Coin Collecting

Part art, part science, part history lesson... but all adventure! That's coin collecting.

Coin Collecting - Introduction
It's sometimes hard for 'outsiders' to see the attraction. Beyond the dollar value of metal currency, there's the excitement of the chase, the intrigue of sleuthing, and rush of snaring a great catch.

Coin Collecting - A History of Coins
It is almost within the memory of living men, goods were exchanged between two parties and that was the end. Gold, silver, copper and a few other commodities evolved as a standard medium of exchange.

Coin Collecting - Pricing Criteria – Coin Types
Before a collectible coin can be assigned a price, a dealer or collector will examine it closely. The first result will always be placing it into one of the obvious categories of denomination or type.

Coin Collecting - Price Criteria – Miscellaneous Factors
There are a host of factors that determine the market value of a collectible coin. There are the mint year and grade. But there are several others that dealers and collectors take into account.

Coin Collecting - Coin Grades
The first question asked when inheriting a small set of coins from a relative is invariably 'How much are these worth?' The first step in answering that question is to grade the coins.

Coin Collecting - How To Grade Coins
Grading coins is both science and art. You may want to acquire this skill not for the purpose of becoming an expert, but simply to better deal with other collectors and dealers.

Coin Collecting - How To Store Coins
There is a kind of Hippocratic Oath used implicitly among coin collectors: First, above all, do no harm. There's debate about cleaning coins, but there's a general agreement on how to store coins.

Coin Collecting - How To Clean Coins
Though debates rage about whether and how to clean your coins, most serious collectors agree on some basic guidelines.

Coin Collecting - Proof and Error Coins
Proofs and errors are two-sides of the same coin, so to speak. A proof is a coin made as a prototype to test a design. Errors are coins that were minted with some kind of flaw.