Stack's Bowers Galleries
Stack's Bowers Galleries is a large numismatic auction house that sells U.S. and world coins, paper money, tokens and medals in live and online sales. This page covers what it sells, how bidding works, and every buyer charge in its 2026 terms, with a direct link to stacksbowers.com.
- Roots
- Stack's, 1935
- Based in
- Costa Mesa, California
- Buyer's fee
- 22%, min $29 per lot
- Pay within
- 7 days of the sale
Go to Stack's Bowers Galleries →How buying worksFees
About Stack's Bowers Galleries
Stack's Bowers Galleries brings together two older coin firms: Stack's, a New York dealer dating to the 1930s, and Bowers and Merena, founded in the 1950s. The combined company has run under the Stack's Bowers name since the early 2010s. It is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and also has offices in New York and Hong Kong. It holds sales in both the United States and Asia.
The firm holds large floor sales tied to major coin shows, plus online-only Collectors Choice sales and precious metals auctions. Bidders can take part in person, by phone on lots worth $2,500 or more, by absentee bid, or online at stacksbowers.com. Lots also appear on outside platforms such as Invaluable, which add their own fee. Paid lots usually ship 10 to 14 days after payment clears.
What Stack's Bowers Galleries sells
How buying works at Stack's Bowers Galleries
- Make an accountRegister free at stacksbowers.com and accept the terms of sale, or register on site for a floor paddle.
- Check your bid limitNew accounts get an automatic bid limit shown in your profile. To raise it, contact client services and give credit references or a deposit.
- BidBid live online, by absentee bid before the sale, by phone on lots of $2,500 or more, or in the room.
- Add the costsAdd the 22% buyer's fee (at least $29 per lot), shipping, insurance, handling, sales tax where it applies, and 2.9% if you pay by card.
- Pay and get the coinsPay within 7 days of the last session. Lots ship after payment clears, usually 10 to 14 days later.
What it costs
These are the buyer charges in the Stack's Bowers 2026 terms of sale.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Buyer's fee, standard auctions | 22% of the hammer price |
| Minimum buyer's fee | $29 per lot |
| Precious metals auctions | No buyer's fee; price is a set percentage of spot times the metal ounces |
| Bidding through Invaluable | Platform fee added on top; a June 2026 lot showed 27% in total |
| Credit card or PayPal | 2.9% surcharge; cards accepted on invoices of $10,000 or less with prior approval |
| Check, ACH, money order, domestic wire | No surcharge |
| Wire from a foreign bank | $35 |
| Returned check | $25 |
| Late payment | 5% of the invoice after 7 days, plus up to 1.5% a month carrying charge |
| U.S. shipping and insurance | By invoice value, from $12 under $300 to $24 at $1,000 to $2,499, up to $400 at $250,000 and up, plus $0.50 per lot |
| International shipping | Postage from $50 for invoices up to $2,500, plus insurance of 0.5% of hammer and fee (min $10), plus $0.50 per lot |
| Sales tax | Charged by state rules unless a resale certificate is on file; California taxes coins and bullion on invoices under $2,000 |
Worked example: a $1,000 hammer adds a $220 fee for $1,220. U.S. shipping and insurance of $24 plus $0.50 handling brings it to $1,244.50. Paying by card adds 2.9%, about $36, for roughly $1,280.59 before any sales tax.
Paying, pickup and storage
| When to pay | Within 7 days of the close of the final session. |
| Payment | Check, ACH, money order and wire with no fee. Card and PayPal need approval and cost 2.9% more. Cash is not taken. |
| Check holds | Checks from buyers without established credit may be held up to 10 business days before shipping. |
| Shipping | Lots ship only after full payment, typically 10 to 14 days later. |
| New bidders | Must give satisfactory credit references or deposit at least 25% of total bids for the session. |
| Deposit | Applied to purchases; any balance is refunded after funds clear. |
| Sales tax | Waived only with a valid resale certificate filed before the sale. |
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UX Search is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Stack's Bowers Galleries. Bidding, payment and delivery all happen on the house's own site under its own terms. Information checked October 22, 2026 from stacksbowers.com (auction basics, payment information) and Stack's Bowers terms of sale for the June 3, 2026 Collectors Choice auction, as posted on invaluable.com and Greysheet and CoinWeek press coverage of the firm's buyer's fee history; fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the sale page.