Coin Collector Guide

Collecting U.S. State Quarters

South Carolina State Quarter Since the release of the individual state quarters, coin collecting has become a more popular hobby. The U.S. State Quarter program began in 1999 and each state was released in the order in which it joined the union. The U.S. Mint estimates that around 147 million people have been collecting the state quarters since their release. The program is also credited for drawing in new collectors and increasing the general public’s interest in coin collecting overall. Due to its popularity, more coin programs are currently in the works for the next several years. The process in which each design was selected took cooperation from congress, the U.S. Mint, and each individual state. Once the governor is contacted, the state provided three to five narrative descriptions...

Collecting British Coins

Collecting British Coins can be quite a fun hobby, but it can also be a pretty expensive Hobby. Although you can pick up some bronze roman coins for about $2 a piece. But at the other end of the scale you have something like the 1933 penny which is worth about $50,000. Firstly you need to decide where to start your collection. You can choose to collect a particular denomination from a particular date, or you could choose to collect a type set from a particular sovereign. There are quite a number of avid British coin collectors in Britain and United States. A good way to get information and learn more is to join forums where you can talk to likeminded people who share your interest. There are also many weblogs on coin collecting full of useful and interesting information on this subject. (more…)

Early Commemorative Coins of The United States

1848 Gold Commemorative Coin During the past 120 years, the United States has released hundreds of commemorative coins. Commemorative coins are always minted for a specific reason such as to honor a person, institution, place or some historic event that has shaped America. The U.S. first began to mint commemorative coins in the late 1800’s and stopped producing them for awhile back in 1954. It wasn’t until 1982 that the United States began minting commemorative coins again and any coins minted after this date are referred to as Modern Commemorative Coins. Legislation instated in 1996 limited the number of commemorative coins that Congress could require the mint to produce to only two different coins annually. It also put a limit on the number of commemorative coins that could be...

Early U.S. Gold Coins Are The Most Prized Rare Coins

1810 Gold Half Eagle Gold coins have been one of the most popular forms of legal tender since ancient times. The Egyptians first introduced gold coins around 2,700 BC, although these coins were primarily used as gifts. While the first United States gold coins aren’t quite that old, they’ve became one of the most sought after, highly treasured coins for rare coin collectors.  In fact, gold coins make up the largest percentage of the rare coin market. And, for good reason, gold coins offer everything that a serious coin collector looks for! Gold coins offer eye appeal, historical significance, rarity and are great investments! (more…)

Collecting Error And Die Variety Coins

Double Strike Mint Error Virtually every series of coins that have ever been minted have had their flaws that have made some of them highly collectable. The latest series of coins to become popular for their errors have been the Presidential dollar coins, or what everyone has came to call the Godless coins. These coins left the U.S. mint without the lettering along the edge. The state quarters series have also been in the news a lot lately for their many mistakes and flaws. From what appears to be an extra leaf on the Wisconsin coins, an extra tree on the Minnesota quarters, to the “T” in trust missing from some of the Kansas state quarters. With millions of coins being minted in each series there’s bound to be some errors. (more…)