Coins That Are Easy to Explain Later
You understand your collection. But will your spouse? Or your kids? Buying "explainable" coins is an act of kindness to your heirs.
Imagine this scenario: You pass away. Your spouse inherits your safe. They open it and find 500 different coins. Some are in blue boxes. Some are loose. Some are slabs.
They are overwhelmed. They take it all to a pawn shop and ask, "What is this worth?" The pawn shop guy looks at the confusing mess and offers $1,000 for a collection worth $10,000. This happens every single day.
The "One-Index-Card" Rule
Your core stack should be simple enough to explain on a single 3x5 index card.
Bad Stack (Hard to Explain):
- "The 1921 Morgans are worth $30, but the 1893 is worth $500, and the ones with the 'CC' mark are worth $300, unless they are cleaned..."
- Result: Your heirs will get ripped off.
Good Stack (Easy to Explain):
- "The Tubes with Green Lids are Eagles. They are worth Spot + $5."
- "The Bag of Quarters is Junk Silver. It is worth 20x Face Value."
- Result: Your heirs can check two numbers and know if they are getting a fair deal.
Complexity is a Liability
Complexity is fun for the collector, but it is toxic for the heir. If you love complex numismatics, document it perfectly. But for the bulk of your wealth? Keep it boring. Keep it standard. Keep it explainable.
The Inheritance Letter
We wrote a template letter you can leave in your safe. It explains exactly what you have and how to sell it. Download it free.