From the category archives:

Coin Collector Education

The Sheldon Scale is the primary system in use for determining the grade of a coin.  The possible grades range from Poor-1 to Mint State-70 (usually expressed as MS-70).  Every possible number in between is theoretically available for describing a coin's state of preservation, but in practice only certain points of the scale are used (such as EF-45, but ...

Full Article: The Sheldon Scale for Grading Coins - Susan's Coins Blog

The Sheldon Scale is the primary system in use for determining the grade of a coin.  The possible grades range from Poor-1 to Mint State-70 (usually expressed as MS-70).  Every possible number in between is theoretically available for describing a coin's state of preservation, but in practice only certain points of the scale are used (such as EF-45, but

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"Are you enjoying the coin show? You've been doing a lot of walking around." Our numismatist's friend sighed. "I'm disappointed. I don't see a lot of the Morgan dollars I'm after. There are some really high-end expensive coins, and then there are a lot of the lower-graded coins that are perfectly OK. But there's nothing in between, which is what I want." ...

Full Article: What's a B Set? - NumisMaster

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How to Examine Coins

by NumisMaster on August 3, 2010

in Coin Collector Education, NumisMaster

One thing I observed has not changed since the first class I taught in Colorado Springs, Colo., with Charles Hoskins back in 1973. I saw students using all kinds of methods to view coins.

A few would lay the coin flat on the table and bend over it with their magnifier blocking most of the light needed to see the coin. Others would hold the coin and magnifier practically at arms length while trying to see the image in the lens almost a foot away from their eye ...

Full Article: What's the Proper Way to Examine a Coin? - NumisMaster

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Number One on my list is the TV shopping show dealers and premium "Mints" out there that sell nice looking commemorative coins for premium prices, but that have no value beyond their bullion (if they have any) when you must eventually sell them. Some of these "Mints" sell on the TV and cable-based shopping channels, and the prices they charge when they do sell genuine U.S. Mint coins are nearly always several times higher than the price the coins would cost from a normal coin dealer! ...

Full Article: Top 5 Worst Coin Investments - Susan's Coins Blog

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The idea that the 1962 Franklin half dollar would be selling for anything more than a slight premium would be stunning to most people who had the chance to acquire one when it was new. Of course, the fact that those very same people did not save the 1962 at the time of issue is probably a large part of the reason why the 1962 today is a better date in top grades and one of the keys in MS-65 grade with full bell lines.

To understand why this is so, we should consider the situation in 1962 ...

Full Article: Melting Attractive Option for Franklin - NumisMaster

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If you are looking for some true hidden values, the place to look might well be the Coronet Head $10 gold pieces from New Orleans. Gold eagles from anywhere tend to be overlooked, but somehow those from New Orleans seem to have a special place in obscurity. It’s probably a result of gold eagles not getting quite the same attention as some other gold denominations, such as double eagles, but it almost certainly has to do at least in part with New Orleans itself as the facility despite some awfully tough coins like the 1854-O and 1856-O double eagles just does not seem to get mentioned a great deal when gold coins are discussed ...

Full Article: New Orleans Gold $10 Began Slowly - NumisMaster

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Are you confused about Varieties and Mint Errors? Are you unsure about what varieties NGC recognizes? We will attempt to shed some light on the subject.

A variety is a coin that differs from its basic design type in some distinctive way and is thus differentiated by collectors. The 1960 D/D Sm/Lg Date 1C VP-001 is one such example of a variety. This coin was hubbed first with a large date design, then hubbed again with a ...

Full Article: Variety vs. Mint Error - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation

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7 Ways Coins are Ruined

by Susan's Coins Blog on July 12, 2010

in Blogs, Coin Collector Education, Susan's Coins Blog

The seven best ways to ruin your coins are things that many beginning collectors do without even thinking about them. I've even seen expert coin dealers spitting on their coins! If you care about protecting the investment you're making in your coin collection, take the time to learn how to properly handle, clean, store, and protect your rare coins.
1. Touch Your Coins... Just touching your coins with your bare fingers is enough ...

Full Article: Top 7 Ways to Ruin Your Coins - Susan's Coins Blog

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The list of most historic coins of the United States is one where many can disagree. That is especially true in the case of the 1792 half disme, but as with all other early half dimes, the 1792 is certainly an interesting item.

For those with a love of history and an interest in the early workings of the U.S. Mint it is hard to do better than a collection of the early half dimes as they all tell a story and usually a very interesting one ...

Full Article: Half dimes started with 'half disme' - Numismatic News

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U.S. Coinage History

July 8, 2010

Before the first coinage act in the United States, citizens of the U.S. exchanged goods and services through the barter system. At this time no coins were available except for various foreign coins such as the widely traded and trusted Spanish real dollars. With the signage of the constitution and with a newly formed nation [...]

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Understanding coin pricing

July 8, 2010

Sometimes, a weekly column focused on details of the market like this one appearing in Coin World needs to take a step back and discuss the basics.
It seems that the public dialogue about coins has increased recently, bolstered by high precious metal prices and a ready supply of people eager to exchange assets like coins [...]

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History of eagle coin designs

July 2, 2010

The eagle is one of the most magnificent birds found in nature. Large and bold, with a hooked beak and fierce-looking eyes, the eagle has long been a symbol of power, majesty and beauty.
Bald eagles, found in different parts of the United States, became the national symbol in 1782. Many renderings of this bird [...]

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$600 in coin sales or purchases = Tax form?

July 2, 2010

A blizzard of paperwork could be about to hit numismatics. Passage by Congress of the national health care legislation has had an unintended consequence to the nation’s coin collectors, vest-pocket dealers who buy and sell coins, and larger dealers who are frequent buyers of coins that collectors periodically liquidate as they trade up their collections [...]

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Security When Travelling with Coins

June 24, 2010

During the last week, there were two more stories of dealers being robbed. One occurred in Wichita Falls, Texas and the other in Parisippany, New Jersey. In both cases, the dealers stopped at a restaurant after the show ended, and had their windows broken to take what was in the car. The incident in Wichita [...]

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Avoiding the Churn in Coin Collecting

June 24, 2010

When talking to collectors, I often find myself giving them advice as to what makes a “good collector.” I thought it would be interesting to share some of my thoughts and observations in a series of blogs entitled “Smart Collecting 101.” These will run, from time to time, over the next few months.
One of the [...]

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