of your Morgan dollars to be: 1879-P, $20 in Good condition to $30 in Extra Fine condition; 1882-P, $20 in Good condition to $30 in Extra Fine condition; 1890-S (San Francisco), $20 in Good condition to $30 in Extra Fine condition, 1900-O (New Orleans), $20 in Good condition to $30 in Extra Fine condition, and 1901-O, $20 in Good condition to $30 in Extra Fine condition. The 1922 is a "PEACE" dollar. The eagle has it's wings folded on the reverse, and is a newer design. Look on the lower left side for a mint mark. Your coin should have a "D" (Denver) or an "S". It's value is $20 in Very Good condition to $27 in Extra Fine condition.

Your buffalo nickels are probably "common" dates. They sell for about fifty to seventy five cents each with a full date. Check the lower reverse for a "D" or "S" mintmark below the mound  the bison is standing on to determine if your pieces are more valuable. Dateless buffalo nickels sell for about ten to fifteen cents each, and are used for cut out coin jewelry.

The "silver" cents are actually steel plated zinc cents struck only in 1943 when copper was used for shell casings during the war effort. Many are corroded, and were reprocessed. They are worth about ten cents each in well circulated grades.

I can not estimate what the 6 smaller coins are worth based on the information you provided. They could be fractional California "gold" coin replicas that sell on eBay for about $5 each. Check out the "Exonumia" category in coins and currency to see if you find your pieces listed.

Remember, should you choose to sell your coins, get at least two estimates from professional coin dealers (PNG). I've listed a link for you to find them in your area.
Link: http://www.pngdealers.com/dealersearch.php

Dealers normally pay between 50% to 60% of retail for items they want.

You may want to check eBay listings in the various categories of your pieces under US coins from time to time to see if coins like yours are listed and what they are going for. You may also want to check out this link on coin values: http://values.hobbizine.com/coin-index.html

Please remember to go to the experts site to rate this answer. And check the nomination box on the rating page below any comments you may have.

Thank You and Good Luck in your collecting.