Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 8/27/2009

Question
hi x Italian coin from 1790, i was just wondering how much a coin this old would be sold for? Also when buying coins should i look at the age first is that the most important part of coin collecting? for example the older the better? many thanks Chelsea x


Answer
Hi Chelsea,
In 1790 Italy was a confederation of many states, each with their own coinage. Without additional information, or a picture of the coin you have, I can't tell you much about value.
Age rarely relates to value, as the primary factor. The number one aspect that determines value is scarcity... how many coins of such a type and year were made.
Typically if two coins of the same type have around the same mintage, then the older one will have more value. However, there are many exceptions to this rule.
After mintage, you want to look at condition. The value difference between a worn and perfect coin can be many thousands of percent.
As far as the Italian States, some of the larger states' coins are not particularly scarce, while others are quite rare. The silver coins are usually more valuable than the copper, even with higher mintage.
Thanks for the question! =)