Colonial Valley Coins Review 2026: Is Colonial Valley Coins Legit or a Scam?

This comprehensive Colonial Valley Coins review breaks down everything you need to know about their history, physical storefront inventory, pricing spreads, customer feedback, and how they stack up against major national alternatives.

What Is Colonial Valley Coins?

Colonial Valley Coins (officially registered as Colonial Valley Coins & Currency) is an established brick-and-mortar retail coin shop located in Hamilton Township (Trenton), New Jersey. Operating as a traditional neighborhood coin shop (LCS), the business specializes in buying, selling, and appraising rare numismatic collectibles, historical paper currency, and investment-grade precious metals.

Corporate Profile and History

• Founding: The business was established in 1999 and officially opened its doors to its retail storefront in January 2001. It was founded by Harry Garrison, a veteran numismatist who launched the shop as a retirement pursuit after a 38-year corporate executive career.

• Leadership: The store has a legacy of being passed down between passionate local numismatists. It is currently owned and operated by Robert “Rob” Lanhan, who took over full ownership in 2023 after being mentored for years by the previous owners.

• Physical Location: 4343 S Broad St, Hamilton Township, NJ 08620.

Who Owns Colonial Valley Coins?

Ownership integrity means everything when dealing with high-value collectibles. Robert Lanhan began collecting coins in 1967 when he was just six years old. The shop’s chronological leadership timeline shows a highly stable, community-focused history:

 

What Are Colonial Valley Coins Products & Services?

Colonial Valley Coins operates a dual-channel business framework. They provide retail products through their physical New Jersey storefront and service long-distance collectors via an active online eBay storefront under the seller name Colonial Coins and Currency.

Inventory and Products

• Classic U.S. Coinage: A comprehensive collection categorized strictly by denomination. This includes early copper large cents, Indian Head cents, Lincoln Wheat pennies, Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, Standing Liberty quarters, and Morgan or Peace silver dollars.

• Gold and Precious Metals: Investment bullion products, including 1 oz gold coins (like American Gold Eagles), physical gold bars, silver rounds, and hand-poured silver or copper bars from private mints. They also carry regional novelties like fractional Goldback currency.

• Foreign Coinage: Specialty numismatic pieces including Canadian Maple Leafs and select world gold coins.

• Paper Currency: Collectible legal tender, early American colonial paper money, and historical U.S. silver certificates or banknotes.

• Coin Collecting Supplies: Essential archival accessories including coin folders, albums, clear coin tubes, 2×2 cardboard flips, storage boxes, airtight capsules, currency sleeves, and industry reference guides like the Red and Blue Books.

Primary Services Provided

• Liquidation & Buying: The shop aggressively buys single coins, raw bulk estate collections, certified slabbed coins (graded by NGC or PCGS), and Proof/Mint sets from individuals looking to liquidate assets.

• Scrap Metal Purchasing: They buy raw precious metals, providing direct payout options for gold and silver scrap.

• Collection Appraisals: The staff provides expert valuation and consulting services to help collectors evaluate the market worth of their numismatic items or plan their portfolios.

Colonial Valley Coins Pricing & Fees

Colonial Valley Coins operates on a traditional brick-and-mortar numismatic pricing model. Item costs are fluid, directly tied to live metal spot prices, wholesale numismatic guides (like the Greysheet), and the specific rarity or condition of the piece.

Appraisal Fees

According to the company’s official policies, the cost of evaluating your items depends heavily on your intent:

• Over-the-Counter Evaluations (Free): If you bring single coins or small collections into the storefront during business hours for a standard verbal assessment or with the intent to sell, the evaluation is completely free.

• House Calls (Free): For very large, unwieldy collections, the owner will travel to your home or a designated location to perform the evaluation at no charge. Larger lots require an advanced appointment.

• Formal Written Appraisals (Paid Fee): If you require a legally binding, formal written document for insurance purposes, tax audits, or an estate lawyer, Colonial Valley Coins charges an appraisal fee. Because they do not quote flat rates online, you must contact them directly at (609) 585-8104 for an estate appraisal quote.

Retail and Shipping Fees

• Storefront Sales: Collectible coin markups vary depending on local demand and velocity, ranging anywhere from a standard 5% to over 20% above wholesale. Bullion items track closely to the global spot price.

• Online Purchases: For orders placed via their online eBay Storefront, shipping fees fluctuate strictly based on the destination, package weight, and item value. Remote order shipping fees are generally noted as low and reasonable.

Sell-To-Us and Cash Payout Margins

Like most local coin shops, Colonial Valley Coins pays a percentage beneath retail value when purchasing items from the public to account for store overhead, inventory risk, and holding costs.

• Numismatics: Rare U.S. coins are generally purchased at a tier below the most recent auction records or industry value guides.

• Precious Metals Market Spread: Local customer feedback indicates that their buy-back cash offers for raw bullion bars may run slightly lower than major national online distributors or competing regional shops depending on daily market volatility and immediate inventory needs.

Pros & Cons of Colonial Valley Coins

To give a balanced look in this Colonial Valley Coins review, let’s weigh the direct benefits and clear drawbacks of doing business with this dealer.

Pros

• Free At-Home Appraisals: They offer complimentary house calls for large or heavy coin collections, saving you the hassle of transporting high-value items to the shop.

• Decades of Expertise: Current owner Robert Lanhan has been immersed in numismatics since 1967, providing seasoned, reliable expertise.

• Multi-Channel Inventory: They maintain a physical storefront alongside a highly active online eBay store, making it easy to browse or buy remotely.

• One-Stop Collecting Shop: Beyond coins, they sell a full line of archival storage supplies, reference books, and protective capsules on-site.

• No High-Pressure Tactics: Regular customers frequently praise the staff for being patient, fair, and educational rather than pushing high-pressure retail sales.

Cons

• Wider Buy-Sell Spreads: Local physical coin shops carry significant brick-and-mortar overhead. Consequently, their cash buyback offers for raw bullion bars may run slightly lower than major national online distributors.

• Higher Retail Markups: Some local buyers note that retail sticker prices on physical silver and generic collectibles can skew slightly higher than alternative regional shops.

• Fees for Formal Valuation: While standard over-the-counter verbal evaluations are free, any legally binding written paperwork required for insurance or estate division incurs a fee.

• No Weekend Availability: The store maintains a rigid traditional operating schedule and is completely closed on Sundays, which can be restrictive for hobbyists who work standard weekdays.

• Slower Digital Communication: Community feedback on forums reveals that their digital support channels (email) can sometimes be slow to reply to direct stock inquiries.

• No BBB Accreditation: The company is not an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau.

• Cramped Retail Layout: The physical storefront focuses heavily on secure product volume rather than open-concept floor space, which can make browsing during peak daytime hours feel tight.

Customer Reviews: Online Reputation Breakdown

An essential part of any Colonial Valley Coins review is aggregating public data across major consumer rating platforms:

• BBB: Not accredited, not rated, 0 reviews

• Trustpilot: Not listed

• Trustlink: Not listed

• Yelp: 3 / 5 stars (based on 2 reviews)

• Google Business: 4.5 / 5 stars (based on 71 reviews)

The Positive Sentiment

The vast majority of feedback on Google praises current owner Rob Lanhan for his professional depth of knowledge and straight-and-narrow business practices:

“I’ve enjoyed a few visits to this brick and mortar. I recommend here first before any other location for your buying and selling needs. Competitive prices as well as knowledge of his craft. Rob is a Professional, Straight and Narrow.”

“I stumbled upon this Coin dealer over a year ago and I am so glad that I started coming here. ROB is an excellent dealer extremely knowledgeable and extremely helpful. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable Expert in coin and currency check out COLONIAL absolutely the best.”

The Negative Sentiment

The few negative reviews generally stem from the transition period between the old and new owners, or friction regarding retail premiums on bullion items:

“The original owner was awesome. Not the greatest experience with new guy. Was very short and basically didn’t want my business. I will not return.”

“Always had pleasant experiences here until the last time. It wasn’t the owner and he berated me when I questioned the $20 premium on ASE’s [American Silver Eagles]. Not professional at all. Will not return.”

Is Colonial Valley Coins Legit or a Scam?

Colonial Valley Coins is 100% legitimate and is absolutely not a scam. They are a verified brick-and-mortar business that has operated continuously in New Jersey since 1999. They maintain real storefront hours, hold an active eBay store with thousands of positive feedback points, and are well-known members of the local New Jersey numismatic community.

While individual retail markups or low-ball bullion buyback offers can occasionally frustrate a customer, this is normal behavior for a local storefront and is not indicative of any scam or fraudulent practices.

Colonial Valley Coins Location, Contacts & Hours

Physical Location

The retail storefront is located in the Yardville section of Hamilton Township:

• Street Address: 4343 S Broad St, Hamilton Township (Trenton), NJ 08620.

Contact Information

• Phone Number: (609) 585-8104

• Official Website: colonialvalleycoins.com

• Online Shop: Colonial Valley Coins eBay Storefront

Hours of Operation

Third-party directories like Yelp and the BBB occasionally list their weekday closing time as 5:00 PM, but the business explicitly requests visitors defer to their 4:00 PM standard site schedule:

Day	Hours
Monday – Friday	10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday	10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Sunday	Closed

Colonial Valley Coins vs. Augusta Precious Metals vs. Goldco

When looking at a Colonial Valley Coins review, it’s important to differentiate between a Local Coin Shop (LCS) and national Precious Metals IRA companies like Augusta Precious Metals or Goldco. They serve completely different financial needs.

Feature	Colonial Valley Coins	Augusta Precious Metals	Goldco
Business Model	Local Retail & Hobbyist Shop	National Gold/Silver IRA	National Gold/Silver IRA
Best For	Rare individual coins, paper money, local cash liquidation, and small bullion buys.	Large-scale retirement account diversification ($50k+ minimums).	Precious metals IRAs and physical home-delivery bullion cash accounts.
Storage	Take physical possession instantly at the shop.	IRS-approved offshore/national depository vaults.	IRS-approved secure depository vaults.
Inventory	Wide variety of historic, world, and graded collectibles.	High-purity, investment-grade IRA eligible bullion.	High-purity, investment-grade IRA eligible bullion.

If you want to buy a few historical Morgan silver dollars or sell a collection you inherited locally, Colonial Valley Coins is the proper choice. If you want to move $100,000 of a 401(k) into physical gold to protect against inflation, institutional firms like Augusta or Goldco are purpose-built for that specific tax structure.

Colonial Valley Coins Review: Final Verdict

This Colonial Valley Coins review found that the company is a reputable New Jersey coin dealer with a long history of serving collectors and precious metals buyers.

Its strongest advantages include free evaluations, experienced ownership, a physical storefront, and a diverse inventory of coins, bullion, and paper currency. Customers generally report positive experiences, and the company has maintained a solid reputation among local collectors for many years.

The main drawbacks are its limited business hours, lack of BBB accreditation, relatively few third-party reviews, and the fact that larger online dealers may offer lower premiums on some bullion products.

Overall, this Colonial Valley Coins review concludes that the company is a good option for collectors and local buyers seeking personalized service, though investors should still compare prices with national dealers before making substantial purchases.

Overall Rating: 4.3/5

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need an appointment to sell my coins at Colonial Valley Coins?

For small amounts or a few individual pieces, you do not need an appointment; you can simply walk into their Hamilton Township storefront during regular business hours for a free verbal evaluation. However, large collections or estate liquidations require an advanced phone call to schedule proper review time.

2. Is the online eBay store selection the same as the physical New Jersey shop?

No. The inventory fluctuates constantly. While many high-grade certified coins are cross-listed on their eBay storefront (Colonial Coins and Currency), the physical shop contains unique inventory, bulk raw bins, and heavy physical bullion items that are not listed online due to shipping weights and costs.

3. Does Colonial Valley Coins offer free estate appraisals?

They offer free over-the-counter verbal evaluations and free house calls to check the value of your items if your goal is to sell them to the shop. However, if you require a formal, legally binding written appraisal document for an estate lawyer, tax audit, or insurance policy, they do charge a fee. You must call (609) 585-8104 for a custom quote.

4. Why are their bullion buyback prices lower than online websites?

Physical coin shops carry substantial local brick-and-mortar overhead costs (rent, security, utilities, local taxes). Because they face immediate market volatility and must hold that inventory physically until a local buyer appears, their buy-back margins (the spread) are slightly lower than online mega-distributors who move thousands of ounces of gold and silver daily.

5. Can I open a Gold IRA through Colonial Valley Coins?

No. Colonial Valley Coins is a standard physical retail shop. They do not have the corporate infrastructure, specialized legal compliance teams, or institutional custodial partnerships required to set up self-directed precious metals IRAs. For retirement accounts, you must use national firms like Goldco or Augusta Precious Metals.

6. Do they buy items other than coins and currency?

Yes. Aside from classic U.S. and foreign coinage and historical paper money, they aggressively purchase raw scrap gold and silver, sterling silverware, hand-poured precious metal bars, and collector supplies or reference books in good condition.