Sunday, May 4, 2008

Fantastic Hobby of Coin Collecting

Coin collecting is a wonderful hobby. Now imagine if you could make money with this wonderful hobby of yours. Coin collecting is one of the oldest of all hobbies. Hoards of ancient coins found in excavations indicate that coins were one of the first collectibles. Coin collecting is one of those hobbies that for most collectors, started by accident. Usually the coin that sparked the interest was a coin found in circulation.

Coin collecting is probably one to the easiest hobbies to get started in. All you really need to get started is to use the change in your own pocket. Coin collecting is not really about investment, it should be a fun and thrilling hobby. Coin collecting is a fun hobby to start and the thrill of hunting for old coins is enough for many people to continue doing it. Coin collecting is the most popular expression of numismatics. Coins-To-Sell.com is a source for graded and ungraded coins to add to your collection.

Coin collecting is known as the hobby of the kings. Coin collecting is a hobby that many collectors got into by chance or inherited a coin collection from their parents and ancestors. The most common thing that sparked an interest in coin collecting amongst collectors is the attention that the coin draws.

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. 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.

Cleaned coins are always valued lower than ones that have not been ‘enhanced’ or ‘doctored’, which usually means cleaned! Some cleaning is done so well that it is nearly undetectable by all but experienced collectors or dealers. Cleaning coins is a risky and skilled operation and normally should never be considered.

Collectors of world coins are often interested in geography. They can "travel the world" vicariously through their collecting. 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". How many excavation reports come out each year, and of these how many mention coins?

Dealers acknowledge that state quarters coins for Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are now in short supply - thus in high value - however the higher value is simply due to the fact that so many incidental collectors are hoarding. Dealers publish prices regarding various coins in these periodicals, which are used as a guide to prices but are not the actual price. The literature collected will depend on the investor's special interest.

Ancient coins were also struck in silver and "base" metals like bronze and copper. Because of its intrinsic value, however, gold coins have historically been the most popular medium for exchange. Ancient coin collecting is an unbelievable hobby. These ancient handmade coins are masterpieces from antiquity.

Gold coins were one of the oldest forms of money. This was later followed by silver coins. Gold coin collecting actually is a legal way to defer taxation on your investment. What this means is that as your return on this investment increases, your investment is not subject to taxes until those coins are liquidated or sold. Gold coin collecting is one such activity, which would not only provide good investment value, but would also look great on the resume of the individual. Gold coin collecting is not an easy hobby to take up.

Mintmarks have been unprecedented in their success and popularity. Another strong and up-and-coming segment of coin collecting is the very popular collection of mint error coins. Mint has changed over the years. Most recently, the look and feel of paper currency has been changed to discourage counterfeiting. Mint didn't make the 1877 Indian Cent 127 times scarcer than the 1907 issue to create a "chase coin".

Mintmark rarity will always be helpful but condition and type rarity should really excel as the new generation comes on line. Stay clear of paying high premiums for VAMs and other trivial distinctions among coins.

Generally, older coins are better than new. Generally made of sturdy cardboard or pressboard, some of these are generic and designed to hold certain sizes of coins that you identify yourself. Others, including the Whitman series of coin folders, will help you focus on collecting a certain type of coin. Generally, their collection contains coins minted in years that are meaningful to them. These minted coins could reflect a special year such as an anniversary, graduation, or other significant event.

Anyone can start a coin collection - it's easy and fun to start collecting on your own. You can begin simply, with just the coins in your pocket. Anyone here will tell you that the values in the PCGS guide are on the high side. Without knowing what every coin in your collection is and their grades it'll be hard for anyone to tell you if you've gotten a good deal or not but at the same time if your coins have appreciated as much as you say they have by PCGS standards then I'd say you're pretty safe with any of the current price guides, just not to that extent.