People walk in with a jewelry box and a coffee can of coins after a parent or grandparent dies. They want a straight answer, not a lecture. Here is how we handle inherited gold and coins at Apex Gold Silver Coin, 605 Walnut St SW in Winston-Salem.
You do not have to sort it first
Bring the lot. Mixed chains, class rings, dental gold, coin jars, and albums are normal. We sort gold from silver, scrap from coins, in front of you. If you already know a piece is a coin rather than broken jewelry, set it aside. You do not have to.
Scrap gold vs coins
Scrap gold (karat jewelry we can test and melt) is about 75 percent of what the refinery pays us. That 75 percent is gold only. It is not a blanket number for coins.
Gold coins pay much higher than scrap. A US gold coin, a bullion coin, or a dated piece we can sell as a coin is not priced like a broken chain. We will say so. Jeff and Tania would rather pay a coin as a coin than buy it as melt.
Silver is case by case: sterling, junk 90 percent, dollars, mixed jars. Inherited coin jars often mix clad with silver. We separate that on the counter.
Estates are normal here
You do not need an appointment. Walk in with a photo ID. We are licensed and bonded. If several family members are deciding together, that is fine. There is no pressure to sell the whole box on the spot. You can take the number, talk, and come back during hours.
What to bring
- The gold and coins (boxes, bags, albums, loose is all fine)
- A photo ID
- Anything you already know is a coin or a marked karat piece, in a separate pile if you want
Hours and how to find us
Monday–Friday 10am–4pm, Saturday 12–3pm, closed Sunday. Apex Gold Silver Coin, 605 Walnut St SW, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Phone (336) 505-9503.
We see people from Greensboro, Lexington, Mount Airy, and Reidsville. That is the service area. The shop is the one on Walnut Street.
