Der Franklin Mint Collectibles Value Guide (2023)

FAQs

Is anything from Franklin Mint valuable? ›

Franklin Mint collectibles often sell for a fraction of what owners paid for them. Franklin Mint collectibles are marketed as valuable items one can purchase as an investment in order to see the item's value appreciate over time.

According to the Dealer's Guide, each ingot contains an “average” of 900 grains of sterling silver, so that too is close to the 885-grain number quoted by the Franklin Mint. At 900 grains of sterling silver (. 925 silver), each ingot would conceivably contain about 1.90 ounces of silver.

On March 2, 2023, Retail Ecommerce Ventures, The Franklin Mint's current parent, announced that it was mulling a possible bankruptcy filing.

The Franklin Mint was a private mint established in 1964 in Pennsylvania. It mass produced and marketed silver commemorative rounds and collectable medallions. They produced ingots, collector's plates, collector's spoons, philatelic covers, Canadian collectibles, and Christmas ornaments.

As you would guess, the lower the Mintage, often the more valuable the coin. For National Coin Week in 2019, the U.S. Mint released two million of each of the five designs of that year's America the Beautiful quarters bearing the “W” (West Point) mint mark into circulation.

The value of a silver bullion coin is largely determined by its weight and purity. The heavier a coin and the more silver it contains, the higher its value. Actual Silver Weight (ASW) is a key metric to understand when determining the real value of silver coins.

You can often distinguish 90% silver coins that were produced before 1965 by examining the edge. Clad copper coins have a visible ring of brown around the side, while silver coins are solid silver around the edge. Some of the most valuable 90% silver coins include: 1946-1964 Roosevelt Dimes.

Over time, models were often made available in several different paint schemes. Models were made in China, usually in batches of between 1,000 and 5,000 pieces.

The three coins are identified by the mint mark on the reverse. It appears above the center of the Liberty Bell and below the “E” in “STATES.” A small “D” mint mark identifies the coin as being struck in Denver, while an “S” means it was made in San Francisco. Coins from Philadelphia have no mint mark.

Does Franklin Mint still exist? ›

THe Franklin Mint Today

Along with Pier1, Radio Shack, Dress Barn, and Linen N Things, The Franklin Mint was acquired by Retail Ecommerce Ventures and was given the opportunity to relaunch and re-vamp its' online website in order to reach all collectors and numismatists around the world.

US Mint coins are a worthy investment choice because of the design (Eagle Design), especially for the Gold bullion coins. Additionally, the US Mint produces a range of commemorative coinage that transcends their intrinsic metal value.

Uncirculated coins & Their Value

The main attraction of buying uncirculated coins is usually for collectors, as they will often increase significantly in value over time and be worth more than their circulated counterparts.

Investing in rare coins can potentially provide long-term gains, but it is not ideal for short-term profits. The rare-coin market can fluctuate like the stock market as demand for a particular coin increases and wanes. In general, rare coins are a fairly nonvolatile asset type.

Reputable coin dealers, Coin Auctions, eBay, and Price Guides are great places to start. If your coins are graded by one of the Top Tier grading services like PCGS or NGC, you can usually get a reasonable value estimate sight-unseen!

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Clipped Planchets

These damaged planchets might end up in the coining press, resulting in one of the rarest mint error coins there is.

All quarters minted before 1965 are worth their silver value. All Standing Liberty quarters have a premium above that value, except for well-worn coins. Among Washington quarters, only the 1932-D and 1932-S have a significant premium over the silver value.

All U.S. dimes made before 1965 are 90% silver, so they command prices many times their face value. Most dimes produced after 1964 are worth only face value. There are exceptions, however, such as error coins.

Look at Silver Price & Demand Trends

The general recommendation for selling silver is to take this step when demand and prices are higher. According to Capital.com, silver is expected to remain somewhere around the $24-per-ounce range throughout 2022.

Should a magnet stick to a silver coin? ›

The Magnet Test

"Silver is not noticeably magnetic, and exhibits only weak magnetic effects unlike iron, nickel, cobalt, and the like," says Martin. "If your magnet sticks strongly to the piece, it has a ferromagnetic core and is not silver." Fake silver or silver-plated items are generally made of other metals.

To sell your silver coins, finding a reputable dealer is essential. Choose a local, in-person precious metals dealer with an excellent industry reputation. These dealers specialize in buying and selling coins, so they know how to assess their value and will give you a high price for your pieces.

Junk silver coins are circulated 90% US silver coins, minted prior to 1965 that are referred to as “junk” because they contain no collectible or numismatic value. Instead, junk silver coins are bought and sold purely for their silver content.

Every year of the Roosevelt Dime minted through 1964 — the last year a U.S. ten-cent coin was minted in silver for circulation.

A particularly rare Franklin half dollar variety is the 1961 doubled die proof. It bears strong doubling across the reverse of the coin. Examples of this sought-after variety easily realize $2,500 or more.

By mintages, the key dates in this series are the 1948, 1949-S, 1953 and 1955. Franklin half dollars have been extensively melted for their silver, and many dates are rarer than the mintage figures indicate.

Under President Johnson, the 1965 Coinage Act was passed that eliminated silver from certain coins due to a silver and coin shortage.

The small capital letter on the obverse ("heads" side) of a coin tells collectors, customers, and institutions where that coin was minted. The responsibility for striking our Nation's coins is divided among mints in Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point.

There are today four United States mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point. The bullion depository at Fort Knox is also part of the Mint system.

What does a mint mark look like on a silver dollar? ›

The mint mark for Morgan silver dollars is located at the bottom center of the coin below the wreath and slightly above the letters “D” and “O” in “Dollar.” This is true for all Morgan silver dollars, including the coins minted in 1921.

The main difference is visible in the small eagle on the reverse and relates to the number of feathers that are visible to the left of the perch on which the eagle sits. Type I shows four, clear feathers to the left of the perch; Type 2 shows three feathers.

According to different scholars, the Lydian stater is considered the world's oldest coin still around. Made of a mix of gold and silver called electrum, these early coins were minted around 600 BCE in the kingdom of Lydia in the modern country of Turkey.

Mintages gradually curtailed before the denomination was discontinued entirely in 1935. Mint officials knew inventories far outweighed demand, so the master dies for the silver dollar were destroyed in 1937.

The Fugio cent, also known as the Franklin cent, is the first official circulation coin of the United States. Consisting of 0.36 oz (10 g) of copper and minted dated 1787, by some accounts it was designed by Benjamin Franklin.

The obvious place to sell your old coins is your local coin shop. They will be your best bet for selling low- to mid-range old coins like Wheat cents, Buffalo nickels, junk silver, and scarce silver coins and silver dollars.

Numerous collectors look for these coins with a Native American on one and a buffalo on the other side, particularly appreciating rare pieces and errors. Most specimens come in a price of $10 to $350, but the most valuable Buffalo nickels can be worth tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Rarity: Proof coins are less common than general uncirculated coins, making them highly collectable. Value: Proof coins are typically considered more valuable (but this is not always the case). Condition: Proof coins are shipped in exceptional condition and are usually free from any visual blemishes.

The only way for a coin to be classified as uncirculated is if there is no evidence of wear anywhere on the coin. In other words, the luster is bright and complete across the entire surface of the coin.

The Federal Reserve assembles rolls of Uncirculated coins from the mint, circulated coins from banks, or a mixture of the two for delivery to banks that need them.

Does the Royal Mint buy rare coins? ›

At The Royal Mint we will buy back your gold, silver and platinum bullion coins and bars. Including coins that were not produced at The Royal Mint.

A mintmark can be a major determinant of a coin's rarity and value, but of even greater interest is the story it tells of the development of American coinage. The first U.S. Mint began operations in 1792 in Philadelphia, then the nation's capital.

US Mint coins are a worthy investment choice because of the design (Eagle Design), especially for the Gold bullion coins. Additionally, the US Mint produces a range of commemorative coinage that transcends their intrinsic metal value.

If you have a coin dealer you trust, they can help you appraise your coins for free. You can also find a licensed appraiser on the professional coin grading service or organization around you. Experts in one area tend to charge more since they are more knowledgeable and widely well-versed in a particular coin.

Download Coinoscope app on your Android or iPhone for FREE and start identifying coins!

There is no benefit to attempting to clean a collectible coin. Copper never re-tones to its original color and look anyway. Put down the polish before you destroy something historical and throw away a fortune.

One quick way to determine if a coin is rare or valuable is to look at the mintage. That's the number of copies of the coin that the US mint produced (aka issued). The lower the original number of copies printed, the more valuable a coin will likely become.

“There are millions and millions of wheat pennies and most commonly they trade for three-to-five cents a piece. If you're looking for a particular date, it can be much, much more than that. The rarest is the 1909 VDB. Those can be worth anywhere from $700 to $1,500 depending on the coin's grade.

Investing in modern bullion coins, such as Canadian Maple Leaf silver coins and American Gold Eagles, is a great way to get started. These coins all contain high-grade gold or silver, making them excellent precious metal investments.

Coin collections have a profound and rich history, and to preserve that history you need to store your coins so they will not get damaged. Properly stored coins will be worth more and will provide more money to your heirs when it comes time to sell them.

Which pennies are worth keeping? ›

This is because coins produced at the Philadelphia mint, which did not have mint marks, are considered more rare and more desirable among collectors. A 1944 no mint Wheat Penny in circulated condition can be worth around 50 cents to $2. A 1944 no mint Wheat Penny in good condition can be worth around $2 to $10.