COIN COLLECTING

USMint.gov

Collecting coins is known as the hobby of kings, but anyone can get started as a casual collector. A natural place to begin is the United States Mint website, www.usmint.gov. This website includes a consumer awareness page that will be helpful to the beginner, with lots of information on US Mint programs, tips for evaluating coins, FAQs on coin collecting, and other great information for any collector.

This site also includes a section on the history of US coins and the United States Mint, which has been in operation since 1792. The site also offers news about coins as well as offering coins for sale directly from the mint.

CoinCollector.org

Another comprehensive website is coincollector.org. This is a fairly comprehensive coin collecting site. In addition to the informative FAQs section, they offer an online coin gallery of unusual coins for sale, including:

• half-cent coins

• two-cent coins

• twenty-cent coins

• three dollar gold coins

This site will help collectors understand how to evaluate a coin, and offers some insight on so-called “error” coins. There are also good links on finding local coin dealers, and other coin collecting information. The site even includes instructions for achieving a merit badge in numismatics.

NumismaticNews.net

Numismatic News is a weekly magazine that also offers a free eNewsletter available at numismaticnews.net . The eNewsletter contains articles about newly available coins; error coins and has a classified section. The site offers lots of information on numismatic shows throughout the United States, including the popular Chicago International Coin Show and the MidAmerica Coin Expo.

The news section of this site is geared towards the more advanced coin collector and investor, but the information would be of interest to anyone with an eye toward collecting, or towards learning more about the collection they have. Readers can subscribe to the weekly magazine for special online rates.

There are a number of other sites devoted to this fascinating hobby. You can find sites dedicated to ancient coins, foreign coins, the history of coin collecting, contemporary coins, proof sets, mint set, collecting gold coins, and investment coins. In fact the amount of sites dedicated to the hobby is almost overwhelming.

Many sites have links that provide numismatic resources for grading coins, supplies for coin storage and coin labelling, and for valuing collectible coins. Books for sale, reference libraries and software for sale are resources on many coin-collecting websites. The Internet is also a good place to get information about seminars and coin conventions.

In addition to these informational sites, there are a number of retail sites offering coins for sale. Some of these feature new mint and proof sets and contemporary collections; others specialize in historic and ancient coins; and still others offer a variety of coins from small, personal collections and unusual pieces.

The Internet provides collectors with options of buying and selling coins, via online auctions or retail shops. You can locate a dealer and verify his reputation, buy and sell coins on-line through stores or through auctions. The Internet is often more reliable than mail order buying because the coin can be scanned into the Internet and the picture is clearer.

To connect with other collectors throughout the world, the Internet is a great resource. The chat rooms and bulletin boards focusing on coin collecting afford the collector unlimited opportunities to pose questions and receive advice, make comparisons and learn how to upgrade your collection.

If you are a beginner coin collector, or have been doing this for years, you are sure to find a number of sites online that offer solid information.