Finding Proof Coins in Circulation

Finding and identifying proof coins in circulation has been a topic floating around the social networks lately.  They are out there.  People find them all the time.  Proof coins make it into circulation in a variety of ways: theft, desperation, accident and ignorance top the list of vectors.  I know for a fact there is a 1976-S Clad Proof Washington Quarter out there that should be in my collection.

Most of the proof coins being found in circulation are current series coins:

1985 United States Proof Set

• Lincoln Cents
• Jefferson Nickels
• Roosevelt Dimes
• Washington Quarters
• Kennedy Half Dollars

There are also proof small dollars out there but they don't circulate as widely and are not searched by very many coin roll hunters.  The Kennedy halves don't circulate much either, but hunters hit the halves pretty hard.

First off, lets get some myths out of the way.
Proof is not a grade or condition.  It is a unique production method which uses specially polished and specifically prepared dies, polished planchets, and a slightly different minting process than the normal business strike coins you handle every day.  Once a proof, always a proof. 
There is a myth floating around that a proof coin is one that has never been touched by human hands.  This is kinda true up to a point.  They get handled by gloved hands and robots when they are packaged in sets at the mint.  Handled when someone cracks open a set.  Handled when found in circulation.  Nonetheless, it is still a proof coin, albeit an Impaired Proof.

Proof coins are not the most valuable.  Believe it or not, individual proof coin prices are often very affordable, often in the $1-$10 range.  There are top grade mint state coins that command a premium in the thousands.  Look up the auction records for a 1978 Lincoln Cent in MS68.  You can pick up a 1978 Proof Set for less than 6 bucks (~$3 shipping) on eBay right now.

Proof coins are not 'Perfect'.  They can be just as flawed as any coin out there.  There are die varieties, missing mintmarks, and errors as with any other date.  As they are handled, they experience wear and damage.  They may have been real close to perfect when minted, but even then, PR69 and PR70 grades are few and far between for most dates.  They have gotten better in recent years with improved quality control.

IDENTIFYING A PROOF
I'm going to focus on Modern proof coins as these are what you are most likely to encounter.  Modern proof production began in 1968 after a 3 year hiatus in the mid 60s.  Whereas proof coins were previously produced in Philadelphia and bear no mintmark, production was moved to San Fransisco and have the corresponding S mintmark.  Cents were produced with the S mintmark in proof and business strike issues from 1968 through 1974.  Nickels bore the S mintmark in proof and business strike issued from 1968 through 1970.  For everything else, if it has an S mintmark, it's a proof coin.  Naturally, there are exceptions to this rule but you are not likely to encounter such specimens, so, roll with it.

DIAGNOSTIC #1:  Proof coins have characteristics that distinguish them from business strike coins.  The dies and planchets are highly polished.  This gives the coins a reflective mirror surface.

Mirror finish and cameo devices are the
dominant feature of modern proof coins

In the early stages of die use the devices would have a sharply contrasting finish than the fields.  The effect is termed 'Cameo'.  Development of the die preparation procedures over the years now gives proof coins the cameo finish as a normal feature, with Deep Cameo and Ultra Cameo being added to TPG designations.  The mirror finish can make photography difficult, especially for guys like me.

Proof coins are struck with higher pressures than business strike issues and are struck repeatedly.  The result is sharp detail as you can see in this image.

DIAGNOSTIC #2:  Proof coins have a square edge.

The upsetting process does not bevel the edge of proof as is done with circulation strikes.  Having a beveled edge makes it easier to pick up off a flat surface.  This square rim is visually distinctive. 
In this image the Proof is on the right, circulation strike on the left.

DIAGNOSTIC #3:  Proof coins are just a little bit thicker.  Here's those same two coins edge on.  Boy this was a hard shot to take with a Bloggie!

 

Circulation strike on the left, proof on the right.  Click the image to zoom in.  Note the beveled vs square corner of the rim.  Look real close you'll see the proof exhibits just a little bit of Finning.  They ain't perfect.

PROOFS IN CIRCULATION

As I mentioned, a proof coin is always a proof coin.  Once it enters circulation and takes a few hits, it takes on the classification of Impaired Proof.  Small abrasions and contact with clothing will quickly destroy the mirror finish. 

1982-S Impaired Proof

It can remain highly reflective for some time, especially in the close quarters in and around the devices.  The rim and facia are exposed to wear and damage as any coin in circulation.  Contact with organic acids and the oils on fingers often results in toning atypical for a proof coin.  With enough circulation, the cameo finish can be ruined beyond recognition.  There will still be the mintmark and square edge to use as identification markers, at least until those are destroyed beyond recognition.

The Impaired Proofs don't hold value.  They are essentially worthless, holding only face value.  They can still fill a hole in an album, but when an intact proof can be had for a few dollars, these busted up pieces are relegated to spending the rest of their days as novelties.

SILVER CONTENT

1964 and earlier proof dimes, quarters, and halves are 90% silver. Starting in 1968 the proof dimes and quarters were struck with clad composition while the halves were struck in 40% silver. In 1971 the halves were done in clad. Along came the Ike Dollar, struck in 40% silver in 71 and 72, followed by silver or clad in 73 and 74.  Along comes the bicentennial, quarters, halves and dollars were struck in silver or clad, with proof and uncirculated versions. From 77 onward, no more silver...until 1992 when silver proof sets came out bringing 90% dimes, quarters and halves in addition to clad versions.
These silver proof sets continue to this day.  It's possible for these silver proofs to make it into circulation.  There are reports of these being found.

UPDATE
Here's a 1982-S found in circulation in June 2017.  It was found by Denise Catania and presented in the Coin Opp facebook group.

 

Second Opinion Service

Back in the day if you had a coin you wanted information about (What it is, What its worth), you took it down to the local coin shop to show it to the grumpy guy behind the counter.  Technology has seen a reduction in brick and mortar coin shops as dealers turn to digital photography and online sales to market their wares and dispense with all those leasehold expenses.  One feature that has been lost is the ability to present our coins to someone with experience who can answer questions.

I've got a guy who wants to send his coins out to get an opinion on what it is and what its worth, but there is no place to send them.  If you have die varieties you can submit them to Wexler or Wiles (I understand Coppercoins is taking a break for a while) and that's great if you need a document for a TPG, but what about all those coins you inherited from your long lost uncle or the odd coin you found roll hunting?  Another consideration is the cost.  Wiles charges $8 plus return shipping to attribute your discovery.  Someone with a box of coins will find this cost to be prohibitive.

Being the ever watchful entrepreneur, I'm thinking 'that's a great idea, start an Opinion Service'.

EDIT:  The service is now available.

Full details will be found on the Coin Inspection and Opinion Service page

  

What's this worth?

There's a huge population out there who come across a coin but don't have the knowledge to determine what it is or even where to look for more information.  For some, just grading the coin is out of their realm of expertise.  I see people who talk about sending that 1942-D to PCGS to get it graded.  They'll charge a lot more than the coin is worth.  Before spending that kind of money, it sure would be handy to get a second opinion to find out if it is worth sending in.


Lots of things to consider.  Shipping the coin to be looked at, what I would actually do with the thing, shipping it back, security, lost mail, not ripping people off.  Most importantly it would have to be affordable.  There's a lot of stuff out there that's not worth a whole lot.  Sending in a 1943 Mercury Dime in Fine condition to find out what it is and what it's worth can be a waste of their time and money if I'm charging a buck to look at it.  Next, I'll get a pile of people who want to email a photo and get an idea of what it is and what it's worth, to avoid the shipping and opinion fees.  This ends up wasting my time.  Get on facebook, there are groups for that.  Facebook groups and coin forums are great for a topical discussion but nothing beats having someone look at it in person.  If there is no local coin shop to stop by, you are pretty much on your own.

Send me the coin, a SASE, and for a $2 fee, I'll tell you what I think.  What is it?  What's it worth?  Can you grade this?  I can probably answer most of those questions.  If I can't at least identify the coin, I send it back in the SASE along with your fee.  Chances are that if I can't identify the coin it's in Chinese or so badly damaged it wasn't worth sending in to begin with.

Don't send this.

It would be prudent to establish some guidelines as to what not to send.  Common dates, coins with holes, and a lot of low grade stuff should not be sent.  I'm solid with US and Canadian coins but no good with a lot of foreign issues.  It would make sense to nip those in the bud before spending the postage.  This works out as most of the stuff people find in their change is US and Canadian to begin with.

I expect that from time to time I would encounter a remarkable coin that needs additional measures to ensure it's safe return to the owner.  In these instances, I'd need a system in place to charge for special handling.  Paypal can handle the billing, even let me print a shipping label for first class mail with signature confirmation and insurance.

Other product and services can be added.  A deluxe service has the coin placed in an airtite holder.  An owner could choose 1st class shipping both ways with appropriate fees involved.  If I ever get the store in shape, offering the coin for sale can be an option.  This little blog has had over 10000 pageviews already and it hasn't been 3 months.  I suppose I'll go through a couple of pots of coffee and put this service in place.  There is a need for it.

Comments are open.  I'd love to hear what you think.

EDIT:  The service is now available.
Full details will be found on the Coin Inspection and Opinion Service page

What's Going On

I hit the half century mark last month.  Closed my diner the previous month.  Not really working right now although I do pick up some work with my previous employer from time to time.  It's a pretty good gig.  I put in a couple of weeks work, it pays my bills for a couple of months.  I spend the rest of my time working on other projects.  Maybe I'll get the farm in a better situation this year.  It's a sure bet I'm spending more time on my coin hobby/enterprise/thing.

I was poking around today looking for a part for the mixer-thought I'd bake some bread.  I was sidetracked when I found a couple of Whitman Bookshelf Albums. These are older albums no longer being produced, but they are of excellent quality ad make a nice presentation for a set of coins.  I showed them off in a facebook coin collecting group and people wanted to buy them.

I picked these up for I think 5 bucks each.  I could sell them but I'm not going to make much of a profit.  I'd do better to fill them with all these Lincolns I have around here.  I've got a pile of sets I've been working on in various albums: Whitman, Dansco, albums and folders.  They just keep piling up.  I may as well move them out the door.  I'd like to step this hobby up a notch, do more buying and selling.  This has been a pretty good month already.  Picked up a pile of Canadian Large Cents for a real good price, already sold a few to take the edge off the investment.   I've almost got a complete set fro 1858 to 1920.  I'm not too attached, though.  I won't mind selling them off to pay for my Lincoln Habit.

I've had a lot of time to think for the past couple of months.  I kinda like this semi-retirement thing.  I sleep whenever I want for as long as I want.  Eat whatever I like, do whatever pleases my fancy.  You should try it.  I've only got a few more payments on the mortgage, then my bills will be about $600/month, including groceries.  One thing I'll say about living in the woods...it's Cheap!  I've got a little money, and a little coming in here and there.  I'm thinking I can make a pretty good go of it just doing my coin thing.

My Youtube videos are coming along.  I'm getting some subscribers here and there, but it needs a whole lot more effort if I'm to make a little extra income from that project.  I've got an idea that would make lie easier for people searching rolls.  I'll let you know about that when the time comes.  In the meantime, I've got a pile of coins to record, sort, identify and sell.  It takes a lot of time but I've got some time to spare just now.  I figure I'll invest more of it into getting a coin business off the ground.  It's a natural progression of the hobby.  Just like everything else, you get out of it what you put in.  If nothing else, I'm bringing in a few hundred a month doing something I enjoy.

Valuable Coins in Your Pocket Change

It seems like most of the population has no idea that valuable coins are floating around in circulation, or that some coins can be valuable.  The US has not had a major design change in decades.  There have been changes to the reverse design on cents, some nickels, and all those state and ATB quarters, but for the most part the obverse is the same.  This year has a P on the cent.  Jefferson turned his head, and Washington was modernized, but we have the same Presidents on our coins going back for over 50 years.  Kennedy halves don't get used all that much.  A lot of people don't even know halves are out there.  Cash registers only have slots for 4 different coins.  Dollar coins are a novelty.  We've had the same Lincoln Cent for over 100 years.  Washington quarters started off 85 years ago.  Jefferson nickels go back 79 years, Roosevelt is the new kid on the block at 71 years.  Some of these kids don't even know who Roosevelt was.  The coins used most, cents through quarters, are essentially the same used for 4 generations. 

Our circulating coinage has become as comfortable as an old shoe.  We've been using them all our lives.  We can tell at a glance what denomination we have, then toss it all in a coffee can without a second thought.  My grandmother uses to say a nickel would buy a loaf of bread.   I don't remember back quite that far, but I do remember bread for a quarter.  Inflation over the last few decades has gradually brought up the price of everything.  Pocket change does not buy what it used to.  As our society becomes more cashless with debit cards and electronic transactions we are using money less.  When I had the diner, a third of sales was electronic.  At Christmas that climbed to 90%.  Little attention is given to coins.  It's a hassle and a bother.  Old change gets treated the same as new change.  It all goes from the store to the coffee can, then the coinstar machine counts it up for us so we don't have to roll it. 

There's a lot of interesting coins to be found in circulation, if you find that sort of thing interesting.  You can build a complete collection from circulation if you know what to look for.  Some of those coins can be valuable.  There are old dates, rare dates, silver, copper, and foreign coins that are overlooked.  There are 3 ways coins have value.

• Face Value: The value shown on the coin.
• Melt Value: This depends on the metal composition of the coin 
• Numismatic Value:  Date, mintmark, and condition determine rarity and value

Coin Roll Hunting is a hobby where people can search through rolls, picking out those interesting and valuable coins.  People do it all the time and have some success.  Depending on your level of experience and coin knowledge you can conduct a search and find different sorts of coins.  A Deep Search involves looking closely at the details on a coin as a jeweler looks at a gemstone.  You don't need to get that intense to find stuff.  Just keep your eyes open and know what to look for and you can pick out some collectible coins. 

A Topical Search can be done by anyone with a little knowledge.  You don't need special magnifying glasses.  Just lots of change.  Instead of looking at how many feathers on the left wingtip of the eagle, you look at the profile.  Indian?  Keep it.  There's silver out there that is worth 14 times the face value of the coin.  A quarter worth $3.50?  Yup.  They are out there.  Find a few of those and you can pay your cell phone bill.  Let's have a look at each denomination and I'll offer up some pointers as to what to keep a eye out for.

A general rule: If you don't know what it is or what it is worth, keep it. 

Cents

Before the Lincoln Cent were made, the US produced the Indian Head Cent. 

The front (obverse) has a portrait of an Indian with a war bonnet. On the back is a wreath and ONE CENT.  Old and worn out these are still worth about a buck.

Wheat Cents have Lincoln on the front.  From 1909 to 1958 the reverse has wheat ears and ONE CENT. 

These are collectible.  If you have a bunch of them they are worth about a nickel each.  Some dates can be worth considerably more.  The 1909-S VDB pictured here has a market value of hundreds of dollars.  If you see the wheat design, pick it out of circulation.  You can take a closer look at it later.

Nickels

Buffalo nickels have a buffalo on one side, an indian on the other. If you find a buffalo on one side and Jefferson on the other, leave it.  Buffalo nickels with the date worn off are worth a quarter or more.  With the date intact, about a dollar.  Certain dates and mintmarks can be worth a handsome price

V nickels have a big roman numeral V (5) on one side, the head of woman on the other (Lady Liberty).  FIgure a dollar or two for a well worn V-Nickel, with better dates being better money.

Jefferson Nickels with a big letter, P D or S, over the dome on the back were made during WWII and contain silver. 

The copper and nickel was needed for the war effort so silver was used as a substitute.  These War Nickels are 35% silver.  That silver content makes these worth about a dollar regardless of the condition the coin is in.

Silver Dimes, Quarters, Halves

Look at the edge, if its a sold white-grey color without a brown stripe it may be silver. Date will be before 1965.  The current price of silver is around $17/ounce.  These pre-1965 coins are 90% silver. One dollar in face value in any combination will weigh about an ounce, giving these silver coins a melt value of about 14-15 times their face value.  If you keep your eyes open you'll find silver now and then.  Kennedy Half Dollars are unique in that they were produced with 40% silver from 1965 through 1970.  The edge is white-grey but they are only worth about $3.50 each.  Still not a bad haul for 50¢.

Dimes

If the portrait has wings on its head, it's a Mercury dime.

Back side will be similar to normal dimes but different when you get a good look.

Find an old one with a Greek looking head on the front, it's a Barber. No, not a hairstylist.  Its the last name of the fellow who designed the coin, Charles Barber.

Barbers are over a century old but are still found from time to time.  There are older dimes.  If you find something you can't identify, go to the General Rule: Keep it until you can identify it.

Quarters

Liberty standing, holding a shield, eagle in flight on the back

The same Barber design: Greek looking head on the front with a spread eagle on the back

Halves

Half Dollars don't circulate like they used to.  You may come across one on occasion to discover their size and prominence sets them apart from quarters:  They weigh twice as much. 
Ben Franklin and a Liberty Bell

Portrait of Liberty walking in sunshine with a perched eagle on he back. 

The Barber design

Dollars

If its BIG, keep it, invite the customer back or go back to the place you got it. 
Dollar coins have long been desired by vending companies but the old silver dollars and the more modern Eisenhower dollar coins are just plain big and clumsy.  

The large dollars are not in circulation.  You can't often get them at the bank.  People don't spend them...usually.  If you come across one, snatch it.  Eisenhowers, if not dinged up, are worth a couple bucks.  The old Peace and Morgans are highly collectible and usually worth more for their numismatic value than silver value.
Ikes were produced from 1971 to 1978 then cancelled.  In 1979 the US Mint unveiled that hideous small dollar coin with Susan B Anthony on the front.   The Pet Rock was more popular.  After 3 years the SBA was also cancelled.  The public simply had no interest.  Another attempt at producing a small dollar coin for circulation was made in 1999.  This was supposed to have the Sacagawea design but it was not ready in time so that awful SBA design was used for a year with the same results.  Go figure.  In 2000 the Sacagawea design was used, this time with a hange in alloy to give it a more golden appearance.  The coin was widely promoted, with 5000 pieces being hidden in Cheerios in place of the secret toy surprise.  If you can get one of those Cheerios Dollars, they are worth Big Money.  These are still produced, but have been relegated to being a commemorative style coin.  The next attempt at a small dollar is the President series.  Again, these are as attractive as a sack of hammers and as useless as tits on the Pope.

The Morgan Dollar, named for the designer George Morgan.  Uncirculated examples sell in the $50 range for common dates, well into the 10s of thousands for rare dates.  Even well worn they will fetch $15-$20.

The Peace Dollar, so named because production began shortly after World War I, with 'Peace'  shown prominently on the back.

Let the Hobby Take Care of Itself

I get on the social networks, talk to people, read what they post and I gotta tell you it breaks my heart some of the stuff I see.  Someone posted a picture of a $50 Star Note  and explained that she could not afford to keep it.  Another poster talked about a $150 Amscope and did not want to spend the

money.  I advised her to sell some coins to get the scope.  This coin hobby we all have going on offers a great opportunity.  You put money into it at the start, but once you get some knowledge and experience, you can let the hobby take care of itself.

I know it's tough out there for a lot of folks.  I've explained that an extra couple hundred bucks a month is enough for most families to improve their situation.  We're not talking a fortune...50 bucks a week.  It would be enough to keep that Star Note.  In a few weeks, it would pay for an Amscope.  Keep it up for a couple years, you'd have every piece of equipment you can think of:  scales, scopes, loupes, calipers, cameras, copy stand, computer, printer, and stuff that hasn't been invented yet. 

I've talked about selling coins online, but that was part of what goes into it.  There's shipping, packaging, sending and printing invoices, handling payments, dealing with deadbeats, handling returns, photography (I'm not even close to an expert in that area, let me tell you), tracking inventory, and more critical subjects that need discussion such as consistently finding decent coins at a decent price without getting ripped off.  It's clear that I have a whole lot of explaining to get enough information out there that one can jump right in.  If you just can't wait for me to describe all the subtle nuances involved, jump right in on your own and start selling stuff.

The best way to learn is firsthand, seat-of-your-pants, trial and error, get your hands dirty, sink or swim.  You've got the coins.  If you have ordered online, you've got some things on place (Paypal account, involved in some facebook coin groups, coins worth selling) and have some idea what to do (sound packing of shipments, how to take a decent photo).    Consider selling a couple of items as a practice run.  You'll learn more from that first sale than you would from reading every article in my blog.  If this is your first time selling you might let your buyer know that it may take an extra day for you to get your act together.

You have a coin collection.  Start a money collection: keep the money from sales separate, use it ONLY for your con hobby.  Buy equipment you want or need.  A fine camera will help you sell coins easier and for a better price.  Buy supplies needed to keep the project going.  You get a better price on 100 envelopes than you do for 5.  While you might start with 5 envelopes, at some point you'll want to get ahead of the game so you can keep your costs down.  Buy more coins.  There are deals out there to be had.  You've got to do your homework.  If you sell some items, then spend the money on your electric bill it's the same as spending your coin collection. 
  
There are some DOs and DONTs when selling


DO
-Identify your coin, take the best photos you can, start bidding at a fair price or BIN at a price you are happy with.  If you can sell for 10% over your cost, that's pretty good.
-group coins together as needed to bring the estimated sell price to $10 or more.  Shipping on small value coins makes for a poor sell.
-include shipping costs in your listing.  $3 is fair, covers USPS 1st Class with tracking, and cost of the envelope, maybe a shipping label.
-have the coin ready to ship when the listing goes active: coin is in a holder, envelope, bubble wrap, mailing label, your paypal account in place.
-read the rules of the group and STICK TO THEM.
-offer a full refund of the purchase price for coins returned in 14 days, and be flexible with that 14 days.  This means you don't touch the money for at least 3 weeks.
-keep the money separated from your paycheck and  household money.  This is your coin money.  Use it only for your coin enterprise.  Consider a dedicated checking account with it's own debit card and Paypal account just for coins.
-describe the coin in detail, including features and flaws.  It does you no good to try to hide a defect-that will get you the coin returned.
-sell several items at the same time and let people know you will combine shipping.

DON'T
-expect to make a fortune.  This is your first time out.  Getting your money back plus a couple bucks is a fine start.
-try to sell BS.  People can smell it through their screens.
-list a price or starting bid below what you would accept.  You WILL be expected to ship at the selling price.
-start plastering your pocket change all over the place and expect good results.  You'll end up getting booted from the group. 
-refuse to ship because you made a mistake or are not happy with the selling price.  This is in your control.
-overgrade, make false claims, misrepresent the coin, inflate the price, or make promises you can't deliver
-charge more for shipping than absolutely necessary.  Cover your costs: envelope, packaging, mailing label, insurance if that's included, inkjet printer cartridge, paypal fees, and nothing else. 
-get emotional about your coins.  Be willing to let some go so you can move ahead.
-spend the money as fast as it comes in.  Set a target, say, a $30 scale.  Keep at it, you'll get there.  when you do, your reward will be waiting.   
-don't buy junk, don't sell junk.

Coin Roll Hunting offers a unique opportunity in that you can find valuable coins and get them for face value.  There are die varieties and errors that can be sold for a few bucks.  A decent WAM will sell in the $5-10 range pretty easily.  A 72 DDO #3 will get you a $20 bill.  A few 40% silver halves will quickly give you some working capital.  For lower value coins, group a few together if need be to get the value of the group high enough that it's worth more than the shipping cost. 

Selling coins is the next level up in coin collecting.  Make the leap.  Test the waters.  I can't promise you'll make a fortune.  You can turn some unwanted coins into cash and put that cash to good use improving your hobby.  You can repeat the process, picking up some extra money regularly, doing something you enjoy.  You can use the hobby to pay for itself.  There is more to life than working for the man and scrapping by eating ramen noodles.  You have to put in the effort.  You have to do your homework and have a good idea what you are doing.  Stick with it, picking up some extra cash here and there, you'll be able to move into buying and selling higher value coins.  Keep reinvesting your sales into the hobby.  Build your stock, keep it turning over.  People do this all the time.

How much is it worth?

I'll get back into the two most common questions:
What is this?
How much is it worth?

Assuming the coin has been identified and accurately graded, it's a fairly simple matter to look up the value.  There are books, magazines, and websites that have price guides.

Coins Magazine
This was a staple for me growing up.  I cut my teeth on it.  It was a couple bucks, had interesting articles, a pricelist for everything, and classified ads.  It's 5 bucks for a copy if your local bookstore carries it.  Subscriptions are less than $23/year, 12 issues 

Coin World Magazine
Just as good as Coins Magazine.  They have a web presence with a searchable database for coin prices.

Dealer Pricelists
Back in the day there was no such thing as online buying.  I sent off for pricelists, received them in the mail.  No photos, just a list of coins with grade and price.   Every month, I'd get another pricelist in the mail. 

Redbook
Probably the best known book listing US coin values.  Updated annually.  Around 15 bucks for hardcover.  I guess they have some MEGA book out this year but I've not checked into it.

Blackbook
Plenty of information.  Has a grading section which describes the condition of each coin in each grade.  About 10 bucks, paperback.

Greysheet
Updated every 2 weeks, this is a staple for dealer to dealer prices.  Every quarter they produce a comprehensive pricelist with updates for everything.  Everything.

USA Coin Book
An online sales platform much like eBay, but just for coins.  The pricelist is easy to navigate but the prices are somewhat higher than reality.  I suppose this is a strategy to get higher bids, on which they draw a 2% commission.

Numismedia
I think this is the most accurate representation of fair market values available online

Coins and Canada
For Canadian coins, this is the best I've found.  See also Saskatoon Coin Club

eBay
No pricelist here, but you can get an exact listing of what has sold and for how much.  Look to the completed listings.

PCGS
The old adage "Buy the coin, not the holder" is sent packing.  What you have here is a proprietary price guide.  These prices pertain only to PCGS graded coins.



NGC
As with PCGS, NGC prices reflect NGC graded and slabbed coins.  Usually lower than PCGS.  NGC offers price guide for many world coins

Now let's shred all of this...
Price guides are not an exact science.  They are not written in stone.  There are no rules.  What you get in these pricelists are market analysis.  Each producer of these pricelists creates the list in a different fashion.  Some are based on auction records.  Some use algorithms about which I can offer no insight.  Some are updated frequently, others annually, and a few I have no idea what they are thinking.    I don't know if they are all simply using the Redbook in their figuring.  For higher grade coins with auction records the prices across all these different guides is fairly consistent.   For low grade, low value coins, again, they prices are within the same ballpark.  The stuff in the middle tends to have greater variance from one guide to the next.  Some of this has to do with spot price.  With a volitile market, the value of silver or gold can swing significantly over the course of a year.  One guide puts out it's figures once a year when the price of silver is up, another guide puts our different figures at a time of the year when the silver market is down.  While the calculating of price was accurate when the price guide was published, change occurs in the real world.  Fact of the matter is coins are traded through negotiation.  Several buyers interested at the same time on a specific coin can drive price up sharply.  Supply and demand are the drivers of market value, not price guides.  If you need up to date, accurate fair market value estimates, you have to do your own homework and come up with your own estimate.  Compare several prices from several guides. 

I primarily handle cents so I'll talk about them.  Cents have that tonal description: Red, Brown, Red-Brown.  I look in a price guide, I see a value listed for MS-65.  This usually refers to a full red specimen and may not reflect the value for BN or RB specimen.  Some price guides only list prices for MS-63, and offer no explanation of tone quality.  Does it still refer to Red?  Maybe.  If it does, there is often no reference or listing to what a BN or RB specimen in that grade is valued at.  Some do, but not all, and those that do don't cover all grades.  You've got a MS-63 in full red, but the guide does not start listing prices for full red until MS-64.  You are left in limbo.

On the other end of the spectrum are the low grade, low value coins: circulated wheats, Good Indian Cents, VG Roosevelt dimes, partial date Buffalo Nickels.  The price guides may offer a value of 50¢ for a Wheat cent, but that does not mean you will ever realize that sort of market price.  Who's going to spend 50¢ to a buck on a coin, then another $3 for shipping?  Back when I was a kid I'd hit the local coin shop with a couple dollars and buy a 1948-D Wheat for 15¢, plus sales tax and I was a happy kid-one more knocked off my list.  I watch videos of people coin roll hunting, pulling out wheats like they've won the lottery.  They end up with 12 wheats in a box and they are about to pass out from the excitement.  That one date is not really worth the 9¢ the book says, even if you have 100 of them.  What you have is a function of the algorithm that is projecting values based on information fed into the computer.  Look around at how those wheats are sold, you'll see 4¢ is closer to reality, and to get that 4¢ you need 5000 pieces.  Sure, you can gather that many from circulation, but you may have to hunt through 400 boxes, 1 million pennies, to find them. 

There is a big difference in values listed and prices that can be realized.

For the middle of the road coins, the Very Fine 1927 Wheat, XF 1935-D Buffalo, AU 1945 Merc, the price guides are a fair approximation and quite stable.  These go into sets, people buy several coins at a time, throw one on these in the stack while they are at it.  These are standard issure, run of the mill, older and more common.  The prices won't see sharp spikes or drops.  Publishing new price guides for these coins every other week or even quarterly is a waste of ink.  The Redbook price from a couple years ago will still be as accurate, within a few cents, as the most recent edition.  For most new collectors who came across  a circulated business strike and wants to know what it's worth, a magazine from 5 years ago will be close enough to work with.  There's not much difference between a price guide that says $14.50 in their publication 5 years ago and $15.50 today.  You can lose half that difference by messing up a shipping label. 

As a hobby, time is not usually included in figuring value or net on the sale of a coin.  You'd like to make $20 an hour selling coins but spend half an hour photographing a $10 coin.  That local shop with the 15¢ wheat was not investing in a coin.  He was investing in a coin collector.

Price guides are just that: guides.
They are not written in stone.  They are not gospel. 
Each price guide out there has a different algorithm used to generate the data.  One price guide may offer a value of $50 for a coin while another can show $100.  Checking several guides, as well as auction records will offer a better range of value estimates.

Experience is the best guide of all.

What price you can realize can be far from the values in a guide.An experienced seller with an established reputation, well developed clientele, and active marketing practices will command a far greater price than a hobbyist looking to part with some extras.

Is a coin worth 10¢?
Is it worthwhile to try to sell a coin for 10¢?
Perhaps a roll of 50 coins in the grade shown will fetch $5 from a well known seller.
It may be that you can only reach $3 for those same coins with the buyers you know.

These are collector pieces.  There is no set price.  Prices are realized as the result of negotiation.  Buyers are often willing to be more flexible with a reputable seller.  Sellers can get higher bids when they have established a large customer base.  Someone with no reputation and no history with any buyers will probably experience disappointment if they show up expecting top dollar for their goods.

How a Coin Roll Hunter Prepares For A Storm