coin collecting info, coin collecting history and intro. coin collecting software, US coin intro, gold coin collecting, coin manage, etc

Coin Collecting Software

Coin Collector Professional

This is the perfect computer program for anyone into Coin Collecting, from novices to pro's.

This program lets you record detailed information about each coin, such as: COIN AQUIRED FROM, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE, EMAIL, NOTES, COMMENTS, TYPE OF COIN, DATE, MINT MARK, CONDITION, and lots more. Plus you can import and display Obverse and Reverse pics of each coin. This software is very user friendly, you only have to fill out what information fields you want.

This program features:

Unlimited number of records, Print Reports, Print Charts, Search, Sort, Built-In Help File, Import and display obverse and reverse pics of each coin.

This program runs on computers with: WINDOWS 95,98,98 SE,ME,XP

If you want to find more info about Coin Collecting Software.

Antiques and Collectibles

It is said that today's search engines aren't able to find more than 1/50 of the actual amount of information out there on the Internet. I try to keep that in mind when I initiate a search. Nevertheless, within those parameters I spend many hours doing research. There are many more resources for the collector than the Internet can provide, and you should not restrict yourself to online research when you are seeking information about your Collectibles.

There are countless new price guides and books arriving monthly at your bookstore and library. Some of the best ones are reviewed right here on my site, where you have the opportunity to purchase the books directly. There are many excellent regional newsletters for the antique dealer, and only a few of them have Web presences. Certainly your local dealers and the dealers at shows and markets are an invaluable source of specific information. I urge you to pursue every avenue available to become knowledgable about your collection. It's even more important if you plan to use Internet auctions to buy or sell. Too many novices (and experts) are victims of fraud or simply blind faith, which could have been prevented.

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Why Collecting coin?

Others appreciate the historical value of coins. Coins reflect changes in society, culture and technology and through them we are able to trace history. As Australian numismatic authority Greg McDonald says:

There’s something in being able to hold coins in your hands which could have belonged to Julius Caesar or have been in the pocket of someone on the First Fleet.

For whatever reason people choose to collect coins they all agree that it is a pastime that is interesting, rewarding and timeless. Numismatics never goes out of style, and it is a hobby that produces a valuable heirloom for centuries.

Every year the Royal Australian Mint releases new and exciting coins through the Mint Issue - a free quaterly magazine, sent to our direct mailing list customers in Australia, which is full of new releases and interesting information.

The above info quoted from Ramint.gov.

U.S. Coins

Us Coins have changed many times since the Coinage Act of 1792, which adopted the dollar as the standard monetary unit.

Silver dollars have been minted and issued at various times since 1794. Dollar coins were discontinued in 1935, then resumed in 1971 with the introduction of the silverless Eisenhower dollar. The silverless Susan B. Anthony coin, honoring the famed women's suffrage advocate, replaced the Eisenhower dollar in 1979. The current dollar coin, which replaced the Susan B. Anthony coin in 2000, depicts Sacagawea, the Native American woman whose presence was essential to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The coin has a copper core clad in an alloy of copper, zinc, manganese, and nickel, which gives the coin a golden color.

Half-dollars virtually disappeared from circulation following the introduction, in 1964, of the Kennedy half-dollar. Despite the fact that huge quantities were produced, the half-dollar remained scarce in general circulation through 1970. Silverless halves first appeared in 1971.

Other coin denominations in common use today are the 25-cent, 10-cent, five-cent, and one-cent pieces, familiarly known as the quarter, dime, nickel, and penny.

The composition of U.S. coins has changed considerably since the 1960s. Because of a growing worldwide silver shortage, the Coinage Act of 1965 authorized a change in the composition of dimes, quarters, and half-dollars, which had been 90 percent silver. Silver was eliminated from the dime and the quarter. The half-dollar's silver content was reduced to 40 percent and, after 1970, was eliminated altogether.

In 1981 Congress authorized a change in the penny's composition, abandoning the 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc alloy used for decades. The one-cent piece is now copper-plated zinc—97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper. The old and new pennies look virtually identical, but the new coin is about 19 percent lighter.

U.S. coin denominations used in the past were the half-cent, two-cent, three-cent, and 20-cent pieces, as well as a small silver coin called a half-dime. Gold coins in denominations of $1, $2.50 ("Quarter Eagle"), $3, $5 ("Half Eagle"), $10 ("Eagle"), and $20 ("Double Eagle") were used from 1795 until 1933.

The above info quoted from frbatlanta.org.

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Coin Collecting

Introduction

Coin collecting is both a popular hobby and an investment. Coins are usually not a short term investment, as some experts recommend a holding period of three to five years, and preferably five to ten. The supply of coins is fixed, since only a given number of coins are minted per year, adding to the potential value of coins.

Unlike securities markets, the market for coins is unregulated. Consequently, discerning decision-making is critical to avoid purchasing overvalued coins and, in some cases, counterfeit coins.

Risk and Return

Like any market, the coin market fluctuates due to supply and demand conditions. In addition, inflationary expectations fuel the coin market. Despite the implication of a high return in many ads for coins, there is a great deal of risk in coin investments. Consequently, the decision to invest in coins should be accompanied by recognition of the risk involved and a decision to investigate thoroughly prior to purchasing.

Coin dealers may offer a buy-back policy, for a limited time and not necessarily at 100% of the purchase price of the coin. A buy-back policy or return policy permits the purchaser to get a second opinion. However, the investors should not be led to believe that these firms are affiliated with the US Government.

Coins can be purchased through various channels, including dealers. The US Government has also sold coins on occasion. However, coin collectors may not be able to purchase directly from the US Mint. Instead, US government coins may be distributed by coin dealers and retail establishments. However, this process does not make these firms agents of the US Government.

Grading

Since mastery of coin evaluation takes years of research and experience, coin investors must depend on experts to determine the value of their coins. Value is determined by the information on the coin, its condition, its metal content, and supply. Coin grading is a subjective art, meaning that not all dealers will agree on coin evaluations.

The simplest form of grading is the distinction between circulated and uncirculated coins. Standard conditions of coins range from "about good" to "proof". There are approximately seven grading scales or systems in the industry. However, no one scale is regarded as standard.

The primary ways to learn to evaluate coins are through historical research and physical inspection of coins. However, when time does not permit, investors can seek the advice of experts, either from dealers, or through numismatic association's grading services.

The above info quoted from Newyork BBB.

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Coin Manage

Author Company: Liberty Street Software
Use CoinManage to catalog and value your coin collection.

Introduce:

Use CoinManage to catalog and value your coin collection. Save many hours of data entry by simply picking from complete listings of more than 18,000 US, Canadian and English coins, including: images of all major type (and most design changes), and values for US, UK and Canadian coins. A new View window allows you easily view your collection in many different ways. View Want List and Sell List info. View your coins by Month of Purchase, Month of Sale, Set, Location, Dealer, Customer, Grading Service, Year, Grade and Mint Mark. Want to see and perhaps print all coins in your collection dated 1961? Simply open the Year icon and click on 1961. Sets have been introduced to the program. Define as many Sets as you want. Each coin can belong to as many as 3 sets. Easily view coins by Set using the View window mentioned earlier. Use the CoinManage Needed to Complete feature to see which varieties are needed to complete a particular type set. Now includes built-in Access-compatible reporting features. Coin Manage is also a handy information tool, version 2004 now includes hundreds of links to non-commercial coin-related web-sites, organized by coin type.

Feature List:

• Complete database of coins, sets, collector coins and bullion coins from USA, UK, Canada and it's Provinces. Complete up to 2003.
• Value data for all coins in many grades. Including values for non-standard grades such as DMPL, FSG, FH, etc.
• Pictures of each type to help identify coins. Individual pictures for sets and major design changes within a type. Over 1200 images in all.
• Powerful Export abilities. Export data to Microsoft Access, Excel, or to an HTML page.
• Attach up to 4 of your images to each coin record. supports JPG, GIF, TIFF, BMP and PNG images.
• Amazing View feature allows you to view your collection in many different ways. Instantly view all coins from a particular year, of a particular grade, etc.
• Each record contains over 30 information fields. Keep track of defects, Purchase and Selling info, etc.
• Types & Varieties Manager allows you to add data for Countries or Varieties not present in the program database.
• Store Internet and Contact Information for Customers, Dealers and Grading Services. Easy One-Click viewing of all coins bought or sold from a particular Dealer/Customer.
• Store an unlimited number of file or URL attachments with each record.
• Needed to Complete feature. Instantly see which coins you need to complete a particular type. Print the list if you like.
• The CoinManage Database comes pre-populated with hundreds of links relevant to your coins. Simply click on a link to visit the site.

If you want to find more info about coin manage, please visit DaolnwoD Dot Com.

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Gold Coins, Coin Collecting & Grading

Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins

The condition of a coin is commonly summarized by a grade. Because the value of collectible coins often varies dramatically with grade and overly generous grading is not uncommon, reasonable grading proficiency is an important skill for collectors. The material presented here is intended only as an introduction to the subject. Grading is a skill that can only be developed over time through referrals to grading guides, consultation with experienced collectors and dealers, and lots of practice.

Published standards set objective criteria for grading, yet some amount of subjectivity is inevitable -- even expert graders will often assign slightly different grades to the same coin. While you can often ask an experienced grader for an opinion, being able to make your own reasonable assessment of grade is your best protection.

An overview of American Numismatic Association standards follows. ANA standards are widely used in the U.S. but are not the only system used. Much of the rest of the world uses the grades Fair, Fine, Very Fine, Extremely Fine, Uncirculated and Fleur-de-coin.

Numerals used in coin grades have been taken from the Sheldon scale (see Glossary).

Uncirculated Coins

Coins with no wear at all are referred to as uncirculated or in mint state (MS). Grades from MS-60 to MS-70 in one point increments are used for mint state coins. Criteria include luster; the number, size and location of contact marks; the number, size and location of any hairlines, and the quality of the strike and overall eye appeal..

An MS-60 coin may have dull luster and numerous contact marks in prime focal areas, as long as there is no wear. To merit MS-65, a coin should have brilliant cartwheel luster (attractive toning is permissible), at most a few inconspicuous contact marks, no hairlines, and nearly complete striking details. Grades from MS-61 to MS-64 cover intermediate parts of this range. Truly exceptional coins may be graded MS-66, MS-67 or, if absolutely flawless, as high as the theoretical maximum of MS-70. Many numismatists consider MS-70 to be an unobtainable ideal.

Terms such as brilliant uncirculated (BU), choice BU, gem BU, select BU and premium BU are still used in lieu of numerical grades by some dealers, auctioneers and others. Correlations between these terms and the numeric MS grades are difficult at best, because of inconsistent usage and in some cases overgrading.

Market values for many uncirculated coins vary dramatically from one grade to the next. Remember that whether a coin is described with a numerical or an adjectival grade, it's only someone's opinion. Until you are comfortable with your ability to grade uncirculated coins, make liberal use of other opinions, such as those available with slabbed coins or from experienced collectors and dealers you trust, or concentrate on circulated coins.

More info about Gold Coins Coin Collecting.

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Coin collecting: how to get started

While to some it may seem odd to spend new money to buy old money that you never intend to use, numismatics -- the collection and study of money, particularly coins -- is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most popular hobbies. There was a time when only wealthy people, such as aristocrats, could afford to indulge in the hobby of Coin Collecting, thus earning the pastime the sobriquet of “the Hobby of Kings.” Things are different today; so many people collect coins now that some observers have come to call it “the King of Hobbies.” Nowhere is this more true than in the United States, where interest has skyrocketed in recent years due to the release of new varieties of quarter-dollars.

Part of numismatics’ charm is its accessibility. It’s easy to get started: most people start by culling interesting coins from their spare change. Once past this “accumulator” stage, coin collecting may get a bit more costly, but it can still be an inexpensive and rewarding hobby. Most coins younger than two hundred years old were minted in the millions or billions, and it’s often relatively easy (with, perhaps, a few exceptions) to collect every coin in a series. For example, a set of Lincoln cents with the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse wouldn’t cost much money to accrue, although it might take a little a good bit of time -- and that’s where the fun comes in. Of course, as with most hobbies, how much you spend (both financially and temporally) is up to you.

If you really want to get a good start in the hobby, you should have a plan in mind. What appeals to you? Do you prefer silver coins, or a particular denomination, or do Indian head cents catch your eye? Silver, gold, and platinum coins can be an excellent investment, since they can be valuable both as coins and as precious metals. However, they can be a bit costly for the new or cautious collector. Many people ease into the hobby by collecting small coins, such as early cents or dimes. Although some of these coins fetch a nice premium -- some 1909 U.S. cents are worth hundreds of dollars, as are some 1916 Mercury dimes -- most are easy enough to obtain, often in bulk. Some people prefer to collect one of each type of coin ever produced by a particular nation, regardless of date. Still others look specifically for top quality coins, leaving the rest for less choosy hobbyists.

If you choose to collect a specific type of coin, remember this piece of advice: before you buy the coin, buy the book. There are books out there for every type of coin ever minted, often written by professional numismatists. These books can be invaluable, for they tell you what to look for in a particular coin type. In most cases, the authors provide illustrated examples of the types of mint marks, varieties, and errors to look for. Many of these coins escape notice because their owners don’t know what to look for and some of them, such as the 1955 Lincoln cent error known as a “doubled die,” are worth a great deal of money.

The above article quoted from Pagewise.

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Sunday, July 17, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

John Ford, 81, major figure in world of coin collecting, dies

By Douglas Martin
The New York Times

John Ford, a coin dealer and collector known for catalogs that brought clarity to numismatics and whose collections, including the earliest American coins and prized Confederate pennies, have dazzled recent auctiongoers, died July 7 at a nursing home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 81.

Susan Dobbins, his daughter, confirmed the death.

The scale and completeness of Mr. Ford's collecting have emerged as 11 of as many as 20 auctions have been conducted to sell off his esoteric collections, which included the notes of Massachusetts issued in 1690, the oldest coins issued by the Continental Congress, and African chiefs' medals.

Michael Hodder, a numismatic consultant, said bidders already had spent $35 million on the Ford collections, and the final total may rival the three auctions of the collection of Louis Eliasburg, who assembled examples of every known American coin. These exceeded $55 million.

Francis Campbell, the librarian of the American Numismatic Society, said the sales have expanded appreciation of Mr. Ford.

"It's going to settle in that he was more important than we thought he was," he said.

Mr. Ford's impact on the field has been better-known in the small circle of its professionals, particularly his catalogs for New Netherlands Coin Co., which he partly owned. His meticulous descriptions of grades, colors and other qualities were unprecedented, wrote Harvey Stack, owner of Stack's, which is auctioning Ford's collections.

The catalogs not only enabled people to bid with more confidence, but also represented some of the highest numismatic scholarship in the United States, Hodder said. In an introduction to a catalog, Q. David Bowers, a well-known numismatist, called Mr. Ford one of the "most influential figures in American numismatics."

He was most prominent in the 1950s and '60s, when coin collecting, once known as "the hobby of kings," greatly broadened its appeal. It trails only stamp collecting in participants, but leads in money spent.

Mr. Ford's career had controversy. He reversed the industry's practice of overrating coins up for auction. He designated coins "very fine" that others might rate "extremely fine." It packed the room, he said.

Mr. Ford was involved in one of the longest-running, vitriolic disputes in the history of American numismatics. Some prominent experts charged that he was part of a scheme to sell fake gold and silver bars, falsely claiming they came from the American West.

Mr. Ford, backed by other authorities, categorically denied fraud. However, he could not help philosophizing.

"Ever since the first coin was sold to anybody, somebody has lied about it," he told the magazine of Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers.

John Jay Ford Jr. was born March 5, 1924, in Hollywood, Calif., where his father liked to socialize with movie people. A scientist and inventor, the elder Ford lost all his money in business failures and retreated to Queens, N.Y. He borrowed haircut money from his teenage son.

Mr. Ford, already a stamp collector, bought his first old currency from a shop in Brooklyn, N.Y. He paid 15 cents for a Confederate bill that fetched $200 years later.

He quit his paper route and got a job as a delivery boy for Stack's. By the time he was drafted into the Army, he had a thriving business.

He was regarded as a wonder, having virtually memorized "United States Pattern, Trial and Experimental Pieces" by Edgar Adams and William Woodin, then a standard numismatic resource. Hodder likened this to memorizing all of a day's baseball box scores, only more complicated.

After serving as an Army cryptographer, Mr. Ford did other kinds of work before finding his way back to coin shops. He soon joined Charles Wormser at New Netherlands, becoming a partner in two years.

Mr. Ford discovered and cultivated Walter Breen, who went on to write what became an industry bible. He teamed up with Mr. Ford to write New Netherlands' famous catalogs.

Wayte Raymond, one of America's legendary numismatists, hired Mr. Ford to help him with in-depth research at the National Archives. Mr. Ford also worked closely with F.C.C. Boyd, long a commanding personality in the coin field. Mr. Ford handled both men's estates, giving him a first chance at great treasures.

In addition to his daughter Susan, Mr. Ford is survived by his wife, Joan; daughters Leslie Sanderson of Prescott, Ariz.; and Kimberly Moon of Haddonfield, N.J.; eight grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

He is remembered for the no-nonsense bomb shelter full of valuable coins and currencies in the basement of his Long Island home, not to mention his Cuban cigars.

His stories, such as one about taking a $67,000 check written on toilet paper from a tipsy oilman, are still savored: It was the only paper in the hotel room.

Mr. Ford's enthusiasm for collecting and trading spilled into such collectibles as the medals presidents gave Indian chiefs, the badges slaves wore when they were rented out for day work, Civil War revolvers and an ashtray owned by Hitler.

The above intro quoted from The Seattle Times Company.

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Coin collecting specialties

There are almost as many different ways of collecting coins as there are collectors. Many collectors specialize in some area of collecting, at least for a time.

Casual collector

The most common type of coin collector is the casual collector. When the casual collector comes across something out of the ordinary, such as a denomination that doesn't circulate often, or an obsolete type, perhaps error coins or a modified coin such as a two headed magician's piece he will toss it in a drawer. Casual collectors can get more involved when the chance of finding something interesting in circulation increases. For example, the recent statehood quarters circulating commemoratives in the United States has increased the number of casual collectors. Casual collectors often obtain more interesting pieces as gifts. The gift of a rare coin has converted many casual collectors to curious collectors.

Curious collector

When a collector goes beyond circulation finds and gifts, and develops more of an interest in coins, he often graduates to being a curious collector. The curious collector will buy some coins (usually inexpensive), browse coin shops, or look at coins on eBay or internet sites. He buys whatever seems interesting at the moment, without a really clear goal in mind. In this way, a survey of potentially interesting areas of coin collecting is made. As he interacts with more seasoned collectors, he is often encouraged to read books and study before making any serious decisions about buying expensive coins, or choosing an area of interest to settle into for a while. At some point, many curious collectors learn enough, and decide enough about their interest to become an advanced coin collector.

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Advanced coin collectors

Each advanced coin collector is unique. Some become dedicated generalists, looking for a few examples of everything. If they have enough resources, this can result in an astounding collection, as that of King Farouk of Egypt, who collected everything (and not just coins either). Some are completists, wanting an example of everything within a certain set. For example, Louis Eliasberg was the only collector thus far to assemble a complete set of known coins of the United States. Most collectors determine that they must focus their limited financial resources on a more narrow interest. Some focus on coins of a certain nation or historic period, some collect coins from various nations, some settle on error coins or exonumia like tokens and medals.

At the very highest levels of coin collecting, it can become a highly competitive sport. Recently, this has exhibited itself in registry sets, where the most complete set of coins with the highest numerical grades assigned by grading services are published by the grading service. This can lead to astronomical prices as dedicated collectors strive for the very best examples of each date and mint mark combination.

National coin collecting - It is common for collectors of national coins to specialise in the coins of their own country. Popular ways to collect national coins include collecting one of every date and mint mark for a particular series (date/mint mark sets) a limited completist approach. Collecting a representative coin of each different series is termed collecting by type. For example, a date set in Britain may include one Queen Victoria large penny for each year, 1837–1901. In another example, a U.S. type set might include an example of each variety of each denomination produced. Many collectors of national coins create unique combinations of date, mint mark, and type sets.

Historical coin collecting - Collectors of ancient and medieval coins are often more interested in historical significance than other collectors. Coins of Roman, Byzantine, Greek, Celtic, Parthian, Merovingian, Ostrogothic and ancient Israelite origin are amongst the more popular ancient coins collected. Specialties tend to vary greatly, but one prevalent approach is the collection of coins minted during a particular emperor's reign. A completist might strive for a representative coin from each emperor.

World coin collecting - World coins is the term given to collections of relatively recent modern coins from nations around the world. Collectors of world coins are often interested in geography. They can "travel the world" vicariously through their collecting. A popular completist way to collect world coins is to acquire representative examples from every country or coin issuing authority. Some collect by subject, for example, collecting coins from around the world featuring animals. Because world coins are usually very inexpensive, (sometimes being sold by the pound) it may be a good starting point for children.

Error coin collecting - The collecting of error coins is a modern development, made possible through the automation of coin manufacturing processes during the 19th century. Collectors of ancient and medieval coins accept coin "errors" because manual coin manufacturing proceses lend unique features to each coin struck. Collectors of modern coins find errors desirable because modern processes make the likelihood of their production very limited. Examples of coin errors include doubled dies, repunched mint marks, overdates, double strikes, off metal coins, displaced or off center coins, clipped coins, and mules (different denominations on two sides of one coin).

Coin collecting details

In coin collecting the condition of a coin is paramount to its value; a high-quality example is often worth many times as much as a poor example—although there are always exceptions to this general rule. Collectors have created systems to describe the overall condition of coins. One older system describes a coin as falling within a range from "poor" to "uncirculated". The newer Sheldon system, used primarily in America, has been adopted by the American Numismatic Association. It uses a 1–70 numbering scale, where 70 represents a perfect specimen and 1 represents a coin barely identifiable as to its type.

Several coin grading services will grade and encapsulate coins in a labeled, air-tight plastic holder. This process is commonly known as "slabbing". Two highly respected grading services are the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). However, professional grading services are the subject of controversy because grading is subjective—a coin may receive a different grade by a different service, or even upon resubmission to the same service. Due to potentially large differences in value over slight differences in a coin's condition, some commercial coin dealers will repeatedly resubmit a coin to a grading service in the hopes of a higher grade. Buyers are encouraged to look into the quality and features of the various grading services before deciding to purchase a coin based solely on the grade given by a service. The grading services came into being (PCGS being first) in an effort to bring more safety to investors in rare coins. While they have reduced the number of counterfeits foisted upon unsuspecting investors, and have improved matters substantially, because of the differences in market grading (which determines the price) and technical grading, the goal of creating a site unseen market for coins remains somewhat elusive.

Damage of any sort, such as holes, edge dents, repairs, reengraving or gouges, can substantially reduce the value of a coin. Specimens are occasionally "whizzed"--cleaned or polished in an attempt to pass them off as being higher grades or as proof strikes. In general, the buyer is cautioned to be careful of any unknown seller's claims. Because of the substantially lower prices for cleaned or damaged coins, some specialize in their collection. There is a market for almost any rare or obsolete coin.

If purchasing for investment, it is suggested that the buyer first thoroughly research both the coins and their markets. As discussed in the numismatics entry, prices cycle and can drop, particular for coins that are not in great long-term collector demand. Condition, surviving population, and demand determine price. As a beginning collector, surviving population can be initially estimated from mintage figures. Specialists learn the exceptions due to melting and other circumstances with experience and study. Age, as such, is not a relevant factor. Claims made by advertisers using popular media outlets should be treated with great scepticism.

The about article sources from Wikepedia.org.