How to Identify an Old Coin

Found an old coin and have no idea what it is? Here’s a simple, reliable way to identify almost any coin.

1. Find the country

Look for a country name or a recognizable national symbol. Older coins may use Latin (for example, HELVETIA for Switzerland or DEUTSCHES REICH for the old German Empire). Euro coins have a shared side and a unique national side — check the national side to find the country.

2. Read the denomination

The denomination is usually the large number plus a currency word: 10 Pfennig, 50 Pence, 1 Cent, 2 Euro. This tells you the coin’s face value and currency.

3. Find the year

The date is often near the bottom of one side. Worn coins can be hard to read — tilt the coin under a light. The year is essential for valuation, because value often depends on specific date-and-mint combinations.

4. Locate the mint mark

Many countries add a small letter showing which mint struck the coin (for example, D for Munich in Germany, or D/S for Denver/San Francisco in the US). Mint marks can dramatically change a coin’s value.

5. Estimate the value

Once you know country, denomination, year, and mint mark, you can look up a value range. Remember that condition matters enormously — the same coin can be worth cents when worn and much more when uncirculated.

The fast way

Instead of doing all this by hand, you can photograph the coin with Numis and get the country, year, mint mark, and estimated value in seconds.