From a single Krugerrand to a vault of Saint-Gaudens double eagles, Hicks Coins buys gold from DMV sellers, paying fair offers on bullion and strong premiums on numismatic gold.
With gold trading above $2,500 per ounce in 2026, more people than ever are looking to sell. But before you accept the first offer from a "We Buy Gold" sign in a strip mall, understand the most important distinction in gold coins: bullion value versus numismatic premium.
A modern American Gold Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, South African Krugerrand, or Chinese Panda trades very close to its melt value, perhaps 2–6% above spot depending on the coin. These are bullion coins. A pawn shop or jewelry store should pay close to spot on these.
A pre-1933 US gold coin, Liberty or Saint-Gaudens double eagles, $10 Indians, $5 half eagles, $2.50 quarter eagles, or $1 gold dollars, almost always trades for significantly more than melt. The numismatic premium on these coins can be meaningful, so it’s worth having them evaluated by someone who knows the series rather than weighed by someone who doesn’t.
Hicks Coins is a credentialed numismatist operation rather than a retail storefront. Without the display cases and counter staff, the focus is entirely on evaluating what you actually have, distinguishing common bullion from numismatic gold, identifying any pieces that carry premiums, and putting a clear, transparent number on the collection.
If it contains gold, I’m interested in buying it. The categories I most often buy from sellers:
Saint-Gaudens & Liberty Head double eagles ($20), Indian Head & Liberty $10 eagles, $5 half eagles, $2.50 quarter eagles, $1 gold dollars, $3 gold.
1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz. Burnished, proof, and bullion strikes. Including the new Type 2 reverse.
1 oz .9999 fine. Standard and proof strikes, the modern US 24-karat gold coin.
The classic South African gold bullion coin. 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz fractionals.
1 oz .9999 fine, plus all fractional sizes. Always in demand and easy to liquidate.
Both bullion-traded common dates and the key date / low-mintage Pandas that carry numismatic premiums.
Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Elizabeth II. Common dates and key dates both wanted.
Swiss 20 Francs, French 20 Francs (Rooster, Angel, Napoleon), German 20 Marks, Dutch 10 Guilders, Austrian Coronas.
PAMP Suisse, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, Engelhard, Johnson Matthey. 1 gram to 1 kilo.
For bullion coins, the starting point is the live spot price for gold that day. Different products carry their own premium structures, Eagles, Krugerrands, Maple Leafs, Pandas, and fractional sizes each trade a little differently based on demand and form.
For pre-1933 US gold and other numismatic gold, the reference shifts from melt to the PCGS/NGC graded comp market for that date and grade. Sight-unseen melt pricing doesn’t capture the value of better dates and higher grades, so it’s the wrong yardstick for numismatic material.
Send a photo, tell me what you have, and you’ll get a quote with the reasoning behind it. See bullion services.
Quotes are live-market and transparent. Text photos and quantities; I’ll respond with a number tied to today’s spot.