Have you ever found a coin in circulation that looked out of the ordinary, and that you
couldn't identify? Did it frustrate you, not knowing what you found? Did you wish someone
could tell you about the coin and not charge an exorbitant fee for doing so?
Well, someone can - the Collectors' Clearinghouse department at Coin World.
Collectors' Clearinghouse is one of the most popular weekly departments in Coin World.
Readers can submit error and variety coins they've found to Collectors' Clearinghouse for
examination and attribution, at no charge. We'll examine the coin, write a brief letter
explaining what happened to the coin (if we can determine a cause; some pieces defy easy
explanation), and return the coin to you, generally within a couple of weeks (a heavy mail
load may lengthen return times).
We'd be happy to examine your error and variety coins for you (please limit any mailing
to no more than three coins, if you can). Clearinghouse receives and examines from 100 to
200 coins per month for this service. We've offered this service for more than 35 years.
If you decide to send coins to us, we have some recommendations about getting the coins
to us safely.
The safest method of shipping coins through the United States Postal Service is
Registered Mail. It is also one of the most expensive methods. Your local USPS
representative can inform you of fees and policies concerning Registered Mail. Use caution
in insuring the coins you may send us. While it's prudent to insure the package in case it
is lost, don't spend more on postage and insurance fees than the coin is worth. If you're
uncertain about the value, call the Clearinghouse department at (937) 498-0853 and ask for
advice.
When packaging the coins, place each coin into a standard holder and place the holders
between two pieces of cardboard or into one of the standard corrugated cardboard mailers,
and place the package into an envelope. Be sure to include a detailed cover letter telling
us what you want us to look at on each coin. Whatever you do, do NOT apply tape directly
to the surface of a coin and tape the coin to your cover letter. Doing so will leave a
sticky residue on the surface of the coin that will lower any value it may have.
Address the package to Coin World, Collectors' Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 150, Sidney OH
45365-0150.
While we don't charge for the examination and attribution service, we do request you
enclose return postage, especially if you want the coin returned via Registered Mail.
