Top 2 Coin Museums Display The World’s Most Valuable Coins

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Coin museums are always a fun place to visit. There are many coin museums — big and small — located throughout the country.

There is a good chance there may be one not too far from you.

There are also many coin “museums” located online, where you can enjoy looking at some of the rarest and most interesting coins right on your computer screen.

By visiting various coin museums you can see coins you would otherwise never get close to.

Your First Visit To A Coin Museum

Coin museums vary in scope and size. Many focus on ancient coins, while others feature modern coins.

Some are exhibits that have only dozens or hundreds of coins. Other coin exhibits are literally a whole museum unto themselves, where many thousands of coins are on display.

Going to a coin museum can be a spectacular numismatic adventure, and you may walk away feeling inspired to pursue a new avenue of the coin collecting hobby altogether.

You might want to go into a coin museum with a notebook, pencil, and — if allowed — a camera in hand. That way, you can record the coins you see, make note of the ones you especially like, and even take a snapshot of certain coins. This will allow you to remember what it was at the museum you were particularly interested in and make it easier for you to begin looking for specimens of these coins to call your own.

Top 2 Coin Museums

So, what are some of the best coin museums in the country?

I have picked 2 — one from the east side of the United States and the other in the western half — that you must make time to go see.

These 2 are serious coin museums:

#1  The American Numismatic Association Money Museum is a massive, 250,000-piece coin museum that displays some of the best-known coin collections and coin rarities.

Some of the amazing coins you can see at the ANA’s museum are:

Admission to the ANA’s coin museum is free, and guided tours are available. The ANA’s Money Museum is located at 818 North Cascades Avenue in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

#2  The largest numismatic museum in North America, the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection has over 1.6 million coins, medals, tokens, pieces of paper money, and other items relating to numismatics. The National Numismatic Collection encompasses a vast array of money that represents the entire world dating back to ancient times.

The collection of U.S. coins includes almost 20,000 coins and features such rarities as:

Also on display is a coin known to many collectors as a great curiosity: the 1974 aluminum Lincoln cent. This coin was created at a time when the U.S. Mint was trying to develop Lincoln cents made from a metal less expensive than copper.

Not to be excluded from this preview of the Smithsonian museum are the many thousands of world coins on display there, including 12,000 Russian coins, 19,000 Greek coins, and an array of other nations’ coins and rich representations of their numismatic histories.

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24 thoughts on “Top 2 Coin Museums Display The World’s Most Valuable Coins”

  1. i have a coin i would like to ask some question about that i have not found anything on it if you could help or point me to someone who could i would be very greatful

    Reply
    • Hi Matt,

      I’d be happy to help. If you can first provide a basic background of the coin (date, denomination, inscriptions, description of the design, etc.) I’ll be able to get you going in the right direction!

      Reply
  2. hi Joshua , I have a couple questions here there are spots od clad missing and looking fully zoomed in its not a damage none of the edges are damaged but rather wrappers around , over and into high and low areas with no indentations or forced , scraped idk but really don’t seem to be PMD . Also pretty sure got some doubling please let me know what you thinking …. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e284e2c5cf3e559886e6676b7dbee78f73c47f3de45614164ace9b179d3f2e25.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f79f338994d2710085b0da68bd266f695812357541acc2a9fe9cc25412f49ef7.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/60029925701608e992e52f11de6aede723b048a1dcb65d558342610be8b3322d.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/882efca5785f333d4da312341419d7dab61a65c3f797912fd5998cbf266b4674.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/882efca5785f333d4da312341419d7dab61a65c3f797912fd5998cbf266b4674.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/89711a6f873ac13baf7f8141098e8c8073d2b279fa98ed4e979ea93eb8600787.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4429fb43325d66b1b0ae9697c630a78e4094c25153bc321e59eb39a6142b6c54.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c75d2985dbd737e9d6e22e09c8fb7b72d7decd891198dc0f6e57b67c3707ff9f.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4429fb43325d66b1b0ae9697c630a78e4094c25153bc321e59eb39a6142b6c54.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5640d9381246c93b40971f69eeb7f78f9661508cc4115de6000d60c89b80e76e.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0454e87a247ac939f78917c970a6f9c5e16b48327003d89001e51e90c2a88e17.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dc272ae6f17c50a1ee9eb5719c982f39ac2f856864d6732439a302dab4795471.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a978a4f993618adf52871ac7732ebf0b48c68b16bc164c8393e6875e03ff60b4.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/266c3c2f35f893d65a94e2490c111079fbd6c8198efa327a0b1e30eb2ed3b808.jpg

    Reply
    • Hi, Ray —

      From what I see here the checkerboard discoloration is due to toning from the coin being against fabric or perhaps cardboard, but with the lighting and all it’s tough to say, though I’m leaning away from clad layers missing and believe it’s surface coloration.

      As for the doubling, yes, your coin exhibits lots of doubling in the lettering, most notably here in “Blue Ridge Parkway.” As I review these photos again and again the doubling looks too defined to be machine doubling, but I think it’s best to get a second opinion from a place that can possibly attribute this as a new variety or existing variety of it is one, and that’s CONECA. While the quality of the doubling looks more like machine doubling, the definition around the edges of the lettering suggest possible hub doubling. CONECA would have the resources to compare this piece to existing varieties to declare one way or the other here.

      Good luck,
      Josh

      Reply
      • Hi Joshua, Just wanted to update you, I did contact Ron Fern
        CONECA Examiner , and confirmed Double Die and it would be a variety.As to it being a New Variety The reference material, and all functions related to it are handled by authenticators ,& the tools to get it in the right hands. I would like to thank you for you&Ron Fern info and guidance you guys are Awesome and appreciated.

        Reply
  3. Hi Joshua , here I have from what seems to be missing the FG , I have blown up zoomed in inspected under all lighting and angles . It has no signs of a light strike or that its wore off . If you would please let me know what you think I as always appreciate it and thank you …..

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7caa4b015ffe8d99ce0219010cf74ee6da47743d83b817563a7832ad0e991fb4.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c88e89cef707821f7df0c5204f9813e11478650494b700d97ff4e08c98e0401b.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4f8e85aaee779b85235f15edd795ef0f951b2f8a8af643d5c7cffd9126fc0a46.jpg

    Reply
    • Hi, Ray —

      I need photos of the whole coin, too, so I can check for other diagnostics. The FG May have been removed through die polishing, common on 1969 pennies and often lending toward a phenomenon known as a floating roof penny.

      Thank you!
      Josh

      Reply
    • Hi, Abelardo —

      I see your previous note about AM/ER/ICA but am not sure what in that word is an error here on this penny. To me, on my end, this piece looks wholly normal. Is there something I’m missing? I’ll be glad to further advise.

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

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