January 30th, 2012 — Ancient Coins, Coin Collecting, Greek Coins
As a link to the ancient world, coins are an incredibly popular way to capture this history. Thanks to the minting process and the metals that were used, we can still enjoy many ancient coins today. Greek coins are increasingly becoming more popular and their unique designs enhance any coin collection. For those that are looking to collect these coins, but are uncertain as to whether or not they are dealing with an authentic collectible, there are a few guidelines.
1. Check the Wear
An ancient coin will understandably look a bit old. In many cases, you are dealing with coins that were produced thousands of years ago. If the Greek coin you are looking at it is shiny, or has no visible signs of wear, there is a good chance that it is not authentic. Most collectors do not restore these coins since their wear is a sign of their true age. If you do find a coin that is in remarkable condition, there is a chance that it is authentic, but the chances are few and far between.
2. Check the Back
Ancient Greek coins will typically have a name engraved on the back, but it won’t be of a king or of anyone incredibly important. Instead, in this culture, it was customary for the person that actually minted the coin to put their own name on it. This was a unique practice and it offers a great way for the average collector to be able to authenticate a Greek coin. Since the vast majority of these coins bear some sort of engraving on the back, this will help you determine whether or not the coin is authentic.
3. Check the Design
Minting equipment was understandably not as advanced as today’s equipment and that means that very often, the designs on Greek coins will not be perfect. This is actually desirable and if you do find a coin that is too perfect, it is a major sign that it may not be authentic. Take the time to thoroughly examine the coin. If you cannot spot any flaws, there is a very good chance that it is not authentic.
4. Check the Certificate
Many ancient coins that have already been authenticated will have an accompanying certificate. While this can of course be forged, you can follow up with the person that did the appraisal and authentication. If you cannot contact them or they do not have any knowledge of the coin you are dealing with, it is best to save your money and find another Greek coin to buy.
5. Check the Shape
Last but not least, coins made during this period were quite often not perfectly round. Look for a slight deviation on your Greek coin. If it is slightly off, then this is a very good sign that it is authentic. Remember, many of these Greek coins were hand made, one at a time and whenever you are dealing with that kind of process, the chances for imperfections are very high.
Originally posted 2008-08-22 05:00:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 14th, 2012 — Coin Collecting, Foreign Coin Collecting, world coins
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 collectors start to make more money, they start to branch out. They start investing in things like foreign coin collecting and wind up losing a lot of money in the process. This does not have to be the way. There are ways which you can avoid losing your money.
The biggest problem most people have when investing in foreign coin collecting is that they have no idea what they are doing. Collecting coins which you know nothing about is a dangerous endeavor. This is why you need to learn some history about the coins. You also need to learn some history about the country where the coins originated from. It is also a good idea to be able to spot fakes. As long as you stick to these suggestions you will have a pretty good chance of being able to keep your shirt and even making some money.
Learning about the Coins
The first thing you should know when you are looking into investing in foreign coin collecting is about the coins themselves. This will allow you to find out which years are more valuable than others. In the history of many coins there is normally one years in which less of the coins were created or more were reclaimed by the government or something else happened to make the Mint year so extraordinary. If you know these things you will be able to make better decisions about the coins that you buy.
Learning about the Country of Origin
Often when investing in foreign coin collecting you will need to look at the country from which the coins originated. The coins worth the most come from countries which no longer exist. Take a look at the history of the country as well as the state of the Union. You may be able to discover countries which are about to fold. Finding unique coins from these countries before they fold will turn a nice profit down the road.
Learn to Spot counterfeits
One of the biggest pitfalls which people fall into with foreign coin collecting is purchasing counterfeits. These coins can often be just as old as the original coin. This is especially true of coins which were made valuable centuries ago. In some cases the counterfeits can become valuable, but in most cases you will end up buying something which looks genuine only to lose a lot of money. There are features you can look for which will point to a coin being a fake. Pay attention to these characteristics so that you can make sure that you are getting a genuine coin and not something which was created to fool you.
Photo Credits: killerturnip
Originally posted 2010-08-30 03:54:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 20th, 2011 — Coin Collecting, world coins
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 coin denominations where you live, making the collection much easier to put together. This is definitely a great way for you to begin when you are just learning how to collect coins, but as your coin collection grows, you may want to create a world coin collection rather than just a local one. World coins are often just as easy to come by, and they offer new facets to your coin collection no matter which world coins you decide to collect.
You will find coins coming from nearly every single country all over the world. You should begin to collect coins based on what information you can find. If you cannot find information on a particular type of world coin, that does not mean that it is rare, but just that it will require some extra work for you to find the worth of the coin. There are a number of websites and other publications that will help you look at the world coins that are available to you and your world coin collection.
When you finally begin to collect world coins, you will discover that there is a whole new world waiting for you. You will learn about the history and the culture that influenced each individual world coin, for example. You are going to learn about each country where you find a world coin and you are going to learn about what inspired those world coins into creation.
There are fewer dealers out there that will have world coin opportunities for you, so world coins are often more rare than United States coins. To some investors, world coins do not make good investments, but to other investors, they do. Collecting world coins is going to require a lot of time, thought and research. You need to read coin collecting books, online guides, websites, newsletters, magazines and anything else that you can get your hands on to read so that you can become well versed in everything that the world coin realm has to offer you. You need to understand how foreign currencies and the United States dollar stack up against one another.
If you are looking for a widely circulated world coin, consider pennies from each country all over the world. These coins are valuable to someone that collects for the sake of collecting but not necessarily for the sake of investing. Collecting world coins with small values is a great way to grow your collection without spending too much money, so consider this if you are just getting your world coin off the ground and want a lot of unique coins without a big investment.
Photo Credits: Bill.Roehl
Originally posted 2009-06-20 05:19:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 7th, 2011 — Ancient Coins, Coin Collecting, Gold, Gold Coins, Gold Eagle Coins, Rare Coins
Gold is one of the most popular substances in the world, and rare gold coins are highly sought out by collectors, not just for the precious gold content, but because of the rarity of the coins and the designs themselves. How do you know if a gold coin is actually rare, or just old? First of all, if you’re shopping in online auctions, which is actually a good place to find coins, decide that you won’t get too excited by every auction that claims its coins are rare.
“Rare” is actually a flash-word in online auctions, designed to get people to view the auction. If you browse the site a while, you’ll find items listed as “rare” and “hard-to-find” that you can probably purchase anywhere with very little effort. This practice has made the word rare almost meaningless on eBay and other online sites. So to find truly rare gold coins, you’ll need to do a little research on the coin that’s offered in the auction, as well as into the seller’s past auctions.
Have a look at the seller’s feedback. Does every auction represented there shout “Rare!” from the rooftops? Also, you can search on the specific coin that’s offered to see which others sellers offer it and what they have to say about it. Then you’ll want to research the coin online to find whether its truly rare, or the use of the word was just an advertising tactic. Truly rare gold coins won’t be found in hundreds or sometimes even dozens of auctions at one time, because of their rarity.
Even reputable online shops that deal in gold coins will exaggerate the use of the word “rare.” If you search on “rare gold coins,” for instance, you’ll come up with hundreds of dealers that don’t really happen to have any rare gold coins for sale, but newly released ones. They’ve simply used “rare” as keyword to rank higher in the search engines when someone’s looking for a rare coin, in the hopes of attracting that customer’s business with their new coin selection.
Your own interest in rare gold coins and a little time spent searching can help you find the right coins. You’ll also get a good idea of the price you should pay for one, judging by the median amount charged by many different dealers. Also do a search on eBay for closed auctions that featured that item, and you’ll see about how much you might end up paying if you should purchase from an auction.
Some of the most rare gold coins from the United States were minted before 1933. Liberty gold coins minted throughout the 19th century, and the Saint-Gaudens gold coins and Indian gold coins minted from the early 1900s to 1933, are some of the best rare coins available today. They’re prized, not just for their gold content and their rarity, but their beautiful designs, with the Saint-Gaudens considered one of the most beautiful American coins minted to date.
The business of buying and selling gold can be profitable, and is one you might be interested in getting into.
Originally posted 2008-11-14 05:34:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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