When an estate includes coins, medals, banknotes or tokens, HMRC requires a valuation at open market value as at the date of death. Coins are rarely straightforward. Two pieces that look identical to a non-specialist can differ in value by hundreds of pounds, and a collection catalogued by the wrong hands is as likely to be over-valued as under-valued.
B and G Coins provides Insurance backed and Universally accepted written probate valuations for solicitors, executors and administrators. This is a chargeable professional service, and we confirm the fee before any work begins. Fees are based upon Complexity, Volume and the Valuation amount.
Why a numismatic specialist
General probate valuers are capable across house contents. Coins are a separate discipline. Value rests on rarity, condition, metal and collector demand, and condition alone can take a common date from a few pounds to several hundred. Catalogue references, mint marks, die varieties, and the difference between a genuine piece and a later copy, all need a trained eye and the reference library to go with it.
An inaccurate figure creates real difficulty on both sides. Too high, and the estate pays Inheritance Tax it did not owe. Too low, and the valuation may be challenged, with the executor personally accountable for the return.
What you receive
- A written valuation at open market value as at the date of death
- Every item individually listed, described and referenced
- Photographs where a piece warrants them
- A clear statement of the basis on which the valuation was made
Who we work with
Solicitors and probate practitioners instructing on behalf of an estate. Executors and administrators acting personally. Families who simply need to understand what a collection contains before deciding what to do with it.
About the valuer
Valuations are carried out by Dr Nicholas P George FRNS, a Fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society, the BBC’s ‘Coin Guy’, and consultant to auctioneers and museums. He has dealt in coins, medals and tokens since 1977 and holds professional indemnity insurance.
To instruct us
Telephone 01406 408123 or 07950 287349, or email [email protected]. Tell us roughly what the collection contains and we will confirm a fee before starting.