(Part 2) Best products from r/coins

Books: This is what I said when replying to another thread for book recommendations. I love the CherryPicker's Guide - these will pay for themselves over and over. I don't personally recommend Striking it Rich, but to each their own. I'd rather see you "creep" a coin forum where die varieties and mint errors are discussed and new finds shared than spend a ton on books right out of the gate. I might also recommend learning about the entire minting process (I think a book called From Mine to Mint?) - this will help you understand how die varieties and mint errors are created in the first place and eliminate the confusion between a true doubled die and something like strike doubling.

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Bookmarks: John Wexler has a very useful site called doubleddie.com with lots of images and descriptions of die varieties. CONECA has a Master Listing of all known die varieties for US Coins and a forum (that, honestly, I rarely visit because no one ever replies to my posts there.) These are just a couple examples; there are tons of great websites out there for you to reference (even PCGS and NGC have some nice high-quality images of varieties they attribute, which also can be very helpful when determining value.) Start building your set of web bookmarks and it will make things easier for you in the long run. PCGS Photograde is a free online reference to help you learn how to grade US Coins, for example.

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Loupe: I'm always happy to recommend the BelOMO 10x Triplet Loupe - it's the loupe I've been using for about a decade now. IMO 10x is large enough to see even tiny varieties, and you'll mostly be concerned with the quality of the glass and metal. Lots of those cheap plastic loupes say they are higher magnifications, but aren't, or the "glass" isn't even glass (let alone high-quality glass.) I like the shape of the loupe and the texture of it - if your hands get sweaty, it won't slip out (like the cheaper chrome-plated examples you find at every coin shop.) You really, really want good quality glass here - save your eyes - and the better quality glass and larger field of vision (wider glass) the easier it will be on you. Cheap loupes make it hard to focus properly.

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Magnet: Get yourself a decently strong magnet - this will help diagnose some bad counterfeits out there. I think I got mine at a local hardware store. I'm always amazed when a coin shop doesn't USE the magnet and buys a bunch of fakes...like, did we forget how to deal coins today or something?

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Scale: I have been using an AWS SC-2kg scale for a few years now with decent results. My older version doesn't have an AC Adapter (just battery operated.) This will also help you diagnose counterfeits and other various mint errors.

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Lamps: IKEA sells their Jansjo gooseneck LED lamps for less than ten bucks. They have a few different styles of these including some with clamps. They will be bright enough for variety hunting and if you get a few of them can be useful in coin imaging.

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I tried to use gloves, I really did. But when you drop half the coins because the cotton is too slippery, it's best to learn how to properly hold a coin in your hand. I bought a really nice set of coin tongs in person at a coin shop somewhere - can't remember where - but they are sold on Amazon and eBay now. The problem with them, though, is that the company is in Germany and the shipping is more than the cost of the item.

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I'd start learning how to image your coins as you look for varieties and errors. If you can take a good image of a die variety, chances are someone will be able to help you attribute it. I've never had good luck with the cheapo LED USB microscopes that are available, they all take crappy images, don't work with my computer, etc. I've returned every one. This could be an entire other discussion, honestly.

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I love using my tablet (I maxed out with an iPad Pro a couple years ago) for reference books and cherrypicking on eBay. It's wonderful to have a ton of reference books/manuals/coin images handy and portable.

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Other than that - best of luck to you, and we'll do our best to help. Just remember at the beginning to take a breath before you get all amped up and start thinking you've found a valuable variety on every coin you see. I've seen it so many times - new person shows up, posts thirty threads about thirty different coins, none of which have usable images (all out of focus for example) and then gets butt hurt when people tell them their coins are worth face value.

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Don't take it personally.

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It takes time and persistence to learn how to find real varieties. THEY ARE OUT THERE, though...I just found a nice 1934 DDO Quarter in a bag someone told me fifty times had been searched and searched (he's just that kind of a person, though, so I just ignored him.)

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I'll echo others here, but I think it depends on what you'd like to collect. If you don't want to spend much money right now, especially if you haven't decided on what specific things you like, then searching coins from circulation - rolls from the bank, etc. - is a good way to get started (since all you spend is the face value of the coins you keep), but you may need to search a LOT of rolls before you find anything interesting. For example, I searched over $200 in half dollar rolls a few months ago - found no silver, but did find one proof that had escaped into circulation. I mentioned to the tellers that I knew what I was looking for, and they replied "so do we." Ah.

If you want to purchase coins, going to a local coin store, or meeting dealers at a show, is good, as they can help guide you to making a good purchase. If you start to specialize in particular areas, dealers can even keep an eye out for you, and put things aside. You might want to specialize in a particular series (e.g., a date run of Lincoln cents), or from a particular country, or with certain symbology (pics of animals, ships, etc.) or time period (e.g., Roman Empire - $40 will get you a nice coin that is 1700+ years old, for example - a lot of new collectors think that something that is old must be valuable/only in a museum, which isn't the case).

eBay and general Internet sites can be a good source for coins, but unless you are buying coins certified by reputable companies (PCGS, NGC predominately), from dealers that offer returns, I'd not suggest doing things this way if you are just starting out. Even if photos are decent, coins can be cleaned or otherwise impaired (so are worth less than they appear to be - you might overpay, maybe significantly, without realizing), and in one instance I had, an outright forgery (which I figured out after paying, but before it shipped, so was able to get my money back). Once you get more familiar with coins and what's out there, reasonable prices, and such, then eBay in particular can be a very good place to find things. For example, I've been collecting schillings of the Free City of Riga for a while (1563-1580). It is a very very specific collecting interest, and you just can't find them other than via eBay (out of several 100+ table shows, and multiple visits to half a dozen coin stores in driving distance, I found exactly one, but have purchased over 170 via eBay) - apparently metal detectorists in the area are finding them and selling them that way.

Lastly, I'd recommend picking up a few books so you know what is out there - what to look for and what things are worth. For one, if you are collecting US coins, the Redbook is very useful to know what is out there. If you are searching rolls, the Cherrypicker's Guide vol 1, vol 2 is handy to know what particular things to look for. The Redbook will tell you which dates are more rare/desirable, and the Cherrypicker's Guide will do the same for varieties. If you want to collect world coins, the Standard Catalog of World Coins volumes are very handy. There is one volume per century, starting in 1600. They are a bit pricey, but if you have a pile of coins that need identification, are very useful. You might be able to find these in a library, but having your own copi

Hope it helps!

To become a collector you need to look at your coins in a new way. Saving all the wheat pennies won't help with that. When you fill the book you will notice that you have, for example, six 1956-Ds. You try to pick one that is the most pleasing. For me that doesn't mean the highest grade, but the highest without spots and scratches. I also don't like cents that are tarnished dark red.

The folder lists the mintages for each date and mint. You will notice you have many duplicates of the high mintage dates but are missing some of the low mintage dates. Sometimes you'll be missing some high mintage years.

If filling the book half way with your saved coins makes you want to look harder for the rest then you have found a series you like.

Most collectors, having the folder, want to see if it is worth anything and how much it will cost to finish it. Today you can search online but buying the Red Book is more fun.

Another good way to find what interests you is to spend $20 in a coin shop, getting between three and 20 items. A week later you will love two or three of the coins and regret two or three purchases.

Some collectors love orderly folders of common coins like cents, others like impressive things never seen in circulation like silver dollars. Other people, like me, like bizarre things that are hard to get guide books for such as artist's medals and ancient coins. Don't spend a lot of money and try to get stuff that surprises you rather than jumping into finishing some boring coin folder right away.

Ha, of course I meant to type 1986, however there were arcades not long after 1886 they were installed alongside Nickelodeons, which first started in the USA in 1905. (not the cable TV channel), they had some games, but mostly were machines that played music with various automated machines, player pianos, violins, trumpets and drums. The first Nickelodeons were actually movie theaters, some had old time games like "The Fortune Teller" named for the reason they charged a nickel per film.

Q. David Bowers goes into great detail in a chapter of his excellent book (and my favorite coin book) "Adventures with Rare Coins" give it a read if you can, it's a wonderful telling of the history of United States coinage, dealers, and mining/minting, it is an lighthearted telling without too much technical information in his usual writing style.

Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. Regardless of whether you’re a novice or an expert, the term numismatist still applies.

The important thing is to not overwhelm yourself and try to be an expert on everything. Learning how to research and educate yourself is probably the most important lesson to learn in the beginning. I would also recommend figuring out what you’re interested in collecting and focus on learning about that. Once you’ve done that, break it down further into manageable chunks, just like you’re doing with the Seated Liberty type.

I tend to focus on a single denomination at a time. I started with small cents, learning everything I could about varieties, grading, etc. When I want to switch it up, I choose a different denomination and start the process again. So if you’re interested in building a Seated Liberty type set, continue doing what you have been, focusing specifically on learning as much as you can about the type before the show.

If you don’t already have them, here are a few books I highly recommend picking up:

Official Red Book of United States Coins
Photograde
Grading Coins by Photographs
Cherrypickers’ Guide - Vol. I
Cherrypickers’ Guide - Vol. II

These aren’t meant to be read cover to cover, but I reference them constantly.

If you’re interested in focusing on Morgan’s at some point, I would also recommend this book:

The VAM Keys

Finally, when you’re considering a purchase, I go to eBay and filter by Completed and Sold auctions to get a sense of what kind of deal I’m getting. The market fluctuates frequently and although the Red Book is a very valuable reference guide, seeing what similar coins have sold for recently is a much more accurate representation of what a fair price is at that point.

I made a mistake, it's 1942-1945 nickels that are silver. 1941 nickels are not silver. Even some 1942 nickels are not silver, the way to tell is if they have the mintmark on top of the building, [like this] (http://images.pcgs.com/CoinFacts/4180_37655255_2200.jpg). Also look for the 1950-D nickel, those are worth a few dollars. If you find any 1983 P or D quarters that are uncirculated, they could be worth about $30-$50, ones that are almost uncirculated maybe a couple bucks. Regular circulated 1983 quarters are just worth 25 cents.

A good idea would be to pick up a [Red Book] (https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Book-United-States-Coins/dp/0794845037). There is already one in your first picture, but it's from the 1990s so useless except as a curiosity to compare coin values to today. Keep in mind though that Red Book values are basically what you would pay at a coin shop, not what you would get at a coin shop if you were to sell. So you always have to consider you might only get 90% of that listed value for example. If you sell at /r/coins4sale or ebay, you will get more likely. In order to get a value from the Red Book, you have to grade the coins. A good way to do that is [Photo Grade] (https://www.pcgs.com/Photograde/), a free website where you compare your coin to an example of a certain grade.

> I'd greatly appreciate your help in getting a clue as to what I have,

So hopefully the comments so far are helping identify them. If not, maybe sort them into what you know and what you don't, and post pics of a few at a time for identification help. Seeing several dozen coins is a bit overwhelming.

> and, what I should do to keep them nice.

Until you get a better idea of what it is you have and possible value, I would keep them all holdered, either in the existing holders or buying some inexpensive mylar coin flips (the clear plastic envelopes in your 1st and 2nd pics, and others). Example.

Older coin flips contained PVC, which can be harmful to coins. If the existing flips seem very soft and pliable, they may contain PVC, so consider rehoming those coins in new PVC-free mylar flips.

Coins in the hard holders, or the stapled cardboard holders, are probably fine for now.

Handle the coins only by their edges, and try not to touch the surfaces. The usual recommendation is to wear cotton gloves to prevent oils from your fingers getting on the coins, but disposable nitrile gloves do the same trick and are easier to use. As long as you get the powder-free ones, they won't harm coins.

Best not to attempt to clean or wash any of the coins. Cleaning techniques tend to abrade the coin surface and/or impart an unnatural sheen. Even if the harmful effects are not immediately evident to you, they are to collectors, and can destroy or at least significantly reduce the collector appeal (and thus the value) of the coin.

Nice collection! Good luck with it.

That is an awesomely insane amount of dimes. Can you post a picture, for science?

Now, some tips from someone who has mass-sorted 10s of thousands of dimes, nickels and pennies:

1. If you're in the NYC area I will gladly help you sort them, just for numismatic joy. PM if so :D
   
2. There are only 29 years worth of mercury dimes. Buy 87 plastic cups and arrange them in a line
   
3. Label the cups after each year in 3s. For each year use "P", "D" and "S" (these are the mints).
   
4. So you should have a grid/line of cups like:
   

• (1916p) (1916d) (1916s)
  
• (1917p) (1917d) (1917s)
  
• (1918p) (1918d) (1918s)
  
• (1919p) (1919d) (1919s)
  
  ...up to 1945
  
  

5. Put on some plastic gloves, your hands are going to get very dirty.
   
6. Now, start putting the coins into each cup. For some more common dates (like the war years) you may have to resort to small buckets, or old take-out plastic food boxes.
   
   Once done:
   
   
7. Buy a "red book": http://www.amazon.com/Official-Red-Book-United-States/dp/0794836771 and check out the current merc values. It will look like an up to date version of this: http://values.hobbizine.com/mercury-dimes.html
   
8. You'll see the most valuable ones instantly and can start separating those cups from the main lot.
   
9. Anything in a non-worn condition is going to be valuable. In fact, they are all valuable. But your "super" key dates are going to be:
   

• 1916D
  
• 1921, 1921D
  
• A special 1942D where the "42" is accidentally double printed over a "41"
  
  Good luck !!!

Well, based on the condition from the photo and according the the 2012 Red Book I would say a conservative $3,000 at least. Of course the market does fluctuate... I also used the ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins: American Numismatic Association and Grading Coins by Photographs. There may be some really good online services that can help you figure out the value as well, but I don't really know of any of the top of my head...

PS- Nice photos!

For error/variety collecting, I'd recommend the following:

Jeweler's loupe: 15x in my mind should be fine for most major varieties and errors.

Lamp: I like a small, flexible desk lamp kind like the Ikea Jansjo.

Gloves: optional. only really necessary if you are working with high-value coins. Since most error/variety collecting comes from bank rolls, bags, etc. and has generally circulated, I don't see much of a point in gloves. In addition, gloves decrease your sense of grip which can actually lead to dropping coins MORE often.

Books: books are gear, too. I'd recommend the cherrypicker's guide. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008OAZJY0/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

I’m pretty sure that’s a standard glass top display case (see link below). You could supplement the included foam with like newspaper or something underneath so that the coins press against the glass and don’t move much. I used to collect gems so I have a few of these.

https://www.amazon.com/SE-JT9213-Glass-Display-Metal/dp/B00R4EW5CQ?ref_=Oct_CABSellerC_8615563011_1&pf_rd_p=6b926f81-cc42-5f36-a702-2a7dcf52b027&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-5&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_i=8615563011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=EJJ4GFNMC4X38NP56XGE&pf_rd_r=EJJ4GFNMC4X38NP56XGE&pf_rd_p=6b926f81-cc42-5f36-a702-2a7dcf52b027

Yes, wear will diminish their value greatly when compared to a mint state piece! But its not really something to worry about because unlike damage, its pretty easy to account for wear.

On the Standing Liberty quarters, there is a minor design difference that can tell you the difference between a 1916 and a 1917 type 1 and even a dateless 1916 is worth quite a bit, although I'm not the expert to tell you which one you have. Its most likely 1917 and worth about melt, but just FYI if you want to dig deeper...

Your 1857 flying eagle cent is corroded and is indeed damaged and isn't worth a whole lot except as a placeholder in a type collection.

Your quarter eagle is very nice and is 90% gold (although I assume you already know this!) I'm no expert when it comes to US gold so I'll let someone else chime in with regards to the value and grade.

If you don't already have a copy, I'd suggest picking up a copy of The Red Book as it will help you with valuations and will tell you which coins are rare and which ones are just worth melt. If you don't want to order from Amazon, I know my local Barnes and Noble and Hobby Lobby keep them in stock.

As for organizing and storing them, there are three major options:

The cheapest, easiest and most fail-proof way is to get cardboard 2x2s and put your coins in that. You put your coin in between the cardboard so its showing through the mylar window and staple the sides. You can pick them up from many online vendors and most coin shops have them for cheap. My local Hobby Lobby also sells these, but they are much more expensive than buying online or through a dealer, but if you don't want to buy online (or wait for shipping) and you don't have a coin dealer near you, it would work. The key is that you want to avoid PVC which will put a green slime on your coins within a few months to a few years time and will irreparably damage them. This isn't as much of an issue anymore, but a couple decades back it was the norm to sell and store coins in soft, vinyl flips which contained PVC. Today this isn't as much of an issue, but it is something to keep an eye out for and especially when dealing with an old collection.

The second possibility is through albums. The most common type are those Whitman Blue Folders, these can cause coins to discolor and maybe even damage them long-term, not to mention the possibility of damaging a high-grade coin putting it in the album. Instead, I would use something like Dansco Albums which have little mylar inserts which let you see both sides of the coin, doesn't require you to press hard and is very safe for long term storage.

The third and most expensive option is slabbing through a third party grader such as NGC or PCGS. Most coins should not be slabbed because it is expensive (about $30 per coin!) and coins that have been cleaned, coins that are corroded or damaged will be rejected and you will be out $30. However, some high-grade or commonly counterfeited coins benefit from slabbing if you decide to sell because buyers know that the coin is genuine and has not been altered.

There are 2 keys when it comes to storage of coins:

1. Do not let the coins become physically damaged (dropped or knock against each other)
   
   
2. Do not let the coins become chemically damaged (by way of PVC or other chemicals)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Those results of yours are really good. You should try using a black background. Your photos will look even better without background distraction.
I use this: $7.99 at Amazon.

888 Display Jewelry Pads Jewelry Organizer can be Used with Trays (1, Black Leatherette) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013NZYP8G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4cBBDb44EVGPE

Coin Flip Assortment on Amazon, can also search for specific sizes by just searching Mylar 2x2. Should also get a Flat Clinch Stapler I bought the linked one and love it for stapling flips.

Well, hundreds or even thousands. Admittedly the odds are against that kind of find, but I would kick myself if I let that go without looking.

A rough guide:

http://cointrackers.com/wheat-pennies/

but you really need a hard copy in front of you, like Yeoman's Red Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Book-United-States-Coins-ebook/dp/B07CJVDS2F/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=red+book+coin&qid=1556030122&s=gateway&sr=8-2

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Heh, the whole thing might make a collector out of you :)

Good dedicated grading guide:

Older version

Newer version

The version shouldn't matter much, though the newer one might have more color photos.

Yea...I got this one about a month ago. http://amzn.to/1R96gCl It ain't bad, but I think I wish I got yours.

for raw coins? I like flips

Sounds like you're looking for the CherryPicker's Guide:

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https://www.amazon.com/Cherrypickers-Varieties-Official-Whitman-Guidebook-ebook/dp/B008S3BUDM/ref=sr_1_2

Amazon has this usb microscope by Celestron that I was looking at for $35. It appears to be one of their top sellers in the category.

The ANA standardized grading based on the Sheldon 70-step scale back in the 1970s (I think). Whitman has published the descriptions in book form for all US coins.

http://coins.about.com/od/Coin-Books-And-Publications/fr/Book-Review-The-Official-ANA-Grading-Standards-For-United-States-Coins.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Standards-American-Numismatic-Association/dp/0307090973

I'm sure if you look around you can find the descriptions online somewhere.

They're available in hardcover as well.

You want a "Cherry Pickers's Guide".

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008S3BUDM/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_LS5VDbJ9Y3XKH

Or something similar

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440235708/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_UU5VDbFHRACFW

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0794836771/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

For those of you not on a mobile device:

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Red-Book-United-States/dp/0794836771