Find out how to get coins and other historical items valued

Museums Victoria cannot tell you how much your object is worth. We DO NOT provide valuations of historical items, but read on to find out who does.

Coin valuations

Five shilling coin
Five shilling coin from Australia – also known as the Holey dollar.

Published price guide books for items such as coins, antiques and stamps are often available through your local library.

A rough guide to current worth can sometimes be obtained by a search for similar items on online auction sites, although due caution should be exercised, and this information should be cross-checked against other sources.

Another helpful resource is the Commonwealth Government's list of approved valuers.

Other historical items

For general items, you can:

  • Contact one of Australia's principal auction houses. To start you off, a good list of Australian auction houses is available at the ABC's Auction Room website
  • Choose a valuer from the Commonwealth Government's list of approved valuers

The Commonwealth Government's list of approved valuers

This list is produced as part of the Commonwealth Government's Cultural Gifts Program, whereby people can donate artefacts to museums in order to receive a tax benefit.

The valuers on the list are generally commercial dealers who have a detailed knowledge of the market in their fields, and will be happy to value items within their competence. They may charge a fee for this work, either on an hourly basis or as a percentage of the total valuation. Check with them first.

To obtain the current list of approved valuers, download it from the Department of Communication and the Arts Cultural Gift Program website.

The Cultural Gifts Program

The Cultural Gifts Program encourages Australians to donate items of cultural significance from private collections to public art galleries, museums, libraries and archives.

Gifts are required to be valued by at least two valuers who are approved to value for the Cultural Gifts Program. Some of these valuers also undertake private valuations, and therefore may be able to assist with item enquires and valuations. Using this list to obtain valuation services does not place you under any obligation to donate your items to any cultural organisation.

For any enquiries regarding the Cultural Gifts Program, contact:

Secretariat
Cultural Gifts Program
Ministry for the Arts
Attorney-General's Department
Robert Garran Offices
3–5 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
T: (02) 6141 4338
E: [email protected]

Check out our Numismatics & Philately Collection online.

Find out how to donate objects to our History and Technology Collections.

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