Coin Collecting 101

Thinking of starting a coin collection? Or maybe you've inherited someone else's collection and you're not sure what to do with it. Here our coin experts are sharing helpful resources to point you in the right direction when you don't know much about U.S. coins and their values. See what to watch out for when buying or selling coins, the best coin collecting supplies to start with, and lots of unique tips for collecting coins that you won't find anywhere else.

Time For A New Hobby? Comparing Coin Collecting To 5 Other Pastimes

Looking for a new hobby? Here are 5 hobbies you might want to try — see how they compare to coin collecting!

10 Cheap & Famous Coins That You’ll Want In Your Coin Collection

Check out these 10 famous coins that aren’t too expensive for you to afford!

Inspiring Young Collectors: 5 Ways To Get Kids Involved Collecting Coins

Here are 5 great ways to enthuse a young collector about coins.

Find Out Who Had The Only Complete Collection Of United States Coins

Did you know that a complete collection of United States coin was once made? Find out who did it and what it took to collect every regular-issue U.S. coin ever made!

Coin Speak: 10 Coin Terms You Need To Know (And They’ll Help You Sound Like A Real Numismatist!)

Find out 10 coin terms you’ve got to know to succeed in coin collecting.

Collecting Coins vs. Paper Money Collecting: What’s The Big Difference?

Paper money collecting is a fascinating hobby with as many avenues as coin collecting.

Avoiding Mistakes That Beginner Coin Collectors Commonly Make

Avoiding mistakes early on as a new coin collector is one of the best things you can do as you enter the hobby.

Are You Really A Coin Collector? Knowing The Differences Between Coin Collecting & Coin Hoarding

What’s the difference between being a coin collector and a coin hoarder?

Mint State vs Super Grade Coins: How To Determine If You Have A Mint State Coin Or A Super Grade Coin

Grading a mint state coin can be difficult in a world with so many possible grades for a mint state coin. This guide should help you in better assigning a grade to your uncirculated coin.

10 Coin Collecting Short Set Ideas For Coin Collectors On A Budget

Check out these 10 ideas for coin short set collections that’ll surely help any coin collector have fun on a budget.

A Stereomicroscope Can Help Determine If Your Rare Coin Is Real

A stereomicroscope can help you check if your rare coins are genuine.

5 Quick & Easy Tips For Coin Collecting

Here are 5 quick tips for coin collecting that will surely make the hobby even more enjoyable for you!

Coin Tubes: Cheap & Safe Coin Storage

Coin tubes make a great way to store a lot of coins at a budget price.

Making A Coin Want List Will Help You Acheive The Coin Collection You Want

Making a coin want list will help you and your coin dealer get the coins you need for your coin collection.

4 Things To Look For When You Buy Coins

Be sure you check out this list of 4 things to look for before you buy coins.

5 Tips That’ll Make Coin Collecting For Kids Cheap, Easy & Fun

Here are 5 tips that will make coin collecting for kids cheaper, easier, and more fun!

Coin Values: Why Color Matters On Indian Head Cents

Did you know the color of your Indian Head cents can actually help determine their value? Check out all the juicy details here about why red-colored Indian Head cents are worth more than brown-colored Indian Head cents.

First-Year Coins: Why The First Coin In A Coin Series Is So Popular

The first coin of any coin series is always among the most collected, so it’s no surprise that first-year coins are tops on many coin collectors’ want lists!

Photos Of Damaged Coins – These Are The Kinds Of Coins To Avoid Collecting!

Damaged coins come in a variety of conditions. Some damaged coins have been cleaned while others are bent or have holes. Take a look at the graphic photos of some damaged coins so you can see what types of coins you’ll want to avoid buying!

The Important Differences Between Mint Sets & Proof Sets

Mint sets and proof sets may seem to have some similarities, but these two types of mint coin sets are actually quite different from each other. Find out more about the differences between mint sets and proof sets.

Look For These In Your Pocket Change: Bicentennial Coins

United States Bicentennial coins were released during 1975 and 1976 and remain a popular coin in circulation today.

Hold Onto Your Money! A First Strike Coin May Not Be Worth It

If you have ever seen an advertisement for a First Strike coin and wanted to know if you should buy one of the coins, you’ll want to check out this first — as you’ll see, First Strike coins are not always what they are cracked up to be.

Before You Buy Gold Coins On eBay, At Flea Markets, Or In Magazines… Here Are 5 Ways To Avoid Fake Gold Coin Scams

There’s a lot of buzz about buying gold coins nowadays, but don’t get stuck with fake gold coins! Be sure you read these 5 tips so you know how to avoid buying fake gold coins.

Bullion Coins Are Coins Struck From Precious Metal (Silver, Gold, Platinum) And Kept As An Investment – See The Coins Approved For IRA Investing

IRA investing can be made more fun — and shinier — if you use bullion coins as part of your IRA investment portfolio. But before you start buying bullion coins for your IRA portfolio, make sure you know some very important rules about which bullion coins are approved for IRA investing!

Counterfeit Coins – How To Avoid Buying Fake Coins

While most counterfeit coins are easy to spot — due to improper weight, color, even design details — the truth is there are many good copies that have fooled some of the most seasoned coin collectors! Here’s what to look for in order to avoid buying fake coins.

Coin Collecting 101: Facts About United States Coins And Money

Did you know there were over 10 billion Lincoln pennies made during 1998? That is just one of the many fun facts you can learn as a numismatist — one who studies coins and money. Here are some other interesting things about U.S. coins.

U.S. Mint’s H.I.P. Pocket Change Site For Kids Who Collect Coins

One of my favorite places to direct the young collector — and the parents of new, young collectors — is H.I.P. Pocket Change. It’s a place just for kids on the United States Mint’s website.

How To Spot Counterfeit Coins

Spotting counterfeit coins is one of the most important things a coin buyer must do when looking to purchase a rare coin. Learn some of the ways skilled numismatists watch out for fake coins.

Free Coin Inventory Methods & Coin Inventory Software

A coin inventory — or coin log — is something that every coin collector needs to have. See why. Plus, all the best options when it comes to free coin inventory methods and coin inventory software.

Warning: Don’t Use Plastic Coin Holders Made With Polyvinylchloride (PVC)

Coin collectors should be wary of using old plastic coin holders, because many of those made years ago contain PVC. Coin PVC damage is serious.

Learning Numismatic And Coin Collecting Terminology

Words like numismatic, planchet, and doubled-die may have new coin collectors confused. However, with the use of a good coin collecting glossary, you will be talking like a professional numismatist in no time. Here’s how to know what coin terms mean.

Getting Kids Involved In Coin Collecting

Getting kids involved in coin collecting is not difficult and can be quite rewarding for both the child and the parent. Here are some fun ways to get your child started with a basic coin collection built from coins in circulation.

Coin Collecting Glossary: Common Coin Collecting Terms

New coin collectors discover early during their time in the hobby that, along with the many interesting coins, there are also many new terms to learn and remember. Here we look at a few basic coin terms that you will most-often encounter.

The Coin Grading Scale: Abbreviations & Acronyms That Describe Coin Grade And Condition

Newbie coin collectors are often overwhelmed by the words and phrases they come across in their new hobby. While the following abbreviations and acronyms are not the only ones that you will stumble upon when collecting coins, these are among the most common.

5 Fun Ways to Collect Lincoln Cents

With some of the ideas here, you will easily be able to start building a Lincoln Cent collection that will be sure to please your eyes AND conform to your budget!

Budget Coin Collecting – How To Find Discount Coins

Discount coins are a great way to collect coins even when you don’t have a lot of money to spend on your hobby. It’s also a great way to start collecting coins without breaking the bank!

Coin Collectors: Do You Have Coin Insurance?

Safeguard your investment in your coin collection. Your homeowner’s insurance may cover your collection. However you may need to buy coin insurance to properly cover your collection.

5 Best Coin Sites To Explore Coin Collecting Online

The best coin websites that all coin collectors should visit include: the American Numismatic Association ANA coin site, the U.S. Mint coin site, the Professional Coin Grading Service coin site, the CoinLink coin site, and the eBay Coin Buying Guide.

Coin Clubs – Reasons To Join A Coin Collecting Club

Coin collecting clubs give you a place to talk about coins. There are also usually chances to learn and to promote the hobby of coin collecting.

Fun Ways To Collect Coins: Which One Describes The Type Of Coin Collector You Are?

Determining which type of coin collector you are will make it easier to find coin collecting clubs and what sort of coin catalogs and magazines to buy or subscribe to.

Coin Grading Basics – To Help You Find The Value Of Your Coin

If you can understand coin grading, then you can begin to figure out coin values much more easily than you may be able to now. Basically, coin grading is a determination of coin’s value based on how much or how little wear it has. Here’s how to grade your coins.

Should You Clean Coins Or Not? (Hint: NO!)

If a coin is bright and shiny because it was well preserved or just came from the Mint, that is a good thing. However, if a coin is bright and shiny because it was cleaned by an amateur, that is a whole different story. Cleaning a coin generally lessens its value.

Souvenir Sets Versus Mint Sets: What’s the Difference?

At first glance, mint sets and souvenir sets look very similar to each other. But, in fact, there are some very important differences between mint sets and souvenir sets.

How To Find Coins In Circulation: 5 Great Places To Look

Find coins in circulation you want to collect from 5 places. This costs nothing and is a nice challenge.

Cheap Coins That You Can Buy For Under $5

There are many interesting coins that are available for under $5. If you’re collecting coins and you don’t have a lot of money to spend, then you might want to start with these cheap coins.

Budget Coin Collecting: Cheap Type Sets You Can Build On A Budget

Collecting type sets is a way to collect coins on a budget. You might choose to collect one type of coin, or collect coins from a certain year.

Commemorative Coins Are Fun To Collect

Commemorative coins have been minted since 1892. The U.S. Mint has produced circulating commemorative coins and non-circulating commemorative coins in order to commemorate people, places, landmarks, events and other special occurrences in U.S. history. Commemorative coins come in denominations of quarters, half-dollars, dollars, and gold coins.

Coin Collecting 101

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