US Coin Value Charts by Date

Each chart lists every circulation date and mint mark of a series with its mintage and a value band, so you can sort a pile of coins in minutes. Bands run from face value to significant rarity. They don't go out of date the way printed prices do. They point you to the coins worth a closer look.

Start with the series you have the most of. For most people that means wheat pennies, Jefferson nickels, Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters and Kennedy halves. Pull out the dates marked collector premium or significant rarity, then open each one's page to check the mint mark, the varieties and the condition.

Sorting a jar of old coins in four passes

1. Silver first. Pull every dime, quarter and half dated 1964 or earlier, every 1965 to 1970 Kennedy half and any nickel with a large mint mark above Monticello. These are worth at least their silver whatever the date.
2. Old copper next. Set aside wheat pennies (1958 and earlier) and anything older. Most are common, but they are the series with the most famous key dates.
3. Dates and mint marks. Go series by series with the matching chart and pull every coin in a premium band. Check the mint mark under a loupe; it is often the whole difference.
4. Condition and varieties. Look again at anything that still shows full luster. Check the variety pages for the dates you kept. Don't clean anything.

What's left after the four passes is usually worth face value. That is normal. Even large inherited collections tend to be mostly common dates; the value sits in a handful of coins, which is why sorting carefully pays off.

How to read a value band

A value band answers the question most people actually have: is this coin worth more than I could spend it for? Face value means a circulated coin is worth what it says. Metal value applies to silver and gold, where the coin is worth its precious metal at the day's spot price and condition adds little. Small premium covers dates collectors pay a bit extra for, usually in nice condition. Collector premium marks the scarce dates that are worth pulling out even when worn. Significant rarity is reserved for the true key dates, where a genuine example is a serious find and should be checked by a professional.

Bands come from each coin's mintage, its survival and how collectors treat it. They do not replace a sold price for a specific coin in a specific grade. They also do not move every week the way auction prices do. If a chart shows a band of collector premium or higher for a date you hold, open that coin's page, check the mint mark under a magnifier and compare the wear with the grading notes before you buy, sell or send anything for grading.