Coin Collecting

U.S. Mint bags are canvas bags used to transport coins from the mint to banks. Traditionally, these bags would be filled with coins, sewn shut, and cut open again when they reached their...

The Royal Canadian Mint offers a number of special release gold coins for purchase. These coins are collectors items, often produced in limited numbers or only for a short period of time. A number...

Coin collecting can be an enjoyable and profitable hobby. The experience is enhanced when you know the value and history of the coins in your collection. It is important to identify each...

Commemorative coins pay tribute to events, places, people or issues a government deems worthy of remembrance. In the United States, Congress approves the creation and distribution of these coins....

The U.S. Mint 50 States Coin Program featured the release of quarters with unique designs for each state beginning in 1999 through 2008. Every 10 weeks, a new state's coin was released according...

The quality of the coins you want to collect will help determine how easy or difficult it is for you to obtain quarters from the 50 United States. It will also help determine how much you pay....

The image of Lady Liberty has graced United States coinage throughout the history of the U.S. mint. One of the most common and highly sought images of Lady Liberty on a coin is the Morgan silver...

The 1885 silver dollar, commonly known as a Morgan silver dollar, features the profile of Lady Liberty on the obverse side and an eagle on the reverse side. The value of silver dollars has risen...

Coin collecting, or numismatics, can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Many people find it interesting to collect coins from U.S. history or the currency of a foreign land, and many coins appreciate...

The Canadian silver dollar comes in many varieties throughout its years of production by the Royal Canadian Mint. Many types of this dollar are not rare and make a good starting point for those...

China has a history of coinage stretching back more than 2000 years. Most vintage Chinese coins feature a hole in the middle. The holes were used to string coins together. Large strings of copper...

Coins have been produced by the U.S. Mint since the 1790s, with gold or silver the standard composition for most of that time. Both metals were phased out of regular-circulation coins in the 20th...

Victor D. Brenner designed the original Lincoln cent, which is often called a "wheat penny" for the wheat that wraps around the words "One Cent" on the reverse. The coin was first minted in 1909...

Coins in mint conditions are increasingly hard to find, especially for earlier issues that have seen decades of wear. Numismatists prize coins in top shape, and they can fetch high premiums. There...

The U.S. Mint has issued a number of proof sets in specially packaged plastic cases for sale to collectors over the years. These sets have generally contained the Lincoln penny, Jefferson nickel,...

The 1922 U.S. silver dollar is called a Peace dollar. It is one in a series of silver dollars minted between 1921 and 1935 to commemorate the end of World War I.

The 1922 silver dollar minted by the U.S. government represents the second year of the Peace dollar designed by Anthony de Francisi. The coin features Liberty on the front and a bald eagle on the...

The silver dollar minted from 1878 to 1921 by the U.S. government is often called the Morgan dollar for its designer, George T. Morgan. His initial M is found near Liberty's neck and on the...

The Morgan silver dollar is named for its designer, George T. Morgan. The coin was minted from 1878 to 1904, and again in 1921 with minor changes to the design. The Morgan dollar features Lady...

The Peace Dollar, minted by the U.S. government from 1921 to 1935, initially started out as a high relief coin, meaning the edge was thicker than the interior of the coin. This was changed to a...

The United State Mint issued wheat pennies during the first half of the 20th century. These pennies have risen in value over the years, with most reaching 10 times the face value. Rare versions of...

U.S. quarters were composed mostly of silver (90 percent silver and 10 percent copper) until 1965 and have featured George Washington, the nation's first president, on the face since 1932, the...

From 1999 through 2008, the United States Mint made over 34 billion state quarters. Some state coins were produced in smaller quantities than others, while error varieties have the highest values.

If you have some old coins and are curious about what they might be worth, there are resources readily available to help you. Here's how to do it.

During World War II, the United States Mint produced five-cent Jefferson nickel coins using silver, copper and manganese instead of nickel, so the nickel could be used in the production of...

The American public was more involved in creating the Sacagawea gold dollar than any other coin in U.S. history. Appointed by Congress, the Dollar Coin Design Advisory Committee oversaw the...

Want to know how much your gold coin is worth? You need to know how to find gold coin prices to educate yourself on the value of your coins. Learn how now!

Individual governments have different ways of manufacturing their coins. The U.S. government uses metals like zinc and copper in the penny, while the quarter, nickel and other "silver" coins use...

Decades ago, the United States Mint used to produce many regularly circulated coins that were composed of 90 percent silver. But in the 1960s, silver prices sky-rocketed and citizens were finding...

People buy and collect gold coins for many reasons. Some buy for investment purposes, some use them to teach U.S. history to their children and others buy them for the love of collecting.

Numismatists have for years valued official U.S. Mint proof and mint sets, both for their pristine quality and the beauty of their design. Which set you decide to collect depends on your personal...

The value of a coin depends on several factors, including what the coin is made from, if the coin has a mint mistake and if the coin is rare. Determine the value of coins and understand the...

Buying and selling coins can be done as a business or a hobby, depending on what you want to do with your coins. One type of coin that collectors buy and sell is the U.S. Silver Eagle coin. This...

Coin collecting is a fun hobby with a wide variety of different types of coins to choose to collect. One type of coin--the Mercury dime--which is actually known as the "Winged Liberty Head" was...

Silver coins, especially those produced by the United States Mint, are currently only offered as Bullion or Proof coins. This is because precious metals such as silver are no longer used in the...

Gold coins just like any other type of coins can be bought from many different places. What a buyer needs to decide is what type of gold coin they want to buy and then find the best venue. Gold...

Did you know that new pennies have been issued for 2009? The US Mint is releasing a series of four new designs to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Here is how to get...

Morgan silver dollars were designed by George T. Morgan and were minted from 1878 to 1904, and again in 1921. This coin was named after the designer according to the Bland-Allison Act. Coin...

Do you have a fortune in your penny jar? Always popular with collectors, American antique coins have become increasingly rare and costly in recent years. From the first coins minted in the U.S.,...

The Mercury (or Winged Liberty Head) Dime was introduced in 1916 as a replacement for the Barber Head Dime. This new issue was designed by Adolph A. Weinman, who was a student of Augustus St....

Commemorative coins are great to add to any coin collection, either for yourself or as a gift, but how do you find the best coins, and at the best prices? Learn exactly how, now.

Identifying the coin is the first step in the process of determining it's value. A coin collector will look to see the date on the coin, the country of origin and the mint where it was pressed, if...

A silver proof coin is a collectible produced by a mint with special qualities. The proof coin starts with a silver blank that is stamped with specially polished dies that are treated with...

People often find old coins hidden in their possessions or among items previously owned by a relative who passed away. The first question asked is, "Is this coin worth anything?" Pricing old coins...

Gold Sovereigns are one of the longest running series of gold coins in the world. They are .2354 ounces of gold and are about the size of a U.S. nickel. The British have been minting them since...

The hobby of coin collecting got a huge boost from the release of the State Quarter series in 1999. People who never thought about collecting US coins started to search their pocket change in an...

Coin collecting has become one of the most popular hobbies in America. The success of the State Quarter program (1999 to 2008), Presidential Dollar coins and the First Spouse series (to name just...

This short-lived series was minted from 1916 to 1930, a run of only 14 years (no quarters were issued in 1922). The Standing Liberty Quarter, designed by Hermon MacNeil, was the replacement design...

When the Buffalo nickel (minted in 1913 and one of the most beloved coins of all time) was nearing the end of its run in 1937, there was a growing sentiment to issue a coin to honor Thomas...

One of the most artistic coin designs ever used by The United States Mint was the Buffalo (or "Indian Head") nickel which went into production in 1913. The coin, designed by James Earle Fraser,...