Selling gold and coins from Costa Mesa
If you are selling a coin collection, whether you built it or it came to you, bring it the way it is kept. Albums, folders and boards of half dollars, dimes and quarters are easier for both of us to go through when the coins are still in order. A collection like this can reach back to the years after the war, when Costa Mesa itself was taking shape.
What we pay, before you drive
Today's prices follow the metals market. Add what you have to the slip for your estimated total, or see every coin and bar on what we pay.
The drive to our store
-
From Costa Mesa: 19 min without traffic
I-405 north
The 405 north is slow at rush hour; late morning or early afternoon is usually much closer to this time.
Estimated amount we pay
| Item | We pay |
|---|---|
| Today, per coin | |
| 90% silver half dollars (1964 and earlier) .900 fine · 30.6 mm · 0.3575 oz of fine silver each | $16.15 |
| 40% silver Kennedy half dollars (1965–1970) .400 fine · 30.6 mm · 0.1479 oz of fine silver each | $6.68 |
| 90% silver quarters (1964 and earlier) .900 fine · 24.3 mm · 0.1788 oz of fine silver each | $8.08 |
| 90% silver dimes (1964 and earlier) .900 fine · 17.9 mm · 0.0715 oz of fine silver each | $3.23 |
| Your items | |
| Add what you have, and each line prints here with what we would pay for it. | |
Bringing a collection in albums
Leave the coins in their albums or folders. Pushing them out can scratch them, and the album shows what the collector was building. Silver half dollars are often the heart of a collection like this:
- Walking Liberty halves (1916–1947), Franklin halves (1948–1963) and 1964 Kennedy halves, all 90% silver.
- Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970, which are 40% silver.
- Dimes and quarters dated 1964 or earlier, which are 90% silver.
The price slip prices silver coins by the silver they hold. Some dates and mint marks can be worth more to a collector, so bring the album as it is and we look at each one. Our guide to selling silver coins for melt value explains the difference.
A city that grew after the war
During World War II, thousands trained at the Santa Ana Army Air Base, and many came back after the war with their families. In 1949 the state bought land the base had occupied, and the fair moved onto it that year; Costa Mesa incorporated in 1953 with the fairgrounds inside it. Heroes Hall, the veterans museum at the OC Fair & Event Center, is in one of the old base barracks.
A collection started in those years can run through Franklin halves and Roosevelt dimes, the everyday silver of the 1950s, and end where the silver did, in 1964.
When to call first
For one small item, a buyer closer to home is fine. For a real collection, call with your estimate first, so we can talk it through before you set out.
You can sell part of a collection and keep the coins that matter to you.
What to bring, and what happens
Bring
- Your items, just as they are. Don't clean coins: it lowers what they are worth.
- A valid government photo ID, such as a driver's license, state ID or passport.
- You must be 18 or older to sell.
We weigh and test
Each piece goes on the scale and is tested in front of you. You see what we see.
We write it up
Every item gets its own line and its own amount, like the ticket above, so you can check each one.
You decide
Take the offer, or keep anything you'd rather hold on to. Either way is fine with us.
Questions from Costa Mesa
Should I take the coins out of the album?
No. Bring the album or folder as it is. Coins can be scratched coming out, and we look at each one at the counter.
Are half dollars from 1965 and later silver?
Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. Those made for circulation from 1971 on have none.
Is the 405 the quickest way from Costa Mesa?
Without traffic, yes: about 19 minutes north on the 405. At rush hour every route is slower, so plan around it if you can.
Do I need an appointment to sell a collection?
No. Walk in during store hours. For a large collection, call with your estimate first.