For 50 years we used the Lincoln Memorial penny. However, in 2009, the Lincoln cent underwent a major redesign that permanently removed the Lincoln Memorial design from our pennies. While most Lincoln Memorial pennies are worth only face value if worn and only 5 to 25 cents if uncirculated, there are a few special Lincoln Memorial cents that are worth hundreds -- even thousands -- of dollars. Here are the values of a few Lincoln Memorial pennies you should be keeping an eye out … [Read more...]
Curious how to spot rare US coins? It's a little simpler than you may think -- but you have to know what you're looking for... The 1913 Liberty nickel is one of the rarest coins. In fact, 1 of the 5 known 1913 Liberty nickels just sold at auction for a whopping $3.7 million! While the 1913 Liberty nickel may not wind up in your hands anytime soon, there are several types of rare United States coins you'll want to be looking for: 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent 1914-D Lincoln cent 1922 … [Read more...]
One of the biggest threats that collectors face in the numismatic market is the issue of fake coins. They are really more common than you may think, and they turn up everywhere. While it is true that counterfeit coins are often easy to spot -- due to improper weight, color, even design details -- the terrible truth is there are many good copies that have even fooled some of the more-seasoned coin collectors! Casts, electrotypes, and altered coins are all the types of fake coins that … [Read more...]
Have you ever heard of a "Godless" dollar? Perhaps you have.I'm talking about an otherwise-regular Presidential $1 coin which does not have any lettering on its edge -- the place where you should find the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" inscribed. … [Read more...]
Have you ever wondered how you could be able to watch out for counterfeit coins? Actually, if you can learn how to spot counterfeit coins on your own, then you can consider yourself among the skilled numismatists. After all, it takes a trained eye and keen mind to know what you are looking for -- and NOT looking for -- when trying to tell real coins apart from fake ones!Certain coins are likelier than others to be counterfeited. For example, there is little chance you will run across a … [Read more...]
The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), along with the police, took down an alleged coin scammer when the third-party coin grader found genuine coins that had been cut in half, purported as rare coins, and then placed into tampered coin slabs.This goes to show 2 things:Trying to pass altered common coins as rare is illegal (though you probably already knew that!) Third-party grading companies (like PCGS) really know their stuff. They can detect suspicious coins that many novices and … [Read more...]
The Presidential dollar series has been honoring our nation's former, deceased presidents since 2007. The series is slated to go on until at least 2016. The U.S. Mint has also been issuing a corresponding coin series which honors our nation's first spouses. The First Spouses gold coin series has been a hit with collectors since it, too, first arrived on the scene in 2007. But the First Spouse gold coin series poses one major problem for the collector on a budget: the coins are simply too … [Read more...]
The 50 State Quarters spurred lots of nationwide interest. The program brought many exciting designs to our nation's pockets and coin albums. However, there are certain 50 state quarters that brought about additional interest because of minor mistakes and errors on some of the designs. One of the 50 state quarters that gets the most attention is one with a special error that can be worth hundreds of dollars: the extra leaf 2004 Wisconsin quarter. How much attention did the extra leaf Wisconsin … [Read more...]
Most people who look at their coins like to see details -- all the details. But when should you buy a high-priced coin microscope and when is it best to simply stick with the trusty 5X magnifying glass you almost certainly already have? The question can be answered this way: What are you looking for on your coins? Do you need to see every detail or can you live with what you can see through a good magnifying glass? Coin Microscope Benefits If you are grading coins on a … [Read more...]
Error coins grab the attention of the collector and non-collector alike. Why? Because they are unusual. Some error coins are downright weird. They are mint-made defects. And many not only look strange, some are absolutely rare. That intrigues everybody enough to keep an eye on their change for the oddities that somehow have made their way out of the Mint. Error coins have so many different defects that you can put together an impressive collection. … [Read more...]
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