Archive for June, 2007
The Pilgrims were a religious group from England who felt that the only way to properly practice their religion was to separate from the Church of England. So, they courageously left Europe on the Mayflower and came to America. The Pilgrims survived a complicated journey in order the land of promise. They endured many discomforts including jam-packed living conditions, seasickness, an insufficient diet, brutal storms, and waves of icy water that chilled them to the bone. Before setting foot on Plymouth, they signed the Mayflower Compact, the document that provided the foundation for our democratic form of government. You can buy it on this website.
June 28th, 2007
There are three basic groups involved in collectible currency and those are paper money collectors, coin collectors and those who collect both. What they collect may be very different, but their passion is mostly similar.
Paper money is collected for a variety of reasons including the possibility of finding collectible currency from every country around the world. Many collectors will spend vast amounts of time researching the history of that country and how that particular type of currency came to be used during that period.
Paper money collectors have also learned that allowing their collectible currency to sit in direct sunlight causes it to fade and that Mylar is the best material in which to store their paper. Other plastics made with polyvinylchloride (PVC) may deteriorate over time and take the paper with them. Window envelopes are also bad storage containers for paper money as light enters through the window and can ruin that part of the bill showing.
Numerous Coin Collectors
Coin collecting has been around a very long time and, as with paper collectible currency, it is saved for a variety of reasons. A collector may want to collect every coin minted by a particular country or have a coin from each year it was minted and from each different mint. The condition of the coin makes a huge difference in its potential value and most collectors look for mint condition coins.
Coins from the turn of the century, like their paper counterparts, are considered extremely rare and, as such, extremely valuable. Many have been priced out of the part-time collector’s price range. This could partly explain why collectible currency from other countries has become more popular.
Most coin collectible currency are kept in individual holds to prevent them from coming in contact with other coins, causing scratches, which would diminish their value. Then there are coin collectors who collect only for their own benefit and aren’t that cautious with their collections.
For serious collectors there are computer software programs for cataloging collectible currency and have the ability to enter a brief history of every item included in the collection. A collector can enter the history of the item and how they obtained it as well as information on what makes it collectible.
There are numerous books on collectible currency and most are very good at describing each piece and what properties to look for that make it worth collecting. The books also help establish price, but remember, as with most collectibles, what sets the price is what someone else is willing to pay.
About the Author
Ann Marier has written many articles on family life and different family health issues. Her latest articles tell you all about acquiring different “collectibles” for fun and possibly a profit
June 26th, 2007
I have been collecting coins and banknotes for over 30 years and it has been my passion. Collecting coins is not only fun, it is also very educational.
Coin collecting is generally believed to have begun in the fourteenth century
Collecting coins is all about owning a piece of history, and learning each of the various types of coins out there, entices you to learn about the history associated with that coin.
Collecting coins has been a hobby ever since coins were minted and is a lot of fun and very easy to begin doing on your own.
Most bookstores sell specially designed books just for the purpose of collecting coins by year. People have been collecting coins from time immemorial, collecting, sorting, organizing and auditing coins all over the world.
When you participate in the hobby of collecting coins you will find that it is not only the thrill of the hunt and the excitement you’ll feel when you finally track down that rare 1937-D Buffalo Head Nickel that you have been searching for, for many years. Anyone can do it, and you can either do it for collecting history or for the profit potential that collecting coins can bring.
First of all, like all investments, collecting coins costs money, so you need to determine how much you can afford to spend each year for this. The technical name for the practice of collecting coins is numismatics, a term derived from the Greek word nomisma, meaning “coin” or “currency. Governments and other official agencies issue billions of coins annually, and collecting coins is a popular hobby around the world.
You can start collecting coins on a small basis. The best way to start collecting coins is to buy a coin collecting reference book and to join a coin collecting club if possible. If you really want to go all out, try collecting coins issued in your birth year by other countries.
For more on Coin Collecting visit
www.jacksworldshop.com/The-Coin-Auction
About the Author
Toni Harris has been a avid collector of coins for over 30 years
June 18th, 2007
As is the case with most hobbies, coin collecting has its own specialized terms or “lingo”. The following, while not an exhaustive list of all the coin collecting terms that you may encounter, provides definitions for the most commonly used terms.
Alloy a combination of two or more metals in a coin such as cupro-nickel or cupro-zinc.
Ancient refers to any coin minted before 500 A.D.
Bag marks nicks, marks and scratches resulting from coins in a mint bag being in contact with each other.
Bi-metallic coin a coin with the center made from one metal with its outer portion being comprised of a different metal.
Blank a round piece of metal made for subsequent minting into coinage.
Bullion a coin made of gold or other precious metal with little numismatic value apart from the current value of the metal from which the coin is made.
Cameo a coin with a frosted appearance.
Circulated coin a coin which has actually been used as money and shows some degree of wear.
Commemorative coin A coin with a design struck in honor of some historical or current event, famous person or special anniversary.
Error coin a coin minted by mistake or with a design different than intended.
Grade the condition of a coin determined by a set methodology.
High points the highest part of a coin’s design where the first signs of wear and tear generally appear.
Legend the words that are inscribed around the outer edge of a coin, for U.S. coins, the legend inscription is E Pluribus Unum
Mintage the total number of coins of a particular denomination, date and/or type produced by a mint
Mint mark a symbol identifying the particular mint which produced the coin
Mint state an un-circulated coin in the same condition as when it was originally minted showing no signs of wear
Numismatics the study of coins, paper currency, tokens, medals, and other similar items
Obverse the “heads” side of the coin where a portrait of a president, king, queen or other national leader appears
Proof coins coins that are struck with greater pressure than normal using specially polished dies to make the design more highly polished or mirror-like
Reverse the back or “tails” side of a coin, the opposite side to the obverse side of a coin
Rim the outer edge of a coin.
Un-circulated coin a coin that has never actually been used as money and has no visible signs of wear
Variety any change in the design of a coin results in a new coin variety
There are many, many more terms which we will try to define as they come up in this book, but this is a good start for the beginning collector. So, you may be wondering. where do I start? The choices are varied.
About the Author
Lee Williams - Online dealer in rare and old world coins
Rare Coin Dealer
June 12th, 2007
The old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” is more than just idle advice. It also led to a truly amazing treasure discovery that can put the glory and splendor of ancient Rome into the palm of your hands! During a recent construction project in northern Turkey, a dirt-encrusted earthen jar was uncovered. The curious worker was about to throw the filthy thing away as nothing more than trash. But then something made him tug on the old cloth visible through the cracks. To his surprise, a pile of coins spilled out. His discovery is now your opportunity because these weren’t just any coins—they were scarce historic Roman Commemorative coins that had been buried 1,670 years ago! You can buy it at this store.
June 1st, 2007
There are a great many things you can do wrong in the caring for coins, and I have to say that at the tender age of eight I did just about everything wrong that you can imagine. Luckily for me I didn’t have any old or rare coins in my possession otherwise for certain they would have been ruined beyond all hope!
However, I did learn a lot of what-not-to-do’s from my early forays, as well as a few good tips on caring for coins to conserve my coin collection. All of these experiences, came through my own, or my fellow coin collectors’ efforts and have all proven to be equally disastrous and equally worthy.
If you’re only into coin collecting for the fun of it and don’t have any particularly rare coins, then go ahead and break all the rules about caring for coins.
Rules were meant to be broken and if you’re an avid coin collector it can be a breath of fresh air in your life. I know from firsthand experience how frustrating it can get if you have to always be handling your coins with kid gloves, so to speak.
For me at least part of the pleasure of coin collecting is getting my hands on the coins and running it through my hands. Which you’ll find when caring for coins, is a no-no to most coin collectors.
However, I’m only alive once and if I can’t enjoy the fruits of my efforts in a manner that I like then what’s the use? So know when to break the rules and when you should really stick to them in caring for coins.
About the Author
Muna wa Wanjiru is a web administrator and has been researching and reporting on internet marketing for years. For more information on Caring for Coins, visit his site at Caring for Coins
June 1st, 2007
