Working With Executors & Heirs Across the DMV

Settling an estate that includes a coin collection is one of the harder asset categories. Real estate has comparable sales. Stocks have market prices. Art has auction histories. Coins look like they should be simple to value, but the gap between what a typical estate gets and what the collection is actually worth can be enormous, especially if the original collector was sophisticated and the executor isn’t.

Hicks Coins has worked with executors, surviving spouses, estate attorneys, and heirs throughout Northern Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland. The work is sensitive, often the call comes in days after a loss, and the standard is high: thorough, transparent, and respectful of the family situation.

What an Estate Coin Buyer Actually Does

An estate coin buyer is more than a "we buy gold" transaction. The full service includes:

Initial inventory walk-through, on-site at the deceased’s residence, safe deposit box, or wherever the collection lives
Sorting & cataloging, separating bullion from numismatic, identifying slabbed coins, flagging keys
Written valuation, in a format suitable for probate, estate tax filings, and equitable distribution among heirs
Third-party grading recommendation, identifying any coins worth submitting to PCGS or NGC before sale to maximize estate value
Purchase offer or auction recommendation, transparent on which coins should be sold to me directly versus consigned to a major auction house (yes, I’ll tell you when an auction will get you more)
Settlement, cash, cashier’s check, or wire transfer to the estate account, with full documentation

Compare that to the typical "we buy coins" shop that wants to put a single number on the whole box and walk out.

Why Estates Trust Hicks Coins

The Standards That Matter at a Sensitive Time

Credentialed Numismatist

ANA & PNG membership matters most when documentation is going to a probate court or IRS reviewer. See credentials.

Office or Home Visit

The collection never has to leave the residence. Critical when the executor lives out of state and needs the work done on-site.

Written Documentation

Valuations in a format attorneys and CPAs actually accept, not a handwritten note on a business card.

Coordination With Counsel

Happy to communicate directly with the estate’s attorney, accountant, or executor in another state.

Discreet

NDA available on request. Unmarked vehicle. Names and addresses are not shared with anyone.

Equitable Distribution

If the collection is being divided among heirs rather than sold, I can document individual coin values for fair splits.

A Note on IRS Basis

Estate Valuation vs Sale Price

Important distinction many executors miss: the IRS estate valuation (date of death value) is not the same as the sale price you ultimately receive. The estate valuation is what the asset was worth on the date of death and goes on the estate return. The sale price is what you actually get when you liquidate, usually with some time gap.

Both numbers matter, and a credentialed numismatist can document both: the day-of-death fair market value for tax purposes, and the actual liquidation value when the sale happens. More on estate liquidation | Insurance & documented valuations.

Estate Coin Buyer Across DC, Maryland & Virginia