Coin Collection Info

Child / low-budget :
All you really need is an interest in coins, a sharp eye, and a box to put them in. You can look in your pocket change, in penny dishes at department stores, at flea markets, or in the cheap bins at coin shops. Don't worry about if it's worth anything- just start with whatever strikes your fancy.

Teen or young adult / low to middling budget :
At this point, you should consider something to protect each individual coin, such as the little paper envelopes or albums (cardboard albums designed for a series of coins, like pennies, can be very cheap, as well as some of the plastic albums). You may also want to invest in a book for identifying and/or pricing coins. A magnifying glass would be helpful too but it's optional. If your collection starts to get large enough, you may want to start some sort of inventory of your collection.

Adult / varying budget :
Your interest level and your budget are the only limits for you! Start slowly and simply at first- this way, if you find you're losing interest in the hobby at some point you will not have lost too much money buying materials and expensive coins. If you find your interest increasing over time, gradually upgrade your supplies (a better storage setup, a more thorough book, etc) and read up on the more expensive coins before adding them to your collection.

For more information check out coin-collecting-information.info

Have you been wondering how to get started collecting coins? It's easier than you thought!
You need 2 rolls of circulated Jefferson nickels. Each roll has 40 coins, and costs $2. The best place to get them is from a convenience store or other business that deals often in small change, and that makes their own rolls. Don't get nickels from the bank, where you're most likely to get uncirculated nickels.

Open both rolls and dump the nickels into a medium-sized plastic food storage container.
Sort the nickels out by decades. Look at each nickel, using a magnifier if necessary, and separate them into piles according to dates. Make a pile for coins dated 2000 or later, one for 1990-1999, one for 1980-1989, and so on, for each decade.

Starting with the earliest pile, look through the nickels again and keep one from each year. If you have duplicates, pick the best looking one for your new collection, and set the others aside. Things to look for in the "best coin" include: the least amount of wear, the least amount of damage or scratches, or the shiniest, newest looking coin among the choices. Since this is a "year date" collection, we don't need to worry about the mint marks.

Now take the nickels you sorted out earlier, and start placing them on a cardboard or folder starting with the 1940's in the top row, all the way down to the year 2000's in the bottom row.

Once you have them all laid out, and are sure you have selected the best specimen for each date, use a small piece of Scotch tape to affix the coin to the cardboard. Roll a small piece of tape into a sticky cushion and stick it to your board. Then press the coin onto the tape to hold it there.

Now! You have just started a Year Date collection of Jefferson Nickels. Keep looking through pocket change, or buying a roll of nickels now and then, to fill out your collection. Every single date of the Jefferson Nickel series, except the 3 years when only silver "war nickels" were issued (1943-1945) can be found in circulation today. It should be fairly easy to complete the entire nickel series collection.
Find out more secrets to coin collecting at coin-collecting-information.info

Although it's easy to find a coin dealer, finding an honest, qualified one is a lot harder. You want a coin dealer who knows his topic, is respected by his peers, has ethics, and from whom you have recourse in case of a dispute. Fortunately, we have the PNG (Professional Numismatists Guild), an association of coin dealers who have met a number of strict standards in order to join. Learn more information about honest coin dealers at coin-collecting-information.info

How to Evaluate Coin Dealers
(1) Is the Coin Dealer Experienced? If you are buying coins, especially for investment purposes, you want a knowledgeable, reliable coin dealer who can give you accurate advice. Would you go to a novice for advice on investing in the stock market? If not, then don't go to a coin dealer who is a novice.

(2) Does the Coin Dealer Have Any Assets? Although certification services and slabbing have palliated this concern somewhat, a coin dealer's financial stability is a good indicator of the likelihood that he'll be around for a long time and financially able to provide recompense.

(3) Is the Coin Dealer Known Among His Peers? One of the best safeguards you can get is from using a dealer who has been vetted by his peers before being permitted to join a guild.

(4) What Are the Coin Dealer's Ethics? There is nothing more disheartening than standing at a dealer's table at a coin show, and watching some little old lady approach the dealer with a jar of old U.S. coins, to have the dealer barely glance at them and say, "I'll give you 10% over face; that's all they're worth and I'm being generous." A coin dealer such as this isn't just being lazy; he's hoping to make a score.

(5) Do You Have Any Recourse if You Get Ripped Off? Coin dealers who are full members of the PNG have agreed to submit to binding arbitration to resolve disputes. This is a very important consideration if you are buying expensive coins, or coins for investment purposes.

The primary purpose of grading a coin is to determine what the coin's market value is based on how well the coin was originally struck, how well the coin metal itself has been preserved, and how much wear and tear the coin has suffered since it was minted. For practical purposes, especially for beginners, we're going to be concerned with how to tell how much wear the coin has had, and where it fits on the 70-point scale.

When coins are graded, they are assigned a numeric value on the Sheldon Scale. The Sheldon Scale ranges from a grade of Poor (P-1) to Perfect Mint State (MS-70.) Grades are usually assigned at key points on this scale such as (P-1) means poor, (AU-50) means About Uncirculated or (MS-70) Mint State Perfect