The Art of Ancient Coin Collecting

worldofcoinsCoins have been treated as a method of currency for as many as thousands of years now. Collecting these little pieces of ancient history has become an extremely popular past time among many people. For many people, the idea of ancient coin collecting has become a true passion as well as a real life hunt for treasure. Because it is relatively inexpensive for a ancient coin collecting hobby to be started, you can collect a myriad of different ancient coins from all over the globe as simply as logging into the internet.

With the large variety of different types of coins that are available, from modern coins to ancient ones, it is important that you select a specific category of coins that you want to collect. You may choose ancient coin collecting or you may choose some other type of collecting depending on what you are interested in.

When getting into ancient coin collecting, what you should do is to gather coins that come from either a certain country, or a specific period of time. There are a number of inexpensive coins that you can fall back to in order to get started without spending a lot. Some examples are:

  • The British Half-Farthing, which hails from between 1842 and 1869, and which was criticized for being too small of a denomination,
  • The French Rooster Franc,
  • The Chinese Gold Panda,
  • The Silver Drachma, which was used around the time of the rule of Alexander the Great,
  • The Silver Denarius, which hails from the earliest Roman Empire,

There are other ways to grow your collection of coins as well, such as by collecting:

  • United States coins, including commemorative coins for example,
  • Particular coins, such as coins that fall into a specific denomination or a specific type of coin, such as by collecting only Washington quarters, or only silver half-dollar coins,
  • Coins with a specific theme, such as coins that feature animals, or coins that feature vehicles, or monuments, or anything else that you can think of.
  • Coins with errors, since even mints are capable of making mistakes, and there are a myriad of different error coins that you can find, including coins with the wrong inscription, the wrong form, the wrong design or the wrong date on them.

Any time you are choosing a coin to collect, it is important that you determine the value and worth of the coin before you purchase it. Determining what the coin is worth is going to allow you to make sure that you get a good deal on the coins that you purchase. You should never spend more for a coin than it is worth on the market, because someone will be asking the market price, and others will be asking more. Just shop around until you find the ancient coin you want for the price it’s really worth.

Photo Credits: oceandesetoiles

Originally posted 2009-09-11 03:17:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • greekcoinCollecting Greek Coins There are three different points in time that Ancient Greek coins are divided into. The first period of time for the history of ancient Greek coins is known as the Archaic period. This particular period of time expands from when coinage first appeared in the Greek World in 600 BCE......
  • pengoBeginner’s Guide to Collecting Coins and Currency There are many different hobbies that you can get started with. If you have chosen to get started with collecting coins and currency, there are many different things that you will need to know first. These different things that you will need to know will include the different things that......
  • coincollectionValue of a Coin Collecting Book Collecting coins is simply a hobby or a passion for some people, but for other people it is truly a science. For at least the past century, people have been taking this hobby much more seriously and now there are a myriad of different coin collecting book options to choose......
  • worldCollecting Coins of the World Start with your pocket change Start out by studying coins you pull from your pockets, or failing that, some old coins from your attic, on your floor, or out in public. As a novice coin collector, it makes no sense to spend a lot of your money on coins if......
  • greekcoinTaking Your Coin Collection to the Next Level You may have had fun in the past with your coin collection, leisurely picking up coins and adding them to your collection at will. While you have kept the collection going for a while, you have become bored with the simple coins that you collect. If you want to stay......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • coinbucketHow to Not Take Care of Your Coin Collection Your coin collection can easily be your pride and joy – you like looking at all of the different coins that you have found for your collection, and like showing them off to others. If you take pride in your collection you are going to want to make sure that......
  • latviancoinsHow to Pass Down Your Coin Collection While you may have a close connection with your own coin collection, you may want to think about passing that collection down to a younger generation. This is a great way for you to connect with someone young in your family and is a great way to leave a legacy......
  • panama-pacific-exposition-half-dollar-commemorative Which Classic and Modern Commemorative Coins are Worth Collecting? The answer to the question of which classic and modern commemorative coins are worth collecting is subjective. There are many reasons as to why people collect coins. Some people collect coins which have a sentimental value to them or ones which represent an era in history they enjoy. Others collect......
  • romeGet to Know the Most Collectible Coins in the World There are quite a few people in the world collecting coins. The coins which are being collected range from the ordinary to the extremely rare. The kind of people collecting coins also range from the child collecting the coins they find in pocket change to the serious collectors spending millions......
  • yardsale3 Great Places You Would not Expect to Find Collectable Coins There are different reasons why people get involved in coin collecting. For many they enjoy the history of the coins that they collect. For others, they simply enjoy looking at the beautiful nature of the coins themselves. Others still enjoy the hunt. They like being able to find the different......
Online Stores

What You Need to Know About Franklin Half Dollars

There have been many different coins which have been created over the years which have paid homage to the different presidents. While some have been able to get their faces on large currency or large coins, Benjamin Franklin got his face on Franklin Half Dollars. This is not to say that the half dollars are worth only that know. In fact, you will find that the coins have become rather valuable ever since the last coin was minted in 1963. There are some which are more valuable than others. Here is a closer look.

The first thing you will need to know about the Franklin Half Dollars is what you will find on the obverse and reverse. You will also need to know what errors have been made with the series which have caused the coin to become more valuable. It is also good to know what mints were Minting the coin and their significance with the coin itself. While Franklin might not have been alive to see his face on the Half Dollar, he would have been proud to have seen such a brilliant coin created just for him.

A Look at the Faces

There are two faces to the Franklin Half Dollars. The obverse (head) has the profile of Franklin along with his neck and shoulders. The Reverse (tail) has the Cracked Liberty Bell. It is possible to find the proofs which were available for this coin because of the recent run of the coin. It was run from 1948 to 1963. While it might seem that the most valuable of the series is the oldest, it is actually the error coins which are worth the most because they have been reclaimed when possible by the government to get them out of circulation.

Errors in Production

There were a few different errors made in the striking of the Franklin Half Dollars. One of the most notable of the errors occurred when the obverse and reverse dies hit each other with no coin between them. The result is what is called the Bugs Bunny Error. This is an error on the obverse on the 1955 coin which makes it appear that Franklin has a split lip giving him the appearance of pronounced front teeth. Another error occurred on the 1961-P Proof where the Proof was double died.

Minting the Coin

The majority of these coins have been reclaimed by the government so that they could be melted down and reminted. This is because the amount of silver used in the coin made the coin worth more than the amount which was printed on the face of the Franklin Half Dollars. Those who have an error printed 1955-P have a real treasure because it is the kind of error that even the most layman can see that the split lip was not intentional on the face of Franklin. It never should have even seen the light of day before being melted and recast.

Photo Credits: Wikipedia Commons

Originally posted 2010-08-13 03:07:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • coin2dollarsStarting a Coin Collection for Cheap A coin collection can be a fun and interesting hobby for individuals of all ages. What many fail to realize is that this type of collection can be a great hobby for people of all income levels and financial backgrounds. You do not need to have a lot of money......
  • foreign coinsHow to Avoid the Dangers in Foreign Coin Collecting Coin collecting is considered by many to be one of the risk free hobbies. You purchase coins at a good rate, hold on to them for a while and then sell them for a huge return. The problem is that it does not always work out this way. As coin......
  • coinsCoin Collecting 101 Coin collecting is an industry that has grown to encompass billions of dollars in sales. The earliest hobby of coin collecting is capable of being traced as far back as 1300 AD, which is when an Italian scholar known by the name of Fracesco Petrarca began to save coins and......
  • coins14 Tips for Starting Off a Coin Collection For many, the hardest part of a hobby is actually getting that hobby started. This couldn’t be more true than it is for those who are looking to start a coin collection. With thousands of different coins available to collect, it can be hard to understand where to start or......
  • penniesEnjoying a World Coin Collection Most people who begin to collect coins actually do so by collecting regional coins from their own mother country. So for example, if you are from the United States, then you may want to collect United States coins first and foremost. This is because you are already familiar with the......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • 1964peaceproof Top 3 Places to Store a Rare Coins Collection When people collect anything of value one of the things they need to know is how and where to store the valued items of their collections. This is true for anyone who has a rare coins collection. When it comes to rare coins the best places to store them directly......
  • IMG_0260Interesting Ways to Expand your Coin Collection Anyone who has had a coin collection for an extended period of time will go through the same steps in an attempt to add to that collection. Most will hunt down a coin that they are interested in, scouring every store that they find until they see a price that......
  • oldcoinsInsider Tips on Coin Collecting It can be easy to think that you have mastered coin collecting once you have pulled together a large and decent collection. When you have coins that you like in your collection and have spent years on your collection, you feel like you cannot improve your collection. With that being......
  • 32centsWhat You Need to Know About Coin Collection Worth Coins have been used as currency for thousands of years. They have been mentioned in the bible as well as other historic texts. This is just one of the reasons why people have been collecting coins. The historical significance is enough to intrigue most people. Simply to be able to......
  • Crawfords and Silver CoinsIncorporating Your Family in Coin Collecting One of the best things that you can do for your coin collection is to involve others. This does not mean simply showing other the coins that you have purchased – it means actually incorporating your family into the coin collecting process. Coin collecting is simply more fun when others......
Online Stores

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

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • 1943copperpennyRare Coins to Add to Your Collection The wide variety of coins and paper money that can be added to your collection come in the forms of both easy-to-access money and rare coins. Rare coins are a special part of coin collecting, providing individuals with goals to set and coins to chase. There are some coins that......
  • Rare CoinsRare Coins Coins and Paper Money -> Ancient Coins -> Persian, Indian, Asian There is something very special about rare coins. No matter where in the world they came from, they usually have a very rich history and collectors will search to the ends of the earth to find that special rare......
  • worldCollecting Coins of the World Start with your pocket change Start out by studying coins you pull from your pockets, or failing that, some old coins from your attic, on your floor, or out in public. As a novice coin collector, it makes no sense to spend a lot of your money on coins if......
  • worldofcoins4 Tips for Buying Better Auction Coins Anyone who is serious about buying collectible coins has more than likely attended at least one auction. These are great places to be able to see a wide variety of different coins all in one place. Even better, you will have the opportunity to buy the coins you see at......
  • IMG_0813Looking for a Specific Coin for Sale One of the reasons as to why some people are so attracted to coin collecting is because it can be a challenge. There are some coins which can be hard to find that cannot only make a great investment into ones collection, but they can provide one with a sense......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • coinsThe Top 3 Places to Sell Old Coins Coin collecting is something which has taken on considerable fervor in recent history. There have been many commemorative coins like the state quarters and the America Beautiful series. These and other reasons are why there have been so many new people getting started in numismatics. It also offers a great......
  • oldcoin3 Things Which Add to the Value of Old Coins If there is one constant in the coin collecting world it is that the value of old coins is much higher than the value of newer coins. This is because as they get older they become rarer. The rarer a coin is, the more it is worth. Of course, there......
  • proofkennedy3 Facts about Coin Proof Sets or Coin Mint Sets Anyone who is getting into the world of coin collecting needs to know some information about proof sets and coin mint sets. This is because these types of coin sets can be very valuable in some cases. By having a basic understanding of coin mint sets you will be better......
  • oldcoinsDiscover All about PCGS Coins The Professional Coin Grading Service, or PCGS, is one the three professional coin grading companies, or “slabbers”, recognized by serious coin collectors and dealers across the United States. PCGS uses the American coin grading system to give coins a grade which refers to their condition. Expert in the coin industry......
  • coinskingrichardCollecting Coins for Beginners When one is interested in coins to the point that they want to become a numismatist, or coin collector, there are many things they need to know. Some basis numismatic knowledge can help a new coin collector get their collection off to the right start. Knowing the basics can also......
Online Stores

1971 Canadian Fifty-Cent Piece

Money -> Coins-Canada -> Fifty-Cents

If you’re a coin collector, specifically a Canadian coin collector, you might enjoy looking for a 1971 Canadian fifty cent piece to add to your collection. The trick to this is finding the right fifty cent piece to know whether the coin is worth merely 50 cents, or if it’s a more valuable one that could be worth a little bit more, maybe two dollars or more, depending on the current price of silver. The real value in these coins isn’t the monetary value, though, rather it’s the value for collectors when they find this fairly uncommon coin.

Rarity isn’t the only factor in rating the value of a coin, or almost all Canadian fifty-cent pieces would be worth more. A Canadian fifty-cent pieces, whether it’s a silver minting for collectors only or one designed for general circulation, has much the reputation in Canada as the $2 bill does in the United States. They’re both real money, but some people doubt their legitimacy because they’re rarely seen and not commonly used. The 1971 Canadian fifty cent piece is distinguished from other fifty cent pieces only because it’s a silver half-dollar produced when other half-dollars were alloys.

Ironically, even though some people look at a Canadian fifty cent piece and wonder if it’s a real, legitimate coin, the fifty cent piece was the first coin the Dominion of Canada ever produced. The first domestically minted Canadian coins were fifty cent pieces featuring an effigy of King Edward VII, struck in 1908. The reverse of the coin features Canada’s Coat of Arms. Canada still produced fifty cent pieces today, but they’re still rarely found in regular circulation because most Canadians, when presented with one, keep it because of its rarity. The 1971 Canadian fifty cent piece is, of course, more worth keeping than any of the others because of its silver content.

By 1971, Canadian half-dollars were made from a nickel alloy, with no silver content. But in April 1971 they minted some silver fifty-cent pieces designed for collectors specifically, and not intended for general circulation, even though they bear the same value as other fifty-cent pieces as far as currency is concerned. Even despite its silver content, though, this fifty cent piece isn’t necessarily a great investment coin—gold bullion coins are for more valuable as investments—but it can be an interesting addition to a collection of coins from Canada or all over the world.

If you’re looking for a 1971 Canadian fifty cent piece, the chief thing you’ll need to ask is whether the coin is a standard half dollar or a silver half dollar. If the seller is unsure and the picture is unclear, you may want to purchase the coin elsewhere, because the fifty cent pieces from various years look virtually identical, giving them each very little value as collectibles. The coins are probably best found in uncirculated condition, usually sold individually rather than in lots, because they were designed as collector items.

Originally posted 2008-11-19 14:00:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • mapleleafCollecting Maple Leaf Canadian Coins If you are looking for an intriguing coin collection, consider adding Maple Leaf Canadian coins to your collection. These Maple Leaf coins are the official Canadian bullion coins and they are created and distributed by the Royal Canadian Mint. They come in a number of different metal types including gold,......
  • worldWorld Coins Money -> Coins: World Collecting world coins is a rewarding and fascinating hobby. The first official coins were struck around the 6th century BC in Lydia, though metals used as a type of currency far pre-dates that, to Mesopotamia somewhere between 1500 and 2000 BC. Ancient coinage is fascinating, with......
  • greekcoinCollecting Greek Coins There are three different points in time that Ancient Greek coins are divided into. The first period of time for the history of ancient Greek coins is known as the Archaic period. This particular period of time expands from when coinage first appeared in the Greek World in 600 BCE......
  • Russian CoinsRussian Coins Coins & Paper Money -> Coins: World -> Russia Russian coins have recently become a popular investment, with many of the popular dealers selling out of supplies, and some older and more rare coins earning over $45,000 at auction. Many people gave up on Russian coin collecting in 2007 because......
  • 1804_Dollar_Carter_Obv3 Things to Know About the Most Valuable Silver Coin The most valuable silver dollar is the 1804 Silver Dollar with the Draped Bust. As a side note, this coin is not only the most valuable in the silver coin category; it is presently the most valuable in the world. As with any coin, there are a few different reasons......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • civilwartoken What You Need to Know about Civil War Old Coins Old coins from the Civil War are highly valued and widely collected for several reasons. One reason is because they represent such an important time in the history of America. Another reason is because these old coins offer us an incredible insight to the loves of those who lived during......
  • canadian1890A Brief History of Old Canadian Coins Numismatists enjoy getting to know the history of any coins. This is why those interested in collecting Canadian coins are interested in getting the oldest coins possible as well as the rarest. As the history of the old Canadian coins is looked into, many are shocked to find out that......
  • goldcoinTips for Looking For Gold Coins Every serious coin collector has a specific type of coin that they look for. Some look to collect the same type of coin across the currencies of different countries, like those who look to collect gold coins. There are plenty of coin collectors out there who are looking for gold......
  • goldcoinGetting to Know the Value of World Gold Coins There are many different coins which are bought and traded by coin collectors every day. Among the most collected of all coins include the gold coins. This is because gold coins start off with a great value. This is because gold is always valuable and will always increase in value......
  • oldcoin3 Things Which Add to the Value of Old Coins If there is one constant in the coin collecting world it is that the value of old coins is much higher than the value of newer coins. This is because as they get older they become rarer. The rarer a coin is, the more it is worth. Of course, there......
Online Stores

Email Updates

budget circulation coin auctions Coin Collecting coin collecting software coin collection coin collections coin collector coin collectors coin dealers coins coin shop coin shops coin value collecting coins collections commemorative coins counterfeits currencies currency currency collection double eagle face value Foreign Currency Gold Coins hobbies mint mint condition money numismatics obverse old money paper currency paper money paper money collection rare coin Rare Coins rarity saint gaudens selling coins silver coins silver dollar united states mint US Coins us mint