Archive for the ‘Coin Collecting’ Category
Aged Roman Coins – Looking Back In History
The majority of novice coin collectors discover it tough to comprehend or interpret the words/letters on ancient Roman coins. This happens for the reason that the carved engraver used for creating these coins used intricate ellipsis for accommodating lengthy legendary depictions on the flans. Interestingly, the use of abbreviations led them to fit an surprising quantity of info in an unbelievably limited place.
A lot of people believe that coins had to play a central function in distributing news or facts to a large population suffering the curse of illiteracy. The civilians of Rome along with those in neighboring provinces maybe didn’t know how to read. Though, they could send messages from one location to the other with coins – thus they were as good as any written words.
By encrypting visual courier letters on coins, the then Roman rulers used to suggest semi-concealed ideas to common civilians. These messages sometimes meant to inform citizens or get them compliant to imperial authority.
For decades, roman citizens relied on bargain system that involved the exchange of supplies. Such a system worked pretty well in fairly simple society dealing mostly within local levels.
Villages at that period were relatively small and involved massive scale of trading from side to side among themselves. Nevertheless, when the society grew larger and more multifaceted, and since trading over bigger areas became common, the Roman Empire came to realize the need of reliable system to make easy trading and extra financial interaction.
The making of these coins
These coins were made of singular metal plates on which coins were stamped. Sometimes these metals were rolled into sheets. And there were times when these metals were marked on circular blanks.
A few coins were finished by pouring into coin molds. The dies that were used for producing these coins were probably produced by impression some type of makeshift image on iron.
Want to find out more about Antique Roman Coins, then visit ’s site on how to choose the best Mustang FR500S for your needs.
Tags: ancient coins, coin collecting, coins, collectibles, Collecting, gold coins, old coins hobbies, roman coins
Maintaining Your Old Coin Values
As many coin collectors know, old coins can prove to be a worthwhile investment. However, if you don’t take proper care of your coins or lack an understanding of just what factors influence old coin values, then you may not be making the best investment.
What Makes Old Coins Valuable Anyway?
The factors that determine old coin values are the condition and rarity of a particular coin. The demand for a coin also influences the value and whatever historical value it might have. The actual value of a coin can be found by consulting the Blue Book or Black Book (for non-US coins).
Rarity and demand for a coin are determine by how many coins were minted and how many are still around. Old coin values increase if more people want them.
Historical old coin values are fairly subjective. If someone is really into to ancient Greece then they will no doubt place higher value on these coins. If you have a specialty coin to sell then it is best to find out its historical value so that you target the right group of buyers.
Old coin values are largely dependent on coin condition. This can be difficult to gauge sometimes but luckily the Sheldon Scale helps us determine the condition of a coin. The Sheldon Scale is a comprehensive 70 part scale that many coin dealers use. Coins that are very worn and difficult to read are considered the least valuable while those that are near perfect are considered mint.
Keeping Coin Values High
One necessary skill for any serious coin collector is understanding how to keep old coin values high by maintaining the coins integrity over time.
It is best to only handle your coins occasionally and to hold them only by their edges to prevent human oils from getting on the face of the coin. Acids and oils from our skin has a detrimental effect on a coin’s longevity.
Another thing to remember is to never clean your coins. Unless they are caked with debris you shouldn’t wash them. Scrubbing wears away the coin and soaps can be harmful to the coins as well. To maintain the highest old coin values resist the urge to wash your coins!
To maintain optimal old coin values it is important to correctly store your coins. Many people store their coins in paper envelopes or plastic sheathes but this can be detrimental to old coin values. The chemicals in plastic facilitate the break down of coins and the acid in most papers likewise eat away your coins. Make sure you use only acid-free paper to store your coins. it is also important to avoid extreme temperatures and direct sunlight.
With proper care, you should be able to keep your old coins in tip top shape for many years. Simply through proper storage and handling you can ensure that your old coin values only increase over the years.
Tags: coin collecting, coins, old coin prices, old coin value, old coin values, online price guide for coins, rare coin values, silver coin values, us coin values, value of old foreign coins
Morgan Silver Dollars ” Buy & Sell old coins
Among many childhood hobbies, collection of coins is a hobby that some of us still pursue as adults. There is a site which helps us buy and sell the Morgan silver dollars – http://www.buy-morgan-dollars.com. The Morgan dollars were casted from the year 1878 to 1904 and later in 1921. Several changes happened during the period of the Morgan Dollar.
To begin with the Morgan dollar was not valued so highly by most collectors and was ignored for decades. It was only till the early 1960s that collecting Morgan dollars became so popular. The cost of silver was around $1.29 per ounce during this time. Many banks had bags and rolls of silver dollars and one had to go to the bank and ask for them.
Until the time the Coinage Act of 1873 came in dollars were coined on and off. This eliminated the dollar and replaced it by a slightly larger dollar called the Trade Dollar. This dollar was produced with an intension of exporting it for trade with China. A lot of changes to the government happened after this and some more acts were passed like: the US government suggested buying silver bullion for its own account to help support the market, the Bland-Allison Act was passed on February 28th, 1878; legislation dictated that the US government purchase $2,000,000 to $4,000,000 a month in silver bullion, etc.
The Morgan dollars were coined on 7th March 1878; just a week after the Bland-Allison Act was passed. The Philadelphia mint cranked out the first dollar coin after numerous adjustments of the dies. It was still rejected and then the press was adjusted and 11 more coins were produced. The very coins were struck on the polished planchets, removed by hand and put in numbered envelopes with the intension to deliver the first coin to the President and the 2nd coin to the Secretary of the Treasury ” John Sherman and the 3rd to Linderman.
The website http://www.buy-morgan-dollars.com gives us a chance to buy and sell these Morgan dollars by the way of bidding. The Morgan dollars from 1878 to 1904 and 1921 are available in their store. Many rare coins are offered on this site like: 1893-O Morgan in Mint State condition, the 1892-S Morgan Silver Dollar this is very rare to encounter in uncirculated condition.
The term VAM is an acronym for “Van Allen – Mallis.” It’s very difficult to put a value to a VAM. Some are rare but some are very common and easy to find. But this site gives us few rare VAMs like: 1893 VAM-4 Morgan Dollar have all doubled stars and a closed 9 in the date, 1892-S Morgan Dollar – VAM-2 is rare to come by die variety in which the whole date is doubled, etc.
Tags: anitques, coin collecting, coins, Collecting, fun, Hobbies, internet, money
Abraham Lincoln to Appear on Penny and Dollar Coins
During 2010, Abraham Lincoln will appear on both the smallest and largest circulating coin denominations. The United States Mint will issue the 2010 Lincoln Penny with a brand new reverse design, as well as the 2010 Lincoln Presidential Dollar. These two coins will follow last year’s issuance of four different penny designs to celebrate the popular President’s bicentennial.
The United States Mint celebrated the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth by issuing four differently designed pennies during 2009. Each design represented a different stage in his life. The series began with a depiction of a log cabin to represent his birth and humble beginnings. Next was an image of a young Abe Lincoln taking a break from splitting logs to read a book and educate himself. The third design featured a professional Lincoln standing before the Illinois Capitol Building. The final design represented his Presidency in Washington DC.
The Lincoln Penny will receive another redesign for 2010. Under the same legislation which authorized the four reverse of last year, the final design was prepared to be emblematic of Lincoln’s preservation of the United States as a single and united country. The design chosen is a depiction of the Union Shield. This consists of 13 vertical stripes joined at the top by a single bar. This represents the original 13 states, which were united in support of the federal government. The front of the coin will feature a portrait of Lincoln with some of the original design details restored.
The 2010 Lincoln Dollar coin will be issued as part of the Presidential Dollar Program. This series began in 2007 to honor the former Presidents of the United States in the order served with a unique coin issue. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar will represent the sixteenth release of the series. It will feature an image of Lincoln on the obverse of the coin and a rendition of the Statue of Liberty on the reverse.
The newly designed Lincoln Penny and the Lincoln Dollar coin will both be issued for circulation. This will allow everyone the chance to encounter the coins in commerce and potentially save them for a collection. The one cent coin will be released on February 11 and the dollar coin will be released on November 18.
Find images and more details of the Lincoln Presidential Dollar. For more information on coins to be issued this year, you can also visit 2010 Coins.
Tags: abraham lincoln, coin collecting, coins, Collecting, Hobbies, lincoln cents, presidential dollars, presidents
Chinese Silver Dragon Coins – A Historic Chinese Silver Coin
The Chinese Silver Dragon Coins has been known, for centuries, to be one of the oldest coins to have ever been produced, designed, and distributed across the country as official currency. It serves as one of the few coins in which folks identified China and its flourishing economy with, being one of the very first few silver coins to have ever been produced back in 1889.
The first modern coining press was introduced and imported into China during this time. The coins began to circulate at that point and had the value of 7 Mace and 2 Candareens. These two values were what the people began to use as standard units for silver, which were measurable by weight.
If you’re going to look for exact authentic Chinese Silver Dragon Coin, it is important that you remember the different characteristics of these silver coins. A real Chinese silver dragon coin would usually have a weight measurement of 27.4 grams with an amount of 0.78 ounce of silver.
The design incorporates a Chinese dragon engraved in the middle with the words 7 Mace and two Candareens at the base of the image. On top of the dragon is the Hu-Peh Province, which most historians believed to be the place where the coins were made. These coins were circulated between 1898 and 1905 and were popularly known as Kiang-Nan bucks and would usually cost many hundred greenbacks when bought from a reputable coin dealer or collector.
Of course with such great history these coins are sure to sprout fakes in the numerous markets around China as well as around the world. The cost of fake coins would generally range between three RMB to US $10-15 when purchased thru a web auction site, as an instance. If it is the real Chinese Silver Dragon Coin that you are looking for, an alternative way to tell is the crude weight, which is usually pretty heavy.
Tags: antiques, Chinese silver coins, Chinese Silver Dragon Coins, coin collecting, coins, collectibles, Collecting, foreign coins, Hobbies, rare coins, silver coins
Chinese Silver Panda Coins – A Chinese Silver Masterpiece
The Chinese Silver Panda Coins are one of the most popular silver coins to ever circulate the country as well as the antique markets around the world. These kinds of coins are among some of the rarest, which naturally suggests that the value placed on these are of an amount that only a serious and truly determined collector would be willing to invest in. If you have an interest in picking up these kinds of coins, particularly those from China, then this article’s going to give you some of the basic information that you will need to identify an authentic Chinese silver panda coin.
The first class of Chinese Silver Panda Coins were circulated between 1983 and 1985. They had tiny mintages of only 10,000 and were thought to be one of the few Chinese coins that were extraordinarily rare and not easy to locate. The actual precious metal content is 27 grams of 900 fine silver with a diameter of 38.6 mm. These were already very impressive and valuable, but that did not limit collectors from having a look at the later versions of these coins.
The sole Chinese silver panda coin ever to have been minted from sterling silver was the 1987 sterling panda. It had an honest to goodness precious metal content of 1 oz. of 925 fine silver and was the 1st silver panda coin that had a diameter of 40 mm.
The panda design on the coin was just one more reason why these coins were so valuable and in demand among coin collectors. Plus, the prices for these particular coins were very affordable, beginning from the 1989 1 oz. Pure .999 silver panda coin until the present 2007 Chinese Silver Panda Coin.
And this is why you can find a large amount of collectors with complete sets of Chinese Silver Panda Coins, either online or in physical locations, who are ready to sell them at reasonable prices.
Tags: antiques, Chinese silver panda, coin collecting, coins, collectibles, Collecting, foreign coins, Hobbies, rare coins, silver coins
Australian Silver Lunar Coin – A Beautiful Silver Menagerie
The Perth Mint which is located in Western Australia started minting the Australian Silver Lunar Coin in 1999 to start a series of mintage based on the Chinese Lunar Year. Thus, the complete Lunar Silver Coin collection would have as its basis the 12 animals which, according to Chinese legend, honored an invitation from Lord Buddha to visit him before he left this Earth.
The good Buddha had called all the animals but only these 12 obliged, so he rewarded these fortunate dozen by naming each of them in the cycle of the Chinese Lunar Year by the order by which they came: the rat was first and started the cycle, followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit or hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig (or boar).
However, since the Australian Silver Lunar Coin started minting in 1999, its starting animal in the 12-animal cycle is the rabbit which happened to be the ruling animal in the Chinese Lunar Calendar that year. The rest of the animals followed in their respective order with the ox design featured in this years Perth Mint issue and the tiger icon scheduled to wind up the Lunar Silver issuance in 2010.
The Australian Silver Lunar Coin originally came in five sizes: half-ounce, 1 ounce, and those that weighed at 2, 10 and 32.5 (1 kilo) ounces. Two variations, the 5-ounce and the half-kilo were added in 2004. All are legal tender and have a purity of 99.9% pure silver. Their face values, however, differ.
The 1 kilo size has an Australian-dollar face value of A$30, the half-kilo coin A$15, the 10-ounce A$10, the 5-ounce A$8, the 2-ounce A$2, and the 1-ounce A$1.
Collectors and numismatists whose thematic specialization falls under completing a collection by years will find their darling in the Australian Silver Lunar Coin.
Tags: Australian Silver Lunar Coin, coin collecting, coins, Collecting, Hobbies, investing, rare coins, silver bullion, silver coins
Gold Eagle Coins – Simple
It is not anything surprising that so a lot of people are interested in investing in Gold Eagle Coins. Gold has always a symbol of raw resources. But at the same time, it’s an asset well.
To several investors, Gold Eagles are a lot better asset opportunities than stocks, securities or forex trade. Jewelries, accessories, bars or bullions are the key forms that gold is purchased.
Purchasing Gold Eagle Coins is generally opportune. People buy and resell them pretty without difficulty. And that is single of the reasons they’re regarded as the most liquid class of gold. They are for several years the primary choice of certain profit-seekers. At present, the internet is one of the easiest ways to find a reliable trader of gold coins.
All you need to do is type related keywords or search expressions in a few search engine. For example, you can Google phrases like “gold coins” or “buy gold coins” or “gold coin dealers”. This way you must discover no problem pulling in simple and helpful info. However, you must keep in mind the fact that, such generalized queries can provide you only general results.
For getting more precise and pinpointed info you got to visit and look at the official sites for the US Government’s Mint. Here you’ll get all the important information on the U.S. Golden Eagle.
And if you want to look into further forms of gold coins, you can surf the sites of the Mint of the South African government. Or simply go to the official site of Royal Canadian Mint to find information on the Maple Leaf.
At once that you have the essential understanding of gold coins, you now have to make sure that you’re buying Gold Eagles at the appropriate market value. The standard weighing gold is ‘trojan ounce’. You can get a few idea from the website of The London Gold Market Fixing.
Learn more about Classic Coins. Stop by ’s site where you can find out all about Rare Coins and what it can do for you.
Tags: classic coins, coin collecting, coins, Collections, gold coins, Hobbies, silver coins
Polish Gold Coins – Protect Your Wealth With Gold From Poland
If you truly want to add on to your gold portfolio, Polish Gold Coins are a terrific choice. Historically, gold coins have had a tendency to increase in value over time than bullion bars. The reason for this is because most gold coins that are minted include a date. Another reason for diversifying into Polish gold coins is that older coins will increase in numismatic value provided that they are kept in good condition.
The majority of folks who truly invest money and time in their hobby own coins from a variety of different countries. Not only does this add value to your collection, it also adds interest, especially if you have coins that are scarce or hard to find. Collecting coins can be a very big asset to your financial status.
Established collectors know that investing in coins is a step toward protecting their future. More than any other market, the gold market tends to be stable and hold its value. While the economy continues to decline, the price of gold continues to increase. Building your portfolio now will give you a secure financial stance in the future.
Why should you invest in Polish Gold coins? Their value is substantial. The stock market is in the ditch, and returns on savings accounts are low. This is the perfect time for you to put your money in collectibles such as gold coins. It’s simply the smartest way to protect your financial future from the devastation our economy is causing many people.
An advantage of collecting gold coins is the ability to plan now to protect yourself, no matter what happens to the economy in the future. There aren’t many avenues you can choose that give you a sort of “safety net” like this hobby does. Most markets suffer when the economy takes a tumble, but you can be relatively assured that gold will hold its value and most likely increase.
Maybe your portfolio is filled with a diverse collection of gold coins. If not, you should consider investing in coins from other countries, as well as the United States. Adding unique and hard to find coins to your collection will add an increased financial value in years to come. Think about adding Polish Gold coins to your portfolio – a very smart investment on your part!
Tags: antiques, bullion, coin collecting, coins, collectibles, gold, gold coins, Hobbies, investing, polish gold coins
