Don't Panic.

Your position is more common that you might think. Most people have some sort of coin collection, even if it's just a few special coins they've acquired along the way. Often a person's heirs end up sort through this issue on their own. Just like you.

The first rule is "never clean a coin". You will greatly reduce a coins value if you try to shine it like you would other antiques. A dull gray coin is worth far more than the same coin polished to a shine.

Keep in mind as you go through this that most coins are common and not worth very much. Chances are that your collection is no exception. Unless you've spent a lot of money collecting these coins, or have been collecting them for many years the coins are probably common. The only way to tell a valuable coin from a common one is to have a knowledgeable dealer investigate it. Even if the coins have only modest value, the total value of a collection can be surprising. If you have one hundred coins that bring you one dollar each, that's still a hundred dollars.

I would bring the whole collection (assuming it's not too heavy to carry in one box) to a few dealers. Tell them your story, just as you told it to me. Don't be shy about admitting that you don't know the value of your coins. Even if you try to hide this the dealer will know.

Dealers encounter people like you all the time. Some will see you as a nuisance, most will recognize you as a potential seller. I would expect a reasonable encounter to include the dealer browsing the coins in individual holders and pointing out the ones that obviously have some value. He will probably give any jars, boxes or bags of coins a glance and tell you that they are worth X dollars per pound. This amount will probably be disappointing, but that's how the business is done.

Determining the value of a given coin may not be a trivial matter. For the coins the dealer encounters every day he may be able to determine a value for one coin per minute. Some coins may require some investigation and searching through arcane reference material. These coins can take much longer to investigate. The coins your mother felt were valuable enough to merit separate holders will probably get this kind of investigation. The coins your mother put into jars will probably not get individual attention. Chances are the dealer doesn't particularly want them, but will make you an offer to buy them as a courtesy since you are selling the whole collection. He will probably turn around and sell them by the pound to another dealer who specializes in this type of material. It's also possible the dealer will tell you he has no interest in bulk coins and not make an offer for them. This too is how the business operates.

To work up an offer for your collection the dealer will probably need to hold onto the collection to be examined during off-hours. During business hours the dealer has walk-in and phone-in customers to deal with.

Most coin dealers are honest people. The coin collecting community is tight knit. If a dealer cheats a few people the word gets out and that dealer finds his customers disappear, so there is incentive to treat people fairly.

Treat this as if you were getting an estimate for work on your house. Bring the coins to several dealers. See what they have to say and how you feel about the interaction. Then pick one and ask for an offer for the entire collection, or whatever part you want to sell.

You can also come to a meeting of the Rochester Numismatic Association (meeting schedule at: http://www.the-rna.com/meetings.php ). We usually ask guests to introduce themselves to the group. This would be a good time to tell your story. I'd bet you'll get several recommendations of dealers to talk to. Come about a half hour early and just introduce yourself around. The club's purpose is as an educational organization and we appreciate the chance to discuss our interest with others.

For more information drop us a note at Rochester Numismatic Association, P.O. Box 10056, Rochester, NY 14610-0056, or send an email to our "Information Officer" Tim Corio.