Silver Coin Collecting - A Fun And Rewarding Hobby by Catherine
Olivia
Collecting silver coins is a hobby that can be enjoyed by anyone
of any age. A lot of coin collectors started as children, with
the help of their parents or grandparents collecting pennies or
dimes. For some coin collecting can become a lifetime hobby.
There are various reasons to collect coins. Some people collect
coins from a specific period of time, some collect coins based
on perceived future value, some collect coins based on type of
metal, some for historical value. Some people happily collect
more common everyday coins, going through their pockets at the
end of the day for them is fun, checking dates and mintmarks on
their change. Some collectors can spend thousands of dollars on
rare silver and gold coins from the 1800's and early 1900's. Some
collect coins from different countries.
With any new hobby comes the learning. As coin collecting is
a hobby involving an outlay of money for coins from the start,
it's best to join a group to get help from experienced collectors.
You will need someone to buy the coins from, and it can be difficult
to find a reputable coin dealer. Someone who has been coin collecting
for years can help you choose a knowledgeable and honest coin
dealer. You'll need to learn about the value of different coins.
This can be done by following what coins are being sold for, and
what dealers are paying for coins. You will need to be shown how
to assess the true value of a coin which can be based on many
factors such as age, mintmark, and condition.
The mintmark of the coin can usually be found near the date and
on newer coins the mintmarks are as follows: "P" Philadelphia,
"D" Denver, "S" San Francisco,"W"
West Point New York. Older coins may show the following mintmarks:
"C" Charlotte North Carolina, "CC" Carson
City Nevada, "D" Dahlonega Georgia, "O" New
Orleans. It's interesting to note that from 1793 to 1838 the only
mint in operation in the US was in Philadelphia and coins from
these years have no mintmark.
As you become a more experienced coin collector your "eye"
will mature and you'll be looking more closely at details like
the lettering on a coin, making sure the letters are still clear
and not worn down. You'll pay attention to the general condition
of a coin, and you may stray away from coins that have a lot of
obvious wear and tear. These are a part of grading a coin. You'll
learn to look for minting errors which can make a coin quite collectible.
For example a three legged buffalo instead of a four legged one,
or perhaps an off-centered image.
As with any hobby, the more you learn about coin collecting the
more you'll be able to enjoy it.
About the author:
This article courtesy of http://www.gold-coins-guide.net
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Why Collect Coins? by Jon Gammon
So why collect coins? Answer is simple really. Coin Collectors,
sometimes called Numismatists, enjoy collecting coins on various
levels. Some collect coins for their rarity, some collect coins
in the hope that one day their collection will be worth a value.
Some just do it for the sure pleasure of having a hobby that is
easy to do.
Doing a little research and starting off small is the greatest
way to get started in this hobby. Learn all you can about coin
collecting basics. There are many coin
collecting books and websites (like this one) out there, that
will try to put a clearer understanding of what coin collecting
is all about, and we are here to teach you what you need to know
about coin collecting.
Coins have a history about them, when they were struck, why the
design was chosen for that time period. There are no reasons etched
in stone that says you have to collect coins in any particular
way. You collect the way you want to, if you want to only collect
pennies, then only collect pennies, if you want to collect complete
sets of each of the denominations of coins, then do that, or you
can just collect the coins that interest you. You decide what,
when, and how to collect.
Coin collecting basics is this, start small. Decide what types
of coins you would like to collect. What would you like your collection
to consist of? Pennies, Nickels, Dimes, Quarters, Half-Dollars,
Dollars, Gold, Silver, Paper Money. It doesn't matter.
Maybe you want to just collect coins from a certain time period
that interest you. Whatever your decision, stick with it and work
to completing your collection. Also remember that coins that were
struck at different places have different mint marks. A mint mark
is a letter that tells us where the coin was struck. Each of the
coins that you wish to collect will have different mint marks,
to complete a set you will want to have each of the mint marks
for that coin.
Subscribe to a coin magazine, Coin World is a good one. They
have a wealth of knowledge pertaining to collecting coins. Also
visit a local coin dealer, not only will you be able to look at
a variety of coins that the dealer will be selling, they also
can answer questions that you may have, they are there to help
you build and understand coin collecting basics. Use that to your
advantage.
I guess you will need a nice place to put your newly acquired
coins. Find yourself a coin folder to display your coins. And
once you get into the hobby more you can get some coin sleeves
to house your collection and store them the way you would want.
The possibilities are endless with coin collecting, and learning
coin collecting basics is the first real step in the progression
of building a great coin collection. Building a coin collection,
is a long process. It doesn't happen over night, it doesn't happen
in a week, and unless you are filthy rich, it won't happen in
a year. Collecting takes time, effort, and persistence, and the
fact of the matter is, there are so many different types of coins
to collect that it takes time to study and learn about each of
the prospects.
The United States have produced many different varieties of coins
from the penny to the gold dollar. They have produced commemorative
coins celebrating a historic event or an anniversary. Whatever
you chose to collect I am sure that with a little effort on your
part, that your collection will be something that you can pass
on to your children, or build a small nest egg for your retirement,
or whatever you choose to start coin collecting for. Learning
coin collecting basics is a healthy start to building a wonderful
coin collection.
About the author:
Jon Gammon is the author and webmaster at http://www.thecoinalley.com.
Visit http://www.thecoinalley.com to view other related information
on the wonder Hobby of Kings.
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