CoinBidders

"Better Date" Coins

Uncommon coins deserve uncommon prices...
The purpose of this page is to identify "better date" coins. Our buy prices for common date coins can be found on the main We Are Buying page.
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Please note that our buy prices are for problem-free coins. Coins that are damaged (show signs of cleaning, holes, scratches, nicks, corrosion, altered surfaces or any other damage) may be worth considerably less. Please note that our buy prices are subject to change without notice. We are not responsible for typographical errors and will not be obligated to honor prices published in error.
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If you have any of the "better date" coins listed on this page, please ship them to us today for our offer ~ we need your coins! Please include an inventory list and your asking prices, if applicable. If we can meet your asking prices, we'll simply send a check. If we cannot meet your asking prices, we'll either ship the coins back to you at our expense, or we'll call you with our offer. If you don't know what your coins are worth, ship them anyway ~ we'll make an offer if we're interested in them, or we'll ship them back to you at our expense if we're not interested in them. If you are shipping coins to us, please call us at (615) 832-9904 to let us know they're on the way. For safety reasons, we recommend that you ship your coins via Registered, Insured mail.

Please Ship To: Nashville C. G. * P.O. Box 680846 * Franklin, TN * 37068-0846

Flying Eagle Cents (1856-1858)
For Flying Eagle Cents, the key date is the (very rare) 1856, which had an original mintage of only about 2,000 pieces! For this extremely rare date, we would pay about $3,750 in "Good" condition, and substantially more for coins in better condition.
Grading Flying Eagle Cents: The sharpness of detail in the eagle's head and wings is the key to grading these coins. If these details are worn flat, the coin is no better than "Good" condition.
Indian Head Cents (1859-1909)
For Indian Head Cents, typically any date earlier than 1880 will be worth more than coins dated 1880 or later. Exceptions are 1908-S and 1909-S, for which we would pay about $35 and $190 respectively, in "Good" condition. The "key" date in this series is 1877, which is worth about $350 to us in "Good" condition. For 1908-S and 1909-S, the "S" (San Francisco) mint mark will be located on the reverse at the bottom just above the rim, in the space between the ribbon ends. Coins dated 1866 thru 1872 are also "better dates", and are worth between about $20 and $65 to us in "Good" condition, depending on the date. Other dates in the 1870s are also more valuable than common dates, but the most valuable dates are individually listed above.
Grading Indian Head Cents: The presence (and sharpness, if present) of the word LIBERTY in the Indian's headband is the key to grading these coins. The sharper the word is, the more valuable the coin. If LIBERTY is completely worn off, the coin is no better than "Good" condition.
Lincoln "Wheat" Cents (1909-1958)
For Lincoln "Wheat" Cents, the best dates are 1909-S, 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 "Plain" and 1931-S, which we would buy in "Good" condition for about $40, $340, $75, $280 and $35 respectively. Mint marks on these coins will be located just below the date. On the 1909-S VDB, the designer's initials VDB (for Victor D. Brenner) will be found on the reverse at the very bottom of the coin. This is the only year the designer's initials were in this location ~ they were not found at all on pennies minted from 1910 to 1917, and they were added to the front of the coin, beneath Lincoln's shoulder, in 1918. Many 1914-D pennies have been counterfeited by modifying other dates (such as 1944-D) to make them look like a 1914-D. On a genuine 1914-D, there will be no VDB on Lincoln's shoulder ~ but it will be there if the coin was modified from a penny dated 1918 or later, so you can use that to help authenticate a genuine 1914-D (but beware of a possible added mint mark on a genuine 1914 penny too!) All of these rare dates have been counterfeited by unscrupulous people over the years, so be very careful when buying!
Grading Lincoln "Wheat" Cents: The presence (and sharpness, if present) of the lines in the top portion of the wheat stalks is the key to grading these coins. The sharper the lines are, the more valuable the coin. If the details in the wheat stalks are completely worn flat, the coin is no better than "Good" condition.
Two Cent Pieces (1864-1873)
For Two Cent Pieces, the better dates are 1864 Small Motto (Call us for more information about this variety), for which we would pay about $68 in "Good" condition. For an 1872 coin, we would pay about $180 in "Good" condition, and for an 1873 (Proof only -- this date was made especially for collectors and was not released into circulation), we would pay $675 or more, depending on the quality. Coins dated 1870 and 1871 are worth about $5 more to us than the common dates, in "Good" condition.
Grading Two Cent Pieces: Look for the word "WE" in "In God We Trust" on the ribbon at the top of the coin's obverse, as well as the detail in the leaves and the shield. The more detail that remains, the more valuable the coin. If most of the detail is worn flat, the coin is no better than "Good" condition.
Liberty ("V") Nickels (1883-1912)
For Liberty Nickels, typically any date earlier than 1897 will be worth more than coins dated 1897 or later. The exception is 1912-S, for which we would pay about $75 in "Good" condition. The other "key" dates in this series are 1885 and 1886, which are worth about $290 and $110 respectively to us in "Good" condition. For 1912-S, the "S" (San Francisco) mint mark will be located on the reverse, just below the dot to the left of the word CENTS. Coins dated 1883 thru 1896 but other than 1885 and 1886 are also "better dates", and are worth between about $2.50 to $12.50 to us in "Good" condition, depending on the date.
Grading Liberty Nickels: The presence (and sharpness, if present) of the word LIBERTY in Miss Liberty's headband is the key to grading these coins. The sharper the word is, the more valuable the coin. If LIBERTY is completely worn off, the coin is no better than "Good" condition.
Buffalo Nickels (1913-1938)
For Buffalo Nickels, typically any date earlier than 1919 will be worth more than coins dated 1919 or later. The exceptions are the "D" and "S" mint coins through (and including) 1926-D and 1926-S, which are also better dates. These coins are worth between about $2.00 to $160.00 to us in "Good" condition, depending on the date and condition (the $160.00 coin is the 1913-S, Type 2, which will have a solid line running across the top of FIVE CENTS, as shown in the photo above. The less valuable Type 1 has the buffalo standing on a mound of dirt, and there is no flat line above FIVE CENTS). 1913 was the first year of the Buffalo Nickel, and it is the only year there was a Type 1 and a Type 2. Starting in 1914, all Buffalo Nickels are Type 2.   The other "key" date in this series is 1931-S, which is worth about $8.50 to us in "Good" condition. Mint marks will be located on the reverse, just below FIVE CENTS.
For the 1937-D "Three Legged" variety, we would pay about $275.00 in "Good" condition.
Grading Buffalo Nickels: The presence (and completeness, if present) of the buffalo's horn is the key to grading these coins. The more complete and the sharper the horn is, the more valuable the coin. If the horn is completely worn off, the coin is no better than "Good" condition.
Barber Coinage (1892-1916)
"Barber" dimes, quarters and half dollars, named after their designer, Charles E. Barber, were produced from 1892 until 1916, except that Barber half dollars ended in 1915. Mint marks, if present, are found on the reverse at the bottom, in the space between the tails of the ribbon. No mint mark indicates the Philadelphia mint; "D" indicates Denver; "S" indicates San Francisco and "O" indicates New Orleans.

Key dates for Barber Dimes: 1894-S is extremely valuable and virtually impossible to find. 1895-O is worth about $200 to us in "Good" condition. 1895, 1896-O, 1896-S, 1901-S and 1903-S are all worth about $45 to us in "Good" condition. 1892-S, 1894-O and 1897-O are worth about $35 to us in "Good" condition, and 1904-S is worth about $20 to us in "Good" condition. Several other dates are worth a few dollars more than common dates, but the coins of significant value are listed above.

Key dates for Barber Quarters:   1901-S is worth about $3,200 to us in "Good" condition, and substantially more as the condition improves. 1913-S in "Good" condition is worth about $550 - $600 to us, and 1896-S in "Good" condition is worth about $375 to us. 1914-S is worth about $35 to us in "Good" condition, and 1901-O is worth about $20 to us in "Good" condition. Several other dates are worth a few dollars more than common dates, but the coins of significant value are listed above.

Key dates for Barber Halves: 1892-O and 1892-S are each worth about $150 to us in "Good" condition. 1893-S and 1897-S are each worth about $80 to us in "Good" condition. 1897-O is worth about $70, 1914 is worth about $60, 1896-S is worth about $50, 1915 is worth about $35 and 1913 is worth about $25 to us in "Good" condition. Several other dates are worth a few dollars more than common dates, but the coins of significant value are listed above.

Grading Barber Coinage: The presence (and sharpness, if present) of the word LIBERTY on Liberty's headband is the key to grading these coins. The more complete and the sharper the word LIBERTY is, the more valuable the coin. If LIBERTY is completely worn off, the coin is no better than "Good" condition.
"Mercury" Dimes (1916-1945)
Sometimes referred to as "Winged Liberty" Dimes, but most commonly known as "Mercury" Dimes. Mint marks, if present, are found on the reverse at the bottom, between the word ONE and the branch. No mint mark indicates the Philadelphia mint; "D" indicates Denver; "S" indicates San Francisco. Key date is 1916-D, for which we would pay about $450 in "Good" condition for a genuine specimen (this date has been very heavily counterfeited!) Other "better dates" are 1921 and 1921-D, for which we would pay about $25 and $35 respectively, in "Good" condition.
Grading Mercury Dimes: The clarity of the vertical lines in the fasces is the key to grading these coins. The more vertical lines present, and the clearer they are, the move valuable the coin. Also, for uncirculated specimens, "Full Split Bands" (the horizontal band in the center is clearly split all the way across) can potentially add significant value.
Standing Liberty Quarters (1916-1930)
Introduced in 1916, there was a public outcry over Miss Liberty's exposed breast. The breast was covered up in 1917, and there was a design change made to the reverse the same year. The 1917 "Type 1" coins have no stars beneath the eagle (see photo), and the 1917 "Type 2" coins have three stars beneath the eagle. All quarters from 1918 through 1930 have three stars beneath the eagle. Mint marks, when present, are located just above the date on the left side, just to the right of the bottom star.
The key date is 1916, which is worth at least $1,500 to us in "Good" condition, and its value rises very quickly as the condition improves. Coins dated 1917 through 1924-S are all worth more than common dates, and for these better dates we would pay between about $8 and $50 each in "Good" condition with the exception of 1921 and 1923-S which are worth about $100 and $150 respectively to us in "Good" condition. 1927-D and 1927-S are worth about $8 and $14 respectively to us in "Good" condition.
Grading Standing Liberty Quarters: These coins are somewhat challenging to grade, but the areas of interest would be the legs, the shield and the eagle. Basically, the more detail that remains, the more valuable the coin.
Walking Liberty Half Dollars (1916-1947)
Introduced in 1916, these beautiful coins are commonly known as "Walkers". The mint mark was initially placed on the front of the coin, just below "IN GOD WE TRUST", but it was moved to the reverse of the coin in mid-1917. Consequently, 1917 Half Dollars minted in Denver and San Francisco can have the mint mark on either the front or the back of the coin. On the reverse, the mint mark is located to the left of the words HALF DOLLAR, at about the 8:00 position.
The best dates for Walking Liberty Half Dollars are 1916-S, which is worth about $65 to us in "Good" condition. 1921 and 1921-D are worth about $90 and $140 respectively to us in "Good" condition, and 1938-D is worth about $35 to us in "Good" condition. A few other earlier dates (mainly 1916, 1917-D and 1917-S with mint marks on the front, and 1919, 1919-D and 1919-S) are worth a bit more than common dates, but the dates of significant value are listed above. Coins dated 1934 and later (except 1938-D) are extremely common and not worth much over silver bullion value in the lower grades.
Grading Walking Liberty Half Dollars: These coins are graded based on the presence and strength of the lines in Miss Liberty's skirt. The more lines showing, and the bolder they are, the more valuable the coin. Feather detail on the eagle is also a factor in grading these coins, particularly as the coin approaches uncirculated condition.
Franklin Half Dollars (1948-1963)
These short-lived coins were introduced in 1948 but were stopped after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November, 1963, and the Kennedy Half Dollar was produced starting in 1964 in his honor. Mint marks on Franklin Halves are located just above the Liberty Bell on the reverse. The only "better dates" of any significance in the lower grades are 1955 and 1956, which we would pay about $8 and $4 respectively for in average circulated condition. Most Franklin Halves are very common are aren't worth anything over silver bullion value, but a few other dates are worth more as they approach uncirculated condition. These are: 1949-D, 1949-S, 1951-D, 1951-S, 1952-S, 1953 and 1953-S, which we would pay about $8 to $16 each for, depending on the date, and assuming they are in "almost uncirculated" condition.
Morgan Silver Dollars (1878-1921)
The Morgan Dollar is one of the most popular coins among collectors today, and for good reason ~ they're beautiful! They were minted from 1878 until 1921, but production ended temporarily in 1904 when the government ran out of silver! Several years later, as a result of the Pittman Act of 1918, over 278 MILLION silver dollars were melted down and production of silver dollars was then resumed in 1921. Mint marks on Morgan Dollars are located just above ONE DOLLAR on the reverse, between the "D" an the "O" in DOLLAR. Morgan Dollars were minted in Philadelphia (no mint mark), San Francisco ("S"), New Orleans ("O"), Carson City, Nevada ("CC") and Denver ("D" - 1921 only). All "CC" silver dollars are highly collectible and worth more than common dates, and some "CC"s are worth far more than others.
Key dates for Morgan Dollars are: 1895 "Proof Only" - This date was never released into circulation but was made solely for collectors. Proof coins are manufactured from highly polished and specially prepared dies, and have very deep mirrored surfaces. The 1895 Proof Morgan Dollar is extremely valuable, with a starting price of about $12,000 and going up significantly from there, depending on condition. 1895-O is another better date, worth about $200 in the lower grades, but its value actually surpasses the 1895 Proof in the higher uncirculated grades! 1893-S is a very valuable coin as well, worth over $2,400 in "Very Good" condition. A "Very Good" Morgan Dollar will show considerable wear, but will have fully intact rims (they will not be worn into the fields of the coin), and the date and all other lettering and numbers will be clearly readable and not worn into the field. 1889-CC is worth about $400 to us in "Very Good" condition, and its value rises fairly quickly as its condition improves. 1894 is worth about $900 to us in "Very Good", and 1881-CC and 1885-CC are worth about $250 and $350 respectively to us in "Very Good" condition. 1895-S and 1903-O are worth about $275 and $200 respectively to us in "Very Good" condition. A few other dates are worth a little bit more than common dates, but the dates listed above are the "money" coins in the Morgan Dollar series. Please note that any Morgan silver dollar with a "CC" mint mark is worth a minimum of $55 as long as it's in reasonable condition with no damage, and could be worth considerably more if it's a "better date" or is in better condition.
Grading Morgan Dollars: The amount of detail in Miss Liberty's hair, and the amount of detail in the eagle's wing and breast feathers are the key to grading Morgan Dollars. The more detail that's present in these areas, the higher the grade (and usually the more valuable) the coin will be.
Our buy prices for Morgan Dollars in GSA government holders can be found by clicking on the link to that page from the main "We Are Buying" page.
Peace Silver Dollars (1921-1935)
The Peace Dollar, introduced a few years after the end of World War I and so named because of the word PEACE on the rock atop which the eagle stands, is another popular coin among collectors today. They were minted from 1921 (which was also the last year for Morgan Dollars) until 1935, and they were only minted in Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver ("D") and San Francisco ("S"). Mint marks on Peace Dollars are located just below ONE on the reverse, near the rim of the coin.
Key dates for Peace Dollars are: 1921, worth about $75 - $80 to us in "Very Good" condition. 1928 is worth about $250 to $275 to us in "Very Good" condition, but only if it has no mint mark! A 1928-S coin is worth much, much less ~ and some unscrupulous people have carefully removed the "S" mint mark from some 1928-S Peace Dollars to make them look like the more valuable 1928 "Plain" coins, so verifying authenticity is a must if you are buying these coins. A few other dates are worth a little bit more than common dates, but the dates listed above are the "money" coins in the Peace Dollar series.
Grading Peace Dollars: The amount of detail in Miss Liberty's hair and the amount of detail in the eagle's feathers are the keys to grading Peace Dollars. The more detail that's present, the higher the grade ~ and for the better dates, the more valuable the coin.
For "better date" gold coins, please call us!
Note: Any gold coin with a mint mark of "C" (Charlotte, North Carolina) is very highly collectible and may be of significant value! This mint was active from 1838-1861. Gold bearing the "D" (Dahlonega, Georgia) mint mark is also highly collectible and may be of significant value as well. Dahlonega minted gold was produced in the mid 1800s, so don't be confused by gold produced at the Denver, Colorado mint in the early 1900s, which also bears a "D" mint mark. As a general rule, Charlotte and Dahlonega gold are more desirable than gold produced at the other mints ~ but there are exceptions to every rule! As always, rarity and condition will be the ultimate factors in determining a coin's value.
If you've got coins for sale... we're always buying!
If you didn't see a coin type you need information about, just call or e-mail us and ask!
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Pete Dodge, Owner         Cell Phone:   (615) 832-9904

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