Coin Collecting

Gold coins have become on of the most popular personal collection products in the last decade particularly as the US dollar continues to become slightly unsteady causing many people to want to get...

Coin collecting is the hobby of collecting coins or other forms of minted currency. Coin collectors tend to go after coins that are rare or that have only been in circulation for a short period of...

The Indian Head cent was produced by the U.S. Mint for 50 years, between 1859 and 1909, when it was replaced by the Lincoln penny. Type 1 and Type 2 of these coins are almost identical. Type 3...

The United States minted Morgan dollars from 1878 to 1904, and then again in 1921, as circulating coins. Named for the coin's designer, chief engraver of the mint George T. Morgan, the dollars...

Gold coins are disks, typically minted by governments and made from an alloy composed of that metal and a small amount of another metal to ensure hardness. Gold bars---often but not always made of...

Two popular ways to store coin collections, both widely available from coin shops or on the Internet, are paper coin holders and coin albums. Holders offer coins less protection than albums and...

Silver and gold coins are always popular hedges against inflation, and the U.S. Mint offers an easy way to acquire them. Coin collectors find buying from the U.S. Mint to be a safe and convenient...

Collecting coins and money is fun and can be profitable. It also can teach young people to save and know value.

The United States government used to make nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins out of silver. The key is to accurately identify your old coins to determine how much silver is...

Wheat pennies were the first version of the Lincoln penny, minted from 1909 to 1958. Because they are no longer being produced, they have value to collectors, which is determined by the supply in...

The U.S. Mint issues proof coins on an annual basis, but these coins are available in different varieties. A silver proof coin is worth considerably more than a clad proof coin. There are...

Mint marks indicate where a coin was minted. Most, but not all, US coins have a mint mark. The mint mark is always a capital letter or, in one case, two letters. There are currently four US mints...

Traditional Chinese coins date from the time of China's emperors, with the last coins made just before the fall of the Chinese Empire in 1911. Traditional Chinese coins are cast of bronze, brass...

How many times have you considered yourself to be poor just because you only had pennies in your pocket or piggy bank? American cents can be very valuable. Join us and learn how to "Make A...

Watching you pocket change for coins worth more as collectibles or investments can make you some extra money. Finding valuable coins is also fun - a sort of treasure hunt. Follow these easy steps.

Cleaning coins is an addictive hobby. While cleaning modern collectible coins is never done because it lowers the value of the coin, all ancient coins have probably been cleaned at some time....

It is often difficult to know if your Krugerrand is a proof coin. The regular circulation issue Krugerrands can appear very proof-like even when compared side by side with a known proof...

Mercury dimes were minted in the US from 1916 to 1945. Due to their beauty (many collectors feel the Mercury dime was the most beautiful coin ever minted), low prices, and availability, many...

The United States Mint's 50 State Quarters Program honored all 50 states with a commemorative quarter, with five quarters released each year over a period of 10 years. Each quarter has a design on...

Silver certificates are paper currency formerly issued by the United States and formerly redeemable for silver stored by the government. One of the most widely circulated silver certificate...

On December 1, 1997, the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act was signed into law by President Clinton. Two years later, in 1999, the U.S. Mint began producing the first commemorative state...

The U.S. Coinage Act of 1792 established the dollar as the standard monetary unit for the nation. Quarter-dollar coins, or quarters, have circulated for more than 200 years, although the metals...

Whether you collect coins for fun or speculation, you will want to find a way to store and protect them for future enjoyment. There are a number of methods to store a coin collection, with the...

Brilliant proof coins are the highest quality coins produced by the U.S. Mint. They are struck with special polished dies and never released into circulation. Proof coins have a mirror-like field...

Proof sets--annual sets of coins issued by the U.S. Mint--are struck with special dies, have mirror-like finishes and are never released into circulation. You can buy them directly from the U.S....

Numismatics, the proper term for coin-collecting, is an avid hobby for thousands of people across the world. It is a very interesting and often very profitable hobby for those who are most...

Tragic accidents occur suddenly and often with devastating consequences. Car collisions, floods and especially fires can claim people and items that we hold dear. Though lives can never be...

The U.S. Mint frequently offers golf coins for sale to the public. From newer designs like the Presidential coins to remakes of classics such as the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, the Mint sells a...

The sixpence is an out-of-date coin formerly used in England and Ireland. It is worth two and a half pence, or six pennies, and has found its way into popular culture.

Coins minted in the United States have a lifespan of about 25 years. The earliest coins were made from copper, gold or silver. These days, quarters, dimes and nickels are made with a copper core...

If you have a few silver coins that look dirty, you might be thinking about cleaning them. Before you do that, however, make sure the coins do not have a significant monetary value. If you clean...

A challenge coin is a coin minted specifically for a particular group that identifies the bearer as a legitimate member. While their use began in the military, today they are also used by...

Coin collecting can be interesting and engaging to those who desire history and detail within their hobby. Coins have been around for centuries, and carry images of past kings and queens, noble...

Proof coins are struck with special polished dies so that the field of the coin has a mirrored appearance and the details of the coin are especially sharp. The U.S. Mint issues annual proof sets...

Every coin collector needs to know the history of the coins in his collection. The coin's mint mark provides one piece to its history, and can help determine the value of the coin.

Indian Head pennies, once used in everyday commerce, are not often seen now. During the 50 years of their production, nearly 2 billion of the coins were made.

The two most abundant versions of the dime available in the United States are the Mercury dime and the Roosevelt dime. Both are distinctly different in their image, however the size and shape...

Coin collecting can be a very rewarding hobby. Collecting coins can be a an investment in the future if you purchase gold and silver specialty coins. But you can avoid the expense and start your...

You can use pre-1982 copper pennies as an investment. Pennies minted between 1909 and 1982 are 95% copper and 5% zinc. Today's value of the copper is about double the face value of that penny....

There is a heated debate over whether it is better to invest in or collect gold in the form of gold bars or gold coins. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. What you choose depends on...

It is not always easy to determine how valuable a coin is by looking at it. Some coins are valuable because they are rare. Other coins are valuable because they are in pristine condition. Some...

Coin values can vary greatly depending on the condition of the coin, so accuracy is important among numismatists. Grades range from choice uncirculated (MS-63) to good (G-4) with a number of...

For someone who is eager to learn about the world, starting a world coin collection teaches a lot, giving us an impression of life in other lands.

Do you find yourself constantly thinking oh wow this is probably worth some money and end up holding on to a lot of junk that really is worth anything? Wanting to start collecting something that...

All euro coins have one side that represent Europe as a whole, and one side that represents their individual country. The Greek euro coins depict scenes from mythology, Greek political figures,...