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What is the purpose here? Well, currently it's my playground. Combining work and one of my hobbies seemed a good way to put together something useful. A working demo of some of the abilities around here, so to speak. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to share...
Coin collecting, also known as numismatics, is a popular hobby that involves the collection and study of coins, tokens, paper money, and other currency-related items.
Some collectors focus on a specific type of coin, such as ancient coins or coins from a particular country, while others may collect a wide range of items. Coin collecting can be a fascinating way to learn about history, art, and economics, as each coin tells a unique story about its time and place of origin.
Tips for beginners - Back in the day, it was easy to get your hands on all kinds of old coins just through loose change. Most everything was still cash transactions... Now-a-days, that's changed up a tad bit. Your odds are a bit more slim. Some might start with asking you what kind of coins you want to collect... My advice is to start small. The US Quarter has a wide range of variations. The point here is, it's an inexpensive start. It won't take much to get your collection started, and if you get bit by the bug, you can expand your collection from there. If you lose interest, no harm... no foul... and now you have some loose change. If the bug gets you, the bank can be a good place to get random coins. I even hit laundrymats for random quarters. Get creative... Avoid Ebay, unless you know what you're doing.
Taking pictures of your coins - The two ways to get your pics are either by scanning them, or using a camera. Personally, I prefer to use an USB microscope camera. Scanning can get you nice, clean pics... but, can be much more time consuming. A USB camera is usually supported by most software, and is quite a bit more effiecient. However, a little more attention to lighting is required. I picked up an opti-tekscope (for about $100.00) that seems to work just fine... A lil tricky on the focus, but you get use to it. The better the camera, the better the pic. And the price tag usually follows...
What are my coins worth? - There are three factors that drive the price of a coin... Rarety, content or an error. A lot of coins made 1964 and older, were made from silver. Nickles, dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars, all were made with silver content. So, even a 1962 nickle, is worth more than a nickle. Rarety also drives the price. Some coins had a low circulation. Meaning, not many were released... Making them rare by nature. Then, there is time itself that passes. People melt down their old silver coins for quick cash, or they just get lost to time itself. This will drive a coins price up. The down side to that, it's hard to determine with no data. So, that really boils down to supply and demand. That leaves errors. Errors can be anything from a small defect in lettering, to an outright blank on one side. The bigger the defect, the more value it has. Unfortunately, If a coin doesn't fall into one of these three catagories, it probably isn't going to be worth more than face value.
Should I clean my coins? - The short answer is no. However, if you must... a mild soap and water solution is the best, and gently pat dry. Even the cloth you use to pat dry with, should be of non-abrasive material. Otherwise, you'll end up with very fine scratches on the coins surface. There are polishing clothes that are made just for that purpose. Never use abrasives or acid based cleaning solutions. This will damage the coins value. Especially if they're proof or mint coins. Avoid constantly handling your coins. You will never be able to get an old coin back to it's original luster or make it more valuable by cleaning it. Just making it shinier than what it was.
Tips for coin organizing - I've approached this many different ways... Coin folders, cardboard holders, plastic capsules etc etc etc... All have pros and cons. I finally settled on small #1 coin envelopes from Office Depot. I might just be picky and all, but they're uniformed in size, easy to label and storage is basic. Best of all, cheap. Once I have my coin entered into my catalog app, I pop it into an envelope, slap on a label and file it away. Remember to add a coin ID number on the envelope, and now you can easily go back and pull it when you want. Easy peasy...
Collectors often enjoy the thrill of the hunt, searching for rare and valuable coins to add to their collection, and may also participate in trading or selling their coins with other collectors.
Currently, everything is still being put together... So, check back when the urge strikes you... |
