Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Vatican coin set

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Expert: - 4/13/2010


Question

Vatican sets
Hello Dmitry,

Thank you for your response! I had an offer of $40 for one set last week and didn't know whether to take it or not.

To answer your question, they are four coins on a single card. They are currently stored in clear plastic sleeves but I seem to remember them originally wrapped in cellophane which has since deteriorated.

I have included another photo. My apologies, as I am having a difficult time taking a clear closeup even with macro, tripod and self timer. It should give you an idea, though, of what the set looks like. The opposite side of the blue card is identical to the red. They are both 1942.

Did you mean the 4-coin set is worth about $40 - 50 at auction or the single coin? If I were to sell a set, about what could I expect to get?

I never thought of them as having anything more than sentimental value (from my favorite uncle), but now that they're 68 yrs old maybe I could raise a little money with them.

Thank you for your help.

Joe

Answer
Hi again Joe,
The $40 to $50 price is for the whole set. The offer you had was certainly a fair one. Even if you sold it at auction for $50, after fees you only get around $40 net total anyway.
If they were removed from the set, the combined value of the coins would be half of that. The most expensive single coin would be the 2 lira, which by itself can sell for $8 to $10.
Thanks again! =)

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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