Entries Tagged 'Uncirculated Coins' ↓

Terms in American Coin Collecting

1942dimeIf you are new to the practice of American coin collecting, then there are a number of terms and types of coins that you are going to want to understand, otherwise they will seem confusing to you and may give you some trouble. The purpose of this post is to discuss a few common terms in the art of American coin collecting that you can apply to United States Mint coins such as the Silver Eagle coin, the Platinum Eagle coin, the Gold Eagle coin and the Gold Buffalo coin for example.

Mint – When a coin is described as being mint in American coin collecting, what that means is that the coin has been made to be a regular circulated coin, and yet it has just come from the mint and is not yet damaged or circulated. The Mint for the United States can sell these coins from their normal production batches.

Proof – If the coin is labeled as being proofed or if proof is mentioned in the description, then what that means is that the coin has been crafted using high pressure, giving it a shiny and mirrored finish. The images on coins like this in American coin collecting also tend to have more detail to them. These are not coins that are intended to be spent or circulated, but rather they are specifically intended for collecting.

W – If the coin is being described by its year but with a W at the end, this means that the coin has a mint mark on it that was used by the mint at the West Point branch in New York.

Uncirculated – What this term means, in American coin collecting, is that the coin has not been used or spent in any way. In other words, this term is used in order to describe a coin that is in the most perfect conditions, as if it were coming fresh from a Mint.

PCGS – This is a term that stands for Professional Coin Grading Service. When a coin is described as being PCGS, then that means that the service has graded the coin for American coin collecting purposes.

NGC – When a coin is described as being NGC, then what this means is that it has been graded by a service that is known as the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation.

Keep in mind that the above grading services do cost money in order for a coin to be graded. Should a coin be labeled as having been graded, what this means is that one of these services has guaranteed the quality and the authenticity of the coin, and this means that the coin is naturally going to be higher in value.

There are all kinds of American coin collecting for you to know and utilize. The above should be a good foundation for you to get started with. When you understand the basics in American coin collecting, you will be better able to find the coins that best suit you, ensuring that you get the best value for what you pay as well.

Photo Credits: herzogbr

Originally posted 2009-12-02 03:56:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Collecting Uncirculated Coins and Proof Coins

proofcoinsThe unique thing about coin collections is that there is a myriad of different ways to start a coin collection, and you can collect a wide variety of different coins or a small variety of very special coins depending on your interest. One of the options for coin collecting that you may want to consider if you enjoy unique coins is the art of collecting proof coins and uncirculated coins, which are coins that are not or have never been in actual use as currency in this country or any other country in the world for that matter. If the idea of proof coins and uncirculated coins seems worthwhile to you, the following information will prove useful.

There are a number of coins out there that never ended up being placed in circulation to be used for the purpose of commerce. This coin grade never had any wear or any defects meaning that these coins can be close to mint in condition. If you store these coins improperly, however, they can be worn and will no longer be in perfect condition any longer. Even if the wear is quite minor in nature, it will not allow the coin to have an “uncirculated” grade any longer.

When coins are first produced at the mint, they are placed into large canvas bags so that they can be transported. During the handling and transport phase, they can receive some small nicks and marks from rubbing and bumping along one another in the bags, and these marks are specifically known as bag marks. Bag marks tend to appear much more noticeable when the coin is larger in sized, such as a dollar or a half dollar coin. Typical bag marks will not prevent a coin from keeping the uncirculated grade. Light bag marks will not keep a coin from being considered to be uncirculated, but they may change the value that the coin receives if they are more noticeable bag marks.

Uncirculated coins are also capable of showing spotting, tarnish and discoloration while still maintaining the uncirculated grade when it comes to coin conditions. You should never clean a coin that has become tarnished as many methods of cleaning are actually capable of causing further wear on a coin, and this wear will upset the “uncirculated” grade of the coin.

There are also coins known as proof coins that were minted with the use of highly polished dies and never saw the light of day in terms of circulation. Just like with uncirculated coins, these proof coins are capable of experiencing darkening or tarnishing. Because labor and production costs went into producing proof coins beyond average coins, the mints that produce them quite often will sell them at a higher premium price, and often in much more limited numbers as well.

Photo Credits: Adamcha

Originally posted 2009-07-31 05:56:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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