What are my Coins Really Worth?
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Don't know where to turn for an accurate, objective appraisal of your coins or notes? You've come to the right place - DH Ketterling Consulting LLC.
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In 1987, Don Ketterling had the privilege of appraising the entire Ed Trompeter collection of U.S. proof gold coins. It included every proof U.S. gold coin by date and denomination. Today they are worth tens of millions of dollars. |
For expert, thorough and accurate appraisals of coins, currency, exonumia and related collectibles, hundreds of collectors, investors and inheritors have turned to Don Ketterling. Don has lent his expertise to numerous individuals, estates, insurance policy holders, legal firms, collateral lenders, marketing companies, and rare coin and bullion depositories.
Obtaining a correct and accurate appraisal is the critical first step before you decide on a course of action for your numismatic holdings. You have to know how much they're realistically worth!
Unfortunately, many people make a critical mistake in who they choose to perform their appraisal. It’s not as simple as walking into the local coin shop and asking how much your coins are worth. More often than not, this hasty approach results in an “offer” to buy, but while you can get several of these offers by “shopping around,” at the end of the process you still might not know what your coins are really worth. These “free” appraisals are usually worth exactly what they cost.
Instead, you should insist on an accurate, fair appraisal that is appropriate for your holdings ‒ and your needs. Appraisals available with DH Ketterling Consulting include:
Insurance Appraisals
Insurance appraisals are often overlooked, but they are among the most important appraisals you can get.
If you are a collector or investor and want to protect yourself against loss from fire, theft and other potential problems, it is imperative that you have an accurate and recognized appraisal of your property. Most often this is a replacement-value assessment that will indicate what it would cost to replace such lost/damaged items at retail levels.
Obtaining a correct and accurate appraisal is the critical first step before you decide on a course of action for your numismatic holdings. You have to know how much they're realistically worth!
Unfortunately, many people make a critical mistake in who they choose to perform their appraisal. It’s not as simple as walking into the local coin shop and asking how much your coins are worth. More often than not, this hasty approach results in an “offer” to buy, but while you can get several of these offers by “shopping around,” at the end of the process you still might not know what your coins are really worth. These “free” appraisals are usually worth exactly what they cost.
Instead, you should insist on an accurate, fair appraisal that is appropriate for your holdings ‒ and your needs. Appraisals available with DH Ketterling Consulting include:
Insurance Appraisals
Insurance appraisals are often overlooked, but they are among the most important appraisals you can get.
If you are a collector or investor and want to protect yourself against loss from fire, theft and other potential problems, it is imperative that you have an accurate and recognized appraisal of your property. Most often this is a replacement-value assessment that will indicate what it would cost to replace such lost/damaged items at retail levels.
Having this information before a loss is the best course, but many times replacement-value appraisals are performed after the fact in order to submit the loss to an insurance company. Your success in recuperating losses is dependent upon having a complete and accurate accounting of your holdings, which should include purchase invoices, photographs and other evidence of ownership.
Insurers are unlikely to compensate adequately for losses that are not well-documented, but with a DH Ketterling Consulting appraisal, you can be assured of success. Through our membership in the Professional Numismatists Guild, our appraisals are widely recognized as thorough, accurate and ethical.
Many collections, especially those that are inherited, contain a wide variety of items such as proof/mint sets, albums with predominantly inexpensive coins, face-value items, bullion-related items (their value is based upon their precious metal content) and hopefully, single numismatic items of significant value.
Obtaining maximum value for these items might require selling them to several different buyers, which can be a time-consuming process. A fair-market appraisal is an estimate of what could reasonably be obtained by a knowledgeable professional within an adequate time frame to find the best buyers for all the material contained in your holdings. This is your best option when your goal is to obtain an accurate, current market value. It does not take into account commissions, shipping/transportation fees or insurance costs.
It is important to understand that a fair-market-value appraisal is not an instant or “cash” assessment. A time frame will be established to give DH Ketterling Consulting the time required to obtain an accurate appraised value.
This type of appraisal is the best option where inheritances/estates are concerned, especially when there are multiple beneficiaries who will share in the proceeds.
Cash-Value Appraisal
This is the most common form of numismatic appraisal, especially among lower-value holdings (typically under $5,000 total). Also known as a “liquid-value appraisal,” the seller is provided with an immediate cash assessment that will usually be 15-25% less than the fair-market appraisal covered above.
A cash-value appraisal takes into account the time, expenses and market risk assumed by the buyer. The advantage to the seller is instant cash, but a cash-value appraisal will result in lower net proceeds from your holdings.
Most often the fee is waived for this type of appraisal, since it is essentially built into the buy price. A word of caution: be wary of “low-ball” offers and steer clear of “hotel buyers” who come to town for a weekend, take out full-page ads and then leave after paying pennies on the dollar. Talk to DH Ketterling first!
There are exceptions to every situation and the plain fact is that most people do not have enough value in their holdings to warrant paying for a professional appraisal. At DH Ketterling Consulting LLC, we do not charge an appraisal fee unless there is significant value involved, (typically more than $5,000), which makes the process cost-effective for you. We can usually determine whether your holdings are worth more than $5,000 within minutes of viewing them, and we will always strive to give you all the information you need to determine your best course of action.