Coins and precious metals are one of the harder asset classes to settle. They are easy to undervalue, easy to overvalue, hard to inventory, and awkward to divide between beneficiaries who each suspect the others are getting the better end of it.
We work directly with attorneys, trustees, fiduciaries and personal representatives across the Phoenix metro, and we are used to the fact that the paperwork matters as much as the number.
What we provide
- Written, itemized appraisals suitable for probate, insurance scheduling, estate tax filing and equitable distribution
- Date-of-death valuations, priced to the relevant date rather than today’s market
- Full inventories, item by item, so the estate file shows what was there and what it was worth
- Single-lot settlement, where the estate prefers one transaction and one check to a series of private sales
- On-site attendance at the residence, the bank vault or your office, anywhere in the valley
A verbal evaluation is free, as it always is. A formal written appraisal is professional work that takes real time, and it carries a fee quoted up front against the size and complexity of the holding. We do not tie that fee to the appraised value, and we do not require that the estate sell us anything.
Why an appraisal and a purchase should be separate
A buyer who appraises an estate and then buys it has an obvious conflict. We separate the two deliberately. You are welcome to take our written appraisal and sell the holding elsewhere, and some estates do exactly that.
If the estate does want to sell to us, the offer is made against the same itemized figures, so beneficiaries can see how the number was arrived at rather than being handed a total.
How an estate engagement usually runs
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An initial conversation
Usually a phone call. Roughly what is there, where it is, what the deadline is, and what the estate actually needs — a number, a document, or a buyer.
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We attend, or you bring it in
For anything substantial, or anything in a bank vault, we come to it. Nothing leaves your sight, and nothing is removed without a signed inventory.
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Inventory and evaluation
Every item recorded, tested where appropriate, graded where it matters, and photographed if the estate wants a visual record.
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The written appraisal
Delivered as a signed document with methodology stated, so it stands up to a court, an insurer or a skeptical beneficiary.
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Settlement, if the estate wants it
One transaction, one payment, and documentation the personal representative can file. Or no transaction at all, which is equally fine.
What we most often find in estates
- Accumulated silver coinage that nobody realized was silver
- Pre-1933 gold bought decades ago and forgotten in a safe deposit box
- Bullion purchased at the top of a previous cycle, with the original paperwork
- Sterling flatware and hollowware, frequently undervalued
- Paper currency folded into books and envelopes
- Jewelry, where the maker often matters more than the gold
Common questions
Do you work with attorneys and fiduciaries directly?
Regularly. We can deal entirely with the professional representative and never with the family, if that is what the situation calls for.
Can you do a date-of-death valuation for something sold months ago?
Yes, provided there is a reasonable record of what was held. Retrospective valuations are routine.
How quickly can this be done?
A straightforward holding can be inventoried in a day and documented within the week. Large or complex estates take longer, and we will tell you honestly at the outset.
Will you appraise items you do not buy?
Yes. We appraise the whole holding regardless of whether we have any interest in purchasing part of it, and we will refer you on for categories outside our expertise.