I have a passing interest in old coins, and whenever anyone tells me they have something old, I try to remind them to assume it is worth no more on the market than the melt value. The expensive ones are rare mintings in pristine condition, not the pocket change of circulated "Mercury dimes" found in Nan's keepsakes. With the way silver is disconnected from the dollar, that is still nothing to sneeze at, but you probably don't have a million dollar find. Feel free to borrow a coin guide from my library to double check though!

Another friend was excited about a haul of leaded crystal glassware and was looking at eBay in excitement. Of course, as you said, price asked and price sold can be very different.