Found a Coffee Can Full of Old Coins? What Are They Worth? (An Honest Answer)

Every family has one. A coffee can in the back of a closet. A Crown Royal bag in a dresser drawer. A shoebox labeled “COINS — DO NOT TOUCH” in handwriting that looks suspiciously like Grandpa’s.

And now it’s yours. Congratulations. You are the proud owner of a mystery.

So, what are your old coins worth? Here’s the honest answer from people who see these cans every week: usually less than the internet told you. Most old coin collections are mostly ordinary pocket change that happens to be old. That’s not bad news. It just means the fun is in finding out what you have, not in planning the yacht.

Here’s how to make sense of it, and the one thing you should absolutely not do first.

Why does the internet say my penny is worth a fortune?

Because “Man finds penny worth thousands” gets clicks, and “Man finds penny worth one cent” does not.

Those articles are usually about one specific rare variety in exceptional condition, the kind collectors spend years hunting for. Then someone sees a coin with the same date in their junk drawer and the excitement begins. The date alone almost never tells the story. The mint mark, the exact variety and especially the condition all matter, and the vast majority of coins out there are the common version.

So when you see one of those headlines, enjoy it the way you enjoy a lottery jackpot story. Fun to read. Not a plan.

Should I clean my old coins first?

No. Put down the toothbrush.

This is the most common mistake we see at the counter. Old coins look rough: brown, dull, maybe a little green around the edges. The instinct is to make them shiny again with baking soda, silver polish, vinegar or that one YouTube video.

Don’t. To collectors, a coin’s original surface matters, and scrubbing it leaves tiny scratches you can’t undo. If a coin had any collector interest, cleaning is the fastest way to lose it. We’ve seen people turn a nice coin into a just-okay coin in about forty-five seconds with a kitchen sponge.

Dirty is fine. Dirty is honest. Bring it in dirty.

How can I tell if my coins are silver?

This is the easiest sorting trick in the hobby.

U.S. dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. That’s what collectors mean when they say “90% silver.” It’s a metal thing, not a rarity thing, so a worn-out 1950s quarter is valued mostly for the silver inside it.

A few others to set aside:

  • Kennedy half dollars from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver.
  • “War nickels” from mid-1942 through 1945 contain some silver. Look for a large mint mark (P, D or S) above Monticello on the back.
  • Big silver dollars, like Morgan dollars (1878–1921) and Peace dollars (1921–1935).

Kitchen-table test: stand a 1964 quarter and a newer quarter on their edges and look at the rim. The newer one has a copper stripe, like a little sandwich. The older silver one is solid all the way through.

Are wheat pennies worth anything?

If your can is heavy, it’s probably pennies. If the back shows two wheat stalks instead of the Lincoln Memorial, those are wheat pennies, made from 1909 to 1958.

Let’s keep expectations right where they belong: wheat pennies are very common. People saved them by the jarful for decades, which is exactly why so many turn up today. They’re fun, they’re history you can hold, and they’re a great way to get kids into coins. But a can of wheat pennies is a can of wheat pennies.

(If you’ve got a big bag of them and no desire to sort, ask us about our Wheat Penny Trade.)

What else might be hiding in there?

Coffee cans are sneaky. Mixed in with the pocket change, you’ll sometimes find:

  • Old foreign coins from someone’s military service or travels. Mostly common, often great history.
  • Coins in plastic holders with a label from PCGS or NGC. Those have been professionally graded.
  • Tokens and medals. Old store tokens, transit tokens, fair medals. Usually not about the money, but often a great story about a place that doesn’t exist anymore.
  • Something that just looks different. Small, heavy for its size, unfamiliar. Set it aside and let someone take a look.

Do I need to sort everything before I bring it in?

Nope. You don’t have to become a coin expert this weekend.

You can spend three evenings separating everything into labeled sandwich bags if that sounds fun. But you’ll save yourself a lot of time by bringing it in as-is and letting someone who does this every day go through it with you. That’s literally the job.

What happens when you bring it to Truman

We’ve been in Roseville since 2008, and coffee cans, Crown Royal bags and shoeboxes come across our counter every week. We call it the Truman Evaluation:

  1. Bring it as it is. Don’t clean it, don’t sort it.
  2. We go through it with you, piece by piece, right at the counter.
  3. We tell you what you have: what’s common, what’s silver, and what’s worth a closer look.
  4. We explain the number. If we make an offer, you’ll know exactly how we got there.
  5. You decide. Or you don’t. Take it all home if you want. The evaluation is complimentary, and there’s no obligation.

No pressure and no clock. Some people sell. Some keep Grandpa’s favorites. Some just want to finally know what’s in the can. All good outcomes.

Quick answers

What are my old coins worth? It depends on what they are, and most old coins are more common than people expect. The fastest way to know is a hands-on look from someone who handles collections every day.

Should I clean old coins before selling them? No. Cleaning can damage the surface and hurt collector interest. Leave them exactly as you found them.

Which U.S. coins are silver? Dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver, and war nickels from 1942 to 1945 contain some silver.

Where can I get old coins looked at in the Twin Cities? The Truman Company in Roseville offers a complimentary, no-obligation evaluation. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm.

Got a coffee can of your own? Visit us in Roseville, Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, or call (651) 582-3865. Bring it dirty. We mean it.