Clark Pawners & Jewelers has been buying coins over the counter in Lincoln Park for years. If you have a single gold coin, a jar of change your father set aside, a folder of silver dollars, or an entire collection you have inherited, you can bring it into our shop at 2626 N Clark Street and have it looked at in person by one of our buyers. There is no appointment, no fee to have your coins evaluated, and no obligation to accept an offer.
This page explains what we buy, how an evaluation actually works when you walk in, what affects what a coin is worth, and what to bring with you. If you would rather ask a question first, call us before you make the trip.
Bring your coins to our Lincoln Park counter for a free, in person evaluation.
Call 773-528-7900 or contact us before you visit.
What to expect when you bring coins to Clark
- A free in person evaluation, with no fee and no obligation to sell.
- No appointment needed. Walk in during business hours.
- We explain what we are looking at and how we arrived at the offer before you decide.
- 4.7 stars from 136 Google reviews.
We would rather explain an offer you turn down than make one you do not understand. If you decide not to sell, you take your coins home and nothing changes.
What coins we buy
We buy United States and foreign coins, individual pieces and whole collections. If you are not sure whether something in your collection is worth bringing, bring it anyway. Sorting at home is where people most often set aside the piece that mattered.
Gold coins
We buy gold coins, including collectible editions. Gold coins fall into two broad groups. Some are valued mainly on the gold they contain, and some carry an additional collector premium because of the date, the mint, the design, or how few survive in good condition. Part of the evaluation is working out which group a given coin belongs in, because the two can be worth very different amounts even when the gold weight is identical.
Silver coins and silver dollars
We buy silver dollars, including Morgan dollars, along with Walking Liberty half dollars and older United States silver coinage generally. We also buy any coins with significant precious metal content. If you have a run of the same coin across several dates, bring the whole run rather than the one you think looks best, because date and mint mark often matter more than surface appearance.
Rare and collectible coins
We buy rare coins, ancient coins, and commemorative coins. These are the pieces where condition, rarity and collector demand carry the most weight, and they are also the pieces most worth having looked at in person rather than guessed at from an online listing.
United States coins and proof sets
We buy United States coins across denominations, including proof sets. Sets are worth bringing intact and in their original packaging where you still have it.
Foreign coins
We buy foreign coins. Travel change, inherited coins from a relative who lived abroad, and older foreign silver and gold are all worth showing us rather than leaving in a drawer. Foreign coins are easy to misjudge at home because the denominations and dating conventions are unfamiliar, and older foreign coinage frequently contains silver that a modern equivalent does not.
Bullion coins and rounds
We buy bullion coins and bullion rounds. These are valued primarily on their precious metal content and current market conditions rather than on collector demand, which makes them among the more straightforward items to evaluate at the counter. Bring them in whatever tubes, capsules or packaging they are already in.
Silver certificates and vintage currency
We also buy silver certificates and vintage paper currency, so if there is old paper money mixed in with the coins, include it. People often bring the coins and leave the notes at home.
Individual coins and full collections
We buy one coin and we buy the whole collection. There is no minimum, and there is no expectation that a collection has to be organized, catalogued or complete before we will look at it. You can see the rest of everything we buy if you are bringing other items in at the same time.
How an evaluation works
The process at the counter is straightforward.
- You bring the coins as they are. Do not clean them and do not sort them. Bring the folders, the albums, the flips, the original packaging and any paperwork.
- We identify what you have. Denomination, country, date and mint mark come first, because those determine what the coin even is before anything else can be judged.
- We assess condition and metal content. Wear, damage, prior cleaning and, where relevant, gold or silver content.
- We separate the collectible from the metal. Some coins are worth more than their metal because collectors want them. Most circulated coins are not, and we will tell you which is which rather than letting you assume.
- We explain the offer. You hear what we are basing it on before you decide, and you are free to say no.
A small handful of coins takes a few minutes. A large or mixed collection takes longer, because it deserves longer. If you have a substantial collection, calling ahead helps us set aside the time.
You are welcome to watch and to ask questions while we work. Most people who come in have never sold coins before and have no idea what they are holding, which is normal and is not a problem. The point of an in person evaluation is that you leave knowing more about your coins than when you arrived, whether or not you sell them to us.
What affects what a coin is worth
There is no single number attached to a coin. The same date and denomination can be worth very different amounts depending on the details below, which is why the actual coin has to be examined rather than described over the phone.
- Precious metal content. For gold and silver coins, the metal sets a floor and moves with the market.
- Date and mint mark. Two coins that look identical can be separated by a single letter, and that letter can be the whole story.
- Condition. Wear, scratches, rim damage and prior cleaning all count. A coin with honest wear is generally better than one that has been polished.
- Rarity. How many were struck, and more importantly how many survive in the condition yours is in.
- Collector demand. Rarity alone does not create value. Someone has to want the coin.
- Certification. Where a coin is already graded and sealed by a third party, that assessment is part of what we are looking at.
- Market conditions. Both the precious metal market and the collector market move, and neither one asks permission.
Our buyers use professional grading standards and current market data when working through these factors. If you want more background on how a pawn shop arrives at a figure on any item, we have written about how we determine value. There is also useful general reference material on coin identification at sites such as Coin Study.
Certified and uncertified coins
Certification means a coin has been examined by a third party grading service, assigned a grade, and sealed in a holder. It is genuinely useful for higher value collectible coins, because it settles two questions at once: whether the coin is authentic and what condition it is in.
What certification is not is a requirement for walking through our door. The large majority of coins people bring in have never been graded and never needed to be. We evaluate uncertified coins by examining them, which is what buyers did long before grading services existed.
If you already have certified coins, bring them in their holders and do not break them out. If you do not have certified coins, that is normal and it does not put you at a disadvantage.
Inherited and estate coin collections
A large share of the coins that come across our counter were assembled by someone else. Inherited collections tend to arrive as a mix: a few pieces in albums, some loose change in a coffee can, a couple of certified coins, maybe some bullion, sometimes paper currency, and often no records at all.
Three things are worth knowing before you bring one in.
- Do not clean anything. This is the single most common and most expensive mistake with an inherited collection. Cleaning a collectible coin can reduce what it is worth, and the damage cannot be reversed. A coin with a few marks is generally better off than a coin that has been polished bright.
- Do not sort or cull. The pieces that look dull and worn are frequently the ones that matter, and the shiny ones are frequently modern. Bring everything and let the evaluation do the sorting.
- Bring the packaging and paperwork. Albums, folders, original mint packaging, certificates and any old receipts or inventory lists all help.
If the collection is large enough that carrying it in feels impractical, call us first and we will talk through the best way to handle it.
Selling gold and silver coins in Chicago
Gold and silver coins are the most common thing people bring us, and they are also where the difference between a collectible coin and a metal coin matters most. A worn common date silver coin is valued largely on its silver. A scarce date in strong condition is not, and treating the two the same way would shortchange you on one and misprice the other.
We buy precious metals in other forms as well, so if you are bringing coins alongside jewelry, flatware or scrap, our gold, silver and platinum buyer page covers the rest of it. You can bring everything in one visit.
Sell your coins or pawn them
Selling and pawning are two different transactions, and coins qualify for either one.
When you sell, you accept a cash offer and the coins stay with us. When you pawn, the coins are collateral for a short term loan. You receive cash, we hold the coins securely, and when the loan is repaid you get them back. Nothing is sold.
Pawning is usually the better option when the coins have meaning you are not ready to part with, or when you need cash now but expect to be able to repay. Selling is usually the better option when you have no intention of keeping the coins. You do not have to decide before you arrive, and you can hear an offer and still choose the loan instead. Our pawn loan page explains how the loan side works.
What to bring to your visit
- The coins in their current condition. Uncleaned and unsorted.
- Original packaging. Albums, folders, mint packaging and holders, where you still have them.
- Certificates or documentation. Grading certificates, certificates of authenticity, old inventories or receipts. These are helpful but not required.
- A valid photo ID. This is required for all transactions.
Visiting our Lincoln Park shop
Clark Pawners & Jewelers
2626 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: 773-528-7900
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5:30 PM. Saturday, 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Closed Sunday.
We are on Clark Street in Lincoln Park and we serve coin sellers from across Chicago and the surrounding neighborhoods. Walk in during business hours and someone will look at your coins while you wait.
Frequently asked questions about selling coins in Chicago
What kinds of coins do you buy?
We buy United States and foreign coins, including rare and ancient coins, silver dollars, gold coins, proof sets, commemorative coins, Morgan dollars, Walking Liberty half dollars, and full collections. We also buy silver certificates and vintage currency.
Do you buy individual coins or full collections?
Both. We buy a single coin and we buy entire collections, and there is no minimum. Whether you have a few loose pieces or albums and documentation, we will evaluate all of it.
Do you buy inherited coin collections?
Yes, and inherited collections are a large part of what we see. Bring the collection as you received it, without cleaning or sorting it, along with any albums, packaging or paperwork that came with it.
Do you buy gold coins?
Yes. We buy gold coins, including collectible editions and bullion coins. Depending on the coin, the value may rest mainly on the gold content or may include a collector premium.
Do you buy silver coins and silver dollars?
Yes. We actively buy silver dollars, gold coins, bullion coins, and any coins with significant precious metal content. Prices are based on current market values plus numismatic premium where applicable.
Do my coins need to be graded or certified first?
No. Certification is useful for some higher value collectible coins, but it is not required to bring coins in. We evaluate uncertified coins by examining them in person. If you do have certified coins, leave them in their holders.
Should I clean my coins before bringing them in?
No. Please do not. Cleaning a collectible coin can reduce what it is worth and the damage cannot be undone. A coin with honest wear is generally worth more than the same coin polished.
What determines what a coin is worth?
Our buyers use professional grading standards and current market data. We consider the coin date, mint mark, condition, rarity, collector demand, and silver or gold content. Because these factors interact, the coin itself has to be examined.
Do I need an appointment to sell coins?
No appointment is needed. Walk in during business hours and one of our buyers will evaluate your coins on the spot. Same day cash offers are available. For a large collection, calling ahead helps us set aside enough time.
What should I bring when I come in to sell coins?
Bring the coins in their current condition. If you have original packaging, certificates of authenticity, or any documentation, bring those too. A valid ID is required for all transactions.
Can I pawn my coins instead of selling them?
Yes. Coins can be used as collateral for a short term pawn loan instead of being sold. You receive cash, we store the coins securely, and the coins are returned when the loan is repaid.
Bring your coins in
Whether it is one gold coin or a collection someone spent a lifetime building, you can have it looked at properly, in person, by someone who will explain what they are seeing.
Call 773-528-7900 or contact us, or walk into 2626 N Clark Street during business hours.
