Why Ansonia Residents Drive to Hamden
Ansonia has downtown gold buyers, Derby has shops just over the line, and Waterbury has several long-standing coin shops plus pawn shops on East Main and Wolcott Street. Most of them weigh your silver and quote a number based on melt — without checking for rare dates, mint marks, or collector premiums that can run many times the metal content. For a jar of common wheat cents that is fine. For a collection that a grandparent spent decades building, it is not.
Those shops are closer to you than we are. We are about 20 minutes south on Route 8, in Hamden. But we are a licensed, buy-only coin dealer: we spread your collection out and go through it piece by piece, identify every coin, check dates and mint marks, assess condition, and separate items with numismatic value from those worth melt. We show you the live spot price, walk you through how we calculated each offer, and hand you a written itemized offer to take home. No loans, no collateral, and no pressure to accept.
The drive from Ansonia is simple: Route 8 south to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) east to exit 61, then Whitney Avenue north to 2285 Whitney Ave. About 20 minutes. An alternative is Route 34 east through Derby to Route 15 (Wilbur Cross) east, then exit 61 to Whitney Avenue north.
What We Evaluate: Coins, Currency, and Collections
Collections from copper-mill families
Ansonia is copper and brass country. Ansonia Brass & Copper — later absorbed into Anaconda — employed generations along the river, the Ansonia Clock Company built timepieces known worldwide, and Farrel Corporation manufactured rubber machinery for decades. Many collections we see began with a grandparent who worked at one of those plants and tucked away silver dollars, war-era coins, and Indian Head cents through the 1930s to 1960s. We appraise each piece on its own rather than rolling the lot into one flat melt figure — bring the whole collection as it sits, jars, envelopes, and old boxes included.
World coins from Portuguese and Italian families
Ansonia has one of the Lower Naugatuck Valley's largest Portuguese communities, along with Italian and Polish families who put down roots across generations. Coins carried home from Portugal — escudos in various denominations — surface alongside U.S. silver in estate collections from Downtown and the North End. Italian lire and other European coins appear too, sometimes mixed with postwar service coins. We identify and evaluate world coins the same way as U.S. coins: one coin at a time, recording the date and wear, and keeping any premium above melt distinct from the silver itself.
Morgan and Peace silver dollars
Morgan dollars (1878–1921) and Peace dollars (1921–1935) turn up in more Ansonia estates than almost any other coin. All of them contain silver, yet certain dates and mint marks — especially those struck at Carson City ("CC") — command significant premiums well beyond their melt value. We read the date and mint mark off each dollar separately — nothing gets dumped onto a scale and priced as one blended lot.
Pre-1965 U.S. silver coins
Dimes, quarters, and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier are 90 percent silver. They are often called "junk silver" but are worth well above face value at current silver prices. Scarce dates within the series are hard to find and sell for more than their silver content would suggest. We sort through every coin individually rather than weighing the lot.
Wheat cents and Indian Head cents
Wheat pennies (1909–1958) and earlier Indian Head cents can be worth more than face value, with certain key dates worth hundreds. A jar of old cents from an Ansonia estate may hold something worth pulling out. Bring the whole jar — do not clean them first.
Proof sets, mint sets, and old paper currency
Uncirculated proof sets and mint sets from the U.S. Mint can hold premiums beyond their silver value, especially vintage issues still in their original government packaging. Silver and gold certificates, plus currency printed before the Federal Reserve era, can fetch far more from paper-money collectors than the figure printed on them. If you found old paper money in an Ansonia estate, bring it — a bank will only give you face value.
Grading, condition, and why it matters
Condition drives a coin's worth more than anything else — the same date and mint mark can swing by thousands of dollars depending on whether it grades "Good" or "Uncirculated". We assess the grade of every piece while you watch and walk you through precisely how that wear level shapes the number we put in front of you. You do not need to grade anything yourself. The one rule above all others: leave your coins untouched — polishing, dipping, or scrubbing strips away the original surface toning that collectors actively seek, and a cleaned coin can lose 50 to 90 percent of its numismatic value. Bring everything in its found condition, grime and tarnish included — that original look is part of what collectors want.
The Connecticut 10-day hold
Connecticut law requires licensed dealers to hold non-bullion items for 10 days before reselling. That waiting period deters theft and gives law enforcement time to check merchandise against lists of stolen goods. Your money is never delayed — you leave with a check in hand that same afternoon. The hold restricts our resale timeline, not your payment date. Bullion coins and bars are exempt.
Simple 3-Step Process
Professional evaluation with same-day payment. No obligation.
Bring Your Items
Drive south from Ansonia to 2285 Whitney Ave, Hamden. Bring your coins, currency, jewelry, or estate items as-is — no need to sort or clean anything first.
Free Evaluation
We go through every piece individually in front of you — checking dates, mint marks, condition, and both melt and collector value. We walk you through the math.
Written Offer & Same-Day Payment
Accept the offer and receive payment by check the same day. Or take the written offer home and decide in your own time — no pressure, ever.
Directions from Ansonia
Two routes from Ansonia to our Hamden shop at 2285 Whitney Ave.
Take Route 8 south from Ansonia to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) east. Continue on Route 15 to exit 61, then turn right onto Whitney Avenue north. Haven Coin is at 2285 Whitney Ave on your right. About 20 minutes.
Take Route 34 east from Ansonia through Derby to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) east, then exit 61 to Whitney Avenue north. Haven Coin is at 2285 Whitney Ave on your right. A good alternative when Route 8 is backed up.
Our Address
2285 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT 06518
~20 min from Ansonia
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions from Ansonia residents about selling coins.
Is it worth driving from Ansonia to Hamden to sell coins?
For a few common silver coins, possibly not. But for a full estate collection or anything that may hold numismatic value above melt, the 20-minute drive south on Route 8 is worth it. A buy-only dealer who evaluates every coin individually, shows you the math from the live spot price, and hands you a written offer will typically recover more than the gas money — and you will not get that level of attention at a pawn shop or storefront gold buyer.
My family worked at Ansonia Brass & Copper and saved coins for decades — how do I know what is valuable?
Bring everything as you discovered it. Many Ansonia collections we see were started by grandparents who worked at Ansonia Brass & Copper — later part of Anaconda — the Ansonia Clock Company, or Farrel Corporation building rubber machinery, and they set aside silver dollars, war-era coins, and Indian Head cents through the 1930s to 1960s. We identify each piece, note the date and mint mark, assess condition, and separate items with collector value from those worth melt. You do not need to know what anything is — that is our job.
I found Portuguese escudos and other world coins mixed with U.S. coins — do you buy those?
Yes. Ansonia has one of the Lower Naugatuck Valley's largest Portuguese communities, and many families carried coins home from Portugal alongside their U.S. savings. Portuguese escudos, Italian lire, and other world coins can carry collector value above their metal content depending on date, denomination, and condition. We identify and evaluate world coins the same way we do U.S. coins — piece by piece, in front of you. Bring whatever you have, mixed or sorted.
Do you buy whole collections from estates in Ansonia?
Yes. We evaluate entire estate collections piece by piece, never lumped at bulk melt. If you are clearing a family home in Downtown Ansonia, the Hilltop, the North End, the West Side, or anywhere in the city, bring everything as-is — no sorting or cleaning required. We can also provide documentation suitable for estate purposes.
What is the 10-day hold and does it apply to my coins?
Connecticut requires licensed precious metals dealers to hold non-bullion items for 10 days before reselling. This holding period is a consumer protection designed to deter theft and give law enforcement time to check items against stolen property reports. Your payment is not delayed — you receive your check the same day you accept the offer. The hold affects when we can resell, not when you get paid. Bullion coins and bars are exempt from the hold entirely.
How is this different from the coin shops and gold buyers in downtown Ansonia, Derby, and Waterbury?
Ansonia has downtown gold buyers, neighboring Derby has shops of its own, and Waterbury has several long-standing coin shops plus pawn shops on East Main and Wolcott Street. A pawn shop or storefront gold buyer typically offers melt value for whatever you bring in, without checking for rare dates, mint marks, or collector premiums. We are a buy-only coin dealer — we evaluate every coin individually for collector value above melt, test in front of you, show the math from the live spot price, and give you a written offer to keep. No loans, no collateral, and no pressure to accept.
Can I get an appraisal without selling?
Yes. Evaluations are free and carry no obligation. Many people from Ansonia come in simply to learn what they have — what each coin is, what it is worth, and whether anything is rare — before deciding whether to sell. You receive a written offer to take home and think about.
Helpful Resources
Everything you need to know before your visit from Ansonia.
Sell Coins in Connecticut
How selling coins works at a licensed CT dealer — evaluation, offer, and same-day payment.
Learn moreSell an Inherited Coin Collection
What to do when you inherit coins — bring them as-is, no need to sort or clean.
Learn moreFree Appraisals
Professional coin and currency appraisals with no obligation to sell.
Learn moreWhat to Do With an Inherited Coin Collection
Step-by-step guide for handling a collection from a family member's estate.
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