Best Coin Dealer Evansville Near Me

4worldlovers:
Most jewelry made with a precious metal will have a mark or stamp identifying the metal used. The most common marks for gold in the United States are 10k and 14k.


A karat, when used with gold, is a unit of purity. 24k is pure gold and may be also identified with the mark .999 or 999. Usually gold is mixed with a metal like copper or silver to make jewelry because pure gold is too soft. Each karat indicates 1/24th purity. So, if a piece of jewelry is made of metal that is 18 parts gold and 6 parts copper or other metal(s) it is 18 karat gold (18k) or 75% pure, sometimes indicated by the mark .750 or 750.


14 karat (14k) is 58.3% pure but is sometimes marked with the number 585.


12 karat (12k) is 50% pure and is usually found in black hills gold.


10 karat (10k) is 41.7% pure and sometimes marked 417 or .417. 10k is the lowest purity gold that can be sold in the United States.

Other gold from around the world can be found as 22k (917), 21k (875), 9k (375) or 8K (333).

The term carat, with a "C" by the way, is a measurement of weight and is used primarily to measure gemstones.

Platinum will have a mark such as PT 950 or 950 PT (95%), PT 900 or 900 PT (90%).

Flatware and hollow ware (teapots, candlesticks, platters, trays, vases, salt & pepper shakers, etc.) is most commonly marked "sterling" although there are exceptions such as a British manufacturer's hallmark or 925. Also, other levels of purity may be found in items such as German 80% (800).

While the above is generally true, there are many exceptions. Pieces may have been repaired or altered, never marked to begin with or even counterfeited.

If you are uncertain of what you have, do not hesitate to bring it in for a no obligation, accurate analysis. We are the area's leading purchaser of coins for their precious metal content or collectible value.

While you might think a bright, shiny coin would be worth more than a dull, dirty one, that is not true. A bright, shiny coin is only worth more if it has survived throughout its lifetime in that condition. Cleaning coins can and will damage them. Even if the damage is not visible to the naked eye, it is there. Most coin experts can identify immediately if a coin has been cleaned. Cleaning a coin will reduce its collectible value by up to 50%. Cleaning a coin that is only valued for its precious metal content will not affect the value but since it will not increase it, it would be a waste of time and you might unwittingly decrease any potential collectible value that you were unaware of. Moreover, a coin can be tarnished or dirty looking and still have very little wear and be worth very much. Some coins can even have quite a bit of wear, be dirty or tarnished and due to their scarcity, still be very valuable.

US coins minted prior to 1965 contain 90% silver except pennies, nickels and of course, gold coins; not to mention an odd few others such as 2 cent pieces and 3 cent nickels. Half dollars from 1965 – 1970 contain 40% silver. Nickels minted in 1942 with the "S" and "P" mintmark and all 1943, 1944 and 1945 nickels (referred to sometimes as "War Nickels" because they were minted during World War II or silver nickels) contain 35% silver and can sometimes still be found in circulation. Some Canadian coins contain silver through 1968. Foriegn currency is not nearly as collectible in the U.S. but many older foreign coins contain silver or gold and some are collectible. Also, many foreign mints still produce gold and silver bullion coins such as South African gold Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs and Chinese Pandas to name a few.

Additionally, the US Mint produces a wide variety of uncirculated, proof and commemorative coins and coin sets containing various percentages of silver, gold and even platinum. With the recent rise in prices of precious metals, the precious metal content of an older coin may actually be more valuable than the collectible or "numismatic" value of the coin.