The Mercury Dime
Before we talk about where to find coins, I want to make sure you know what to get excited about when you do.
The Mercury Dime — officially called the Winged Liberty Head Dime — was minted from 1916 to 1945. Every single one is 90% silver. But what makes them special beyond the silver content is that collectors genuinely love them. The design is considered one of the most beautiful in American coin history.
What to look for:
Dates from 1916 to 1945
A woman's profile on the front with a winged cap (often mistaken for Mercury — hence the nickname)
The key date to watch for: 1916-D — if you find one of those, stop everything and look it up immediately
Even common dates in worn condition are worth $2–$4 each in silver alone
When you're digging through a junk bin or an estate sale coin jar, Mercury Dimes are exactly what you're hoping to find hiding at the bottom.
📍 WHERE TO FIND COINS THIS WEEK
Estate Sales — My Personal Favorite
This is where I find the best stuff, full stop.
Estate sales happen when a family is clearing out a home — usually after someone passes away. And here's the thing: older generations saved coins. They kept jars of change. They tucked things away in drawers and coffee cans and old shoeboxes.
The people running the sale are almost never coin experts. They're just trying to move everything quickly. That's your opportunity.
My tips for estate sales:
Show up early on day one for the best selection
Head straight for the bedroom and study — that's where coins usually live
Don't overlook jars of loose change — silver hides in plain sight
Check EstateSales.net or EstateAuctions.net to find sales near you this weekend
Flea Markets — Consistent and Underrated
Flea markets get dismissed by serious collectors, and honestly that works in your favor.
Most flea market coin dealers are selling common stuff — but buried in their junk boxes and bargain bins you'll find silver coins priced by weight or just by "old coin" guesswork. I've pulled Mercury Dimes, Roosevelt Dimes, and even the occasional Standing Liberty Quarter out of $1 bins.
What to do:
Ask to see the junk box — every coin dealer has one
Bring a loupe (a small magnifying glass) so you can check dates quickly
Be friendly and chat — dealers will often cut you a deal if they like you
Go early, before the good stuff gets picked over
Garage Sales — The Long Game
Garage sales are hit or miss. Mostly miss, honestly. But when you hit — you really hit.
The key is volume. If you're driving around on a Saturday morning hitting five or six garage sales, it only takes one coffee can moment to make the whole morning worthwhile.
What to look for:
Old coin folders or albums (people sell these without knowing what's inside)
Jars of mixed change
Old wallets or purses — people forget what's in them
Estate jewelry boxes that might have coins tucked inside
Thrift Stores — The Overlooked Gem
This is the one most beginners never think about, and it's where I've had some genuinely surprising finds.
Thrift stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army receive donated items all day long, and the staff sorting donations aren't coin experts. Old coin folders, collections in binders, even the occasional individually valuable coin — they show up on thrift store shelves priced at whatever looks reasonable to someone who has no idea what they're looking at.
My strategy:
Check the glass display case up front — that's where they put anything that looks "collectible"
Browse the books section too — old coin reference books sometimes get donated with coins still tucked inside (yes, really)
Visit regularly — stock turns over constantly and you never know what came in that morning
Online — eBay and Facebook Marketplace
You can absolutely find deals online too, though the competition is stiffer.
On eBay, look for misspelled listings — a seller who lists "Morgon Dollar" instead of "Morgan Dollar" gets fewer views and sometimes sells for less. It sounds silly but it works.
Facebook Marketplace is great for finding people selling inherited collections locally. Search "coin collection" or "old coins" in your area. You'll often find someone who just wants it gone and has no idea what they have.
⚡ QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK
Bring a list of key dates.
Before you head to any estate sale or flea market, print out or screenshot a list of key date coins — the rare dates for Morgan Dollars, Mercury Dimes, Walking Liberty Half Dollars, and Lincoln Cents.
When you're digging through a bin, you won't remember every date off the top of your head. A quick reference means you won't accidentally leave a valuable coin behind because you weren't sure about it.
A quick Google search for "key date coins list" will give you everything you need. Screenshot it. Keep it on your phone.
📈 WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE MARKET
Estate sale season is heating up right now. Spring and early summer tend to bring more sales as families clear out homes after winter. More sales means more opportunities — and also a few more competitors showing up.
The good news is most people showing up to estate sales are there for furniture, dishes, and clothes. The coins are often sitting there ignored while everyone else fights over the vintage lamp in the corner.
Stay focused, be patient, and remember — you're not looking for everything. You're looking for the one thing nobody else noticed.
🔍 AUGUST'S FIND OF THE WEEK
This one made me smile.
A reader — let's call her Marie from Pennsylvania — sent me a photo of a coin folder she picked up at a Goodwill for $3. It was a Lincoln Wheat Penny folder, mostly filled with common dates.
But right there in the 1909 slot? A 1909-S VDB.
If you don't know that coin yet — look it up. Right now. It's one of the most famous key dates in American numismatics. Marie paid $3 for the folder. That one coin alone is worth several hundred dollars in the condition she has it.
Three dollars.
That's why we look in thrift stores.
BEFORE YOU GO
Your one thing to do this week:
Find one estate sale, flea market, or thrift store near you this weekend and go. Just go. You don't need to spend much — even $10 to dig through a junk bin is worth the experience.
The more you look, the faster your eye develops. And one day you'll reach into a coffee can and pull out something that makes you smile all the way home.
That's the part nobody tells you about this hobby. It's genuinely fun.
See you next week.
— August
P.S. — Know someone who'd love finding deals like this? Forward this email their way. They can sign up for free at coinsclearly.beehiiv.com — and tell them Issue #1 is worth going back to read too.
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