Sell old coins for cash in Los Angeles
Bring the whole box. We sort, test and price old coins at the counter in front of you, separate the silver and gold from the common dates, and pay the same day. Free appraisal, no appointment.
Where to sell old coins in Los Angeles
If you want to sell old coins in Los Angeles, the first thing you need is a buyer willing to look at all of them. South Bay Coin has been buying coins at 16916 Hawthorne Blvd in Lawndale since 1980, and most of what reaches our counter arrives the same way it left a relative's closet: a shoebox, a coffee can, a bank bag, or a stack of blue folders nobody in the family knows how to read.
We are a coin store with an active resale platform, not a melt-only buyer. That distinction matters more here than anywhere else. A buyer who only refines metal has one question about your box, which is what it weighs. We ask three. What is silver or gold, what would a collector pay a premium for, and what is genuinely common? The middle question is the one that gets skipped, and it is often where the money is hiding.
Nothing disappears into a back room. We work through the box at the counter while you watch, and we say what each group is as we go. No appointment, no fee, no obligation, and no pressure to accept. Sellers drive in from Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hawthorne, Inglewood and across Los Angeles County, and many tell us they came for the reviews rather than the distance. You can sell a gold and silver coin collection in the same visit that you sell old gold jewelry or sell inherited silver, and leave with one payment for the lot.
Our Lawndale coin counter
South Bay Coin
Get Directions
Sat: 10 AM - 3 PM
Sun: Closed
Why old almost never means rare
Old is a seller's word, not a numismatic one. Scarcity comes from how many were struck and how many survived, and neither tracks the date on the coin. An 1880s piece produced in the tens of millions and carried in pockets for decades is common today. A coin from the 1950s from a small mintage, never spent, can be worth many times more. Demand is the third lever: a series collectors actively assemble holds value that an unfashionable series does not, however venerable it looks.
So an accumulation gets sorted into four groups instead of one pile. Metal coins are the dimes, quarters and half dollars struck before 1965, the silver dollars, the wartime nickels and any pre-1933 United States gold, all of which have a value floor set by content rather than by condition. Premium coins are the smaller number where a date, mint mark, variety or state of preservation lifts the piece well above that floor. Common coins are the wheat cents, Indian Head cents, buffalo nickels, clad quarters and Eisenhower dollars that were saved by the millions across the South Bay and still survive that way.
The fourth group is everything else, and it is bigger than people expect: foreign change from a trip or a tour of duty, transit tokens, medals, casino chips, gold plated novelty issues and private mint tribute pieces sold on television. Some of it is worth real money, most of it is not, and we tell you which is which rather than quietly folding it into one number.
Old coins we buy for cash
Any quantity, any condition, loose or organized. One coin from a drawer or a lifetime accumulation from an estate, all evaluated the same way.
Old Gold Coins
Pre-1933 Liberty and Saint-Gaudens issues, Indian Head quarter and half eagles, gold dollars, plus world gold from any era or mint.
Old Silver Coins
Pre-1965 dimes, quarters and halves, Morgan and Peace dollars, wartime nickels, and the jar of change nobody ever sorted.
Albums, Folders & Sets
Whitman folders, Dansco albums, proof and mint sets in original government packaging, and half finished date runs. Bring them intact.
Foreign, Tokens & Oddities
World coins from travel or service abroad, old banknotes, tokens, medals, and the pieces nobody in the family could identify.
Sell old coins in three steps
Bring the Whole Box
Walk into 16916 Hawthorne Blvd in Lawndale with no appointment, or text photos to (310) 363-2697 first. Do not sort, clean or discard anything.
We Sort at the Counter
Metal, premium and common coins are separated in front of you. Anything unfamiliar gets verified on the spot, and we explain each group as we go.
Take the Itemized Offer
You get a breakdown group by group, not one flat number. Accept and get paid the same day. Decline any part and those coins go home with you.
South Bay Coin vs other coin buyers
A mixed box of old coins is handled very differently depending on where you take it. Here is how a walk-in visit to our Lawndale counter compares with the alternatives.
| South Bay Coin | Pawn Shops | Online Auctions | Mail-In | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorts a mixed box for you | Always | Rarely | You do it | Rarely |
| Pays above melt for collector coins | ||||
| No fees or commission deducted | Varies | |||
| Offer explained in person | Always | Sometimes | Never | Never |
| Same-day payment | ||||
| You keep what you decline | Varies | Varies | Varies | |
| Licensed CA coin dealer | Varies | Varies | Varies |
What our customers say
Common questions about selling old coins
Some are, many are not, and age alone does not decide it. Coins struck in silver or gold carry metal value whatever their condition. A smaller group carries collector value because the date, mint mark or grade is scarce. The rest are common circulated pieces worth close to face value.
South Bay Coin buys old coins at 16916 Hawthorne Blvd in Lawndale, a licensed California coin dealer open to walk-ins six days a week. Sellers come from Torrance, Redondo Beach, Inglewood, Gardena and across LA County. Bring the coins, get a free appraisal, and leave with cash the same day.
Three things decide it: how many were struck, how many survived in decent shape, and whether collectors want that series today. The mint mark, a tiny letter showing which facility produced the coin, often matters more than the date. We check both against current market data while you wait.
No. Cleaning leaves microscopic scratches that collectors and grading services spot immediately, and it can permanently reduce what a coin is worth. Toning and grime are normal and expected on old coins. Bring them exactly as you found them, dirt included, and let us assess them untouched.
Yes, and we will tell you honestly where they sit. Most wheat cents and buffalo nickels were saved in enormous numbers and trade close to face value in worn grades. A few key dates and mint marks are genuinely scarce, so we check the whole run rather than guessing by weight.
We make an offer on everything so you are not left carrying the leftovers to a second buyer. The valuable pieces are priced individually, the common material is priced as a group, and the split is shown to you. You are free to accept part of the offer and keep the rest.
Often yes, though not for the reason people expect. Older world coins were frequently struck in silver or gold, so a handful of foreign change can outperform a whole tray of modern issues. Bring the tin from the trip abroad. We identify and sort it with everything else.
Yes. Bring albums and folders intact rather than emptying them, because the arrangement tells us what was collected and how complete a run is. Proof and mint sets should stay in their original government packaging. Removing coins from sealed holders can cost you more than it gains.
No. Walk in Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM, or Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM. Appraisals are free and take about fifteen minutes for a small lot. For a large accumulation, a quick call ahead lets us set aside counter time for sorting.
The coins in whatever container they live in, plus valid photo identification, which California requires of licensed dealers. Any paperwork helps, including old inventory lists, purchase receipts or appraisals. Do not sort, clean or throw anything out beforehand, since the discarded material is sometimes the good part.
Ready to sell your old coins?
Walk into our Lawndale showroom with no appointment, or text photos for a same-day estimate. Free appraisals, itemized offers, immediate cash payment.
