To me, coals in the stove represent an active stove, if for no other reason than it hasn't cooled down much yet, and you can start getting more heat out of it by just throwing in a few chunks of wood. If the stove is out, however, getting warm from it is going to take some work and some time, and I never have any of that to spare in the morning. So I think a stove containing coals is worth a lot more than a dead one.