Are you interested in enjoying coin collecting as a hobby? If the answer is yes, then you need to know that you are not alone because among the many reasons coin collection is so popular, has to do with its relative simplicity. That in mind, if you are determined to develop a coin collection that will make you proud, or one that you can sell for profit later, then there are some important points that you will want to consider.

Gold Coins

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The research of coin collection, for future profit or for personal pride, is perhaps the most important step in coin collecting. A number of the most successful coin collectors are those have taken the time to study the subject and look at coin collecting as a whole. Topics of coin collecting that you should analyze are, collectable coin types, recommended coin collecting supplies and so forth.

Old Coin Value

People just starting could decide that they want to start out collecting as many coins as possible. Keeping all found coins for further careful study is what you may want to do. This is a practice that beginners should begin, because of their inexperience with coin value and condition, in terms of monetary value and worth. When taking this approach, it won’t be long before a large collection of coins has developed - possibly too many. At this point in time, enthusiasts are encouraged to examine their collection and separate the valuable examples from the not so valuable ones. Utilizing the new found experience, they will want to modify their collecting habits to a more discriminating style.

After the coins have been studied and verified, the next essential part is coin storage. Sadly, in the beginning, many new collectors often store them poorly. Many collectors toss their coins just anywhere. The preceding method will keep the coins safe but will they be free from surface damage? If you own a collection of old, rare, or limited edition coins, that might increase in future value, proper care is fundamental. Coin holders are great for displays, but generally speaking, they are not advised as a way of keeping them long term. Coin collections should be stored in coin folders or coin albums, and should be considered as a better solution.

Having knowledge before buying is another fundamental component of your producing a collection to take pride in or to profit from later. Many coin collectors, perhaps you are one, look for rare and worthwhile coins and find that the best way to get them is through purchasing. Most expert collectors know what their coins are valued at. The dealers experience usually protects you from scams, but you should still personally check-out the coin value and condition yourself. You should invariably research a coin that costs more than .

Other than coin dealers, many collectors also look to online auction websites, in order to expand their stock - a great and easy approach for beginners. Some coin collectors try to sell their whole collections online. As you have learned, always try to use caution when purchasing coins.

photo credit: *easyyy

By Mark Vidrow

Learn more about the Eisenhower Silver Dollar, as well as all of the earlier silver dollars and those currently being minted in the United States at: http://www.SilverDollarCoins.Info

Take care and I hope you find new and exciting coins!

Image by flash2 via Flickr

The most common one used for coins is the one adopted by the American Numismatic Association called the Sheldon system and numbers a coin between 1 and 70, where 70 represents a perfect specimen and 1 represents a barely identifiable coin.

The generally accepted scale of for how to grade coins from highest to lowest work something like this:

* Mint State (MS) 60–70: Uncirculated
* About/Almost Uncirculated (AU) 50, 53, 55, 58
* Extremely Fine (XF or EF) 40, 4-
* Very Fine (VF) 20, 25, 30, 35
* Fine (F) 12, 15
* Very Good (VG) 8, 10
* Good (G) 4, 6
* About Good (AG) 3
* Fair (FA, FR) 2
* Poor (PR, PO) 1

As most hobbies go, collectors of coins often have a theme around which they collect. A few popular themes include:

Country collections

Collectors may find coins from every country that ever minted a coin, or they may aim to collect every coin every minted by a particular country.

Year collections

Rather than collecting one type of coin, some collectors attempt to collect every type of coin minted by year. For example, a collector might collect one Lincoln cent for every year from 1909 to the present. This is one of the most common ways to collect US currency. In fact most bookstores or coin collecting stores sell specially designed books, or coin albums, for the purpose of collecting coins by year.

Mintmark collections

A mint mark determines where a coin was minted. US currency is minted in such places as Denver, San Francisco. When you look at a Lincoln penny, for instance, near its date, is a small letter that determines where it was minted. The letter D denotes Denver. The letter S is for San Francisco. When collecting by year and mint mark, it isn’t enough to collect one coin for each year, but for each year collect every coin minted.

History Behind The Gold And Silver Coins

People in the older times do not use any form of currency to buy things they need. They just trade their goods at the market place and exchange things they have for things they want or need. As time pass, people began to learn the value of currency. They started to use money as instrument to purchase goods and services. Because gold has always been considered a valuable commodity, they minted gold coins as their first currency.

Gold And Silver Coins Gold coins were first introduced between 643-630 BC. They were introduced by the Lydian King Croesus. People at that time used electrum, a pale yellow mixture of silver and gold which occurs in the Lydia naturally. People then do not know how to separate gold and silver. So in actuality, the first gold coin was a mixture of silver and gold. They begin to learn how to separate gold from silver around 560 B.C. That was when the first real gold coins existed. While manufacturing gold coins, they also started to make silver coins. Silver coins worth less than gold coins. That is why rich people in the kingdom used the gold coins while the less rich working class used silver coins.

When King Croeseus was captured by the Persian army in 546 B.C, the Persians went through the kingdom of Lydia. They found the gold coins there. They were amazed at how the people of Lydia mint gold coins and decided to learn the trade. As they also considered gold as a precious metal, they soon adopted the use of gold coins. As Persia was considered one of the most progressive nations in the olden times, the use of the golden coin soon spread quickly to other parts of the world. For the next several years, gold coins played an important role in the area of commerce. People from all over the world used gold to obtain good and services all over the world. The use of gold coins however stopped in 1933.

Countries all over the world begin to find it too expensive to use gold coins as their currency. Nowadays, some countries use gold-colored coins which no longer contain gold.

photo credit: pigliapostFor more than 170 years, the U.S. Mint was allowed to stamp a silver coin in different denominations. Different denominations of the silver coins include silver coin for dollars, half dollars, quarters and dimes. In 1965 however, a worldwide silver shortage resulted in the making of a silver coin against the presidential order. The silver coins went from 90 percent silver to 0 percent in dimes and quarters while they are only 40 percent in the half dollar. The last half dollar silver coin made was the Kennedy half dollar. Currently there are no new half dollar silver coins being minted.

Most collectors of the pre-1964 Kennedy half dollars are holding on to them. However, because there were so many half dollars in circulation, they are now considered “junk” coins by most collectors as they hold very little premium over face value. The dollar silver coin was created in 1794 and discontinued in 1935. It was then resumed in 1971 with the non-silver Eisenhower dollar, which was later on replaced in 1979 by the Susan B. Anthony one-dollar coin. This was then replaced by the gold plated Sacagawea dollar.

Gold And Silver Coin Values
Just like other coins, gold and silver coin values are dependent on many factors, including the number of gold and silver coins created, their age, rarity, and the condition of the coins.

Age Of The Coin
Coin values are first determined by their age. The older the coin, the more value it will have. When determining coin values based on the age of the coins, tests will be carried out to verify authenticity and precise age of the coins.

Number Created
The number of the gold or silver coins minted is another factor which influences the coins values. Gold and silver coins that have millions of copies usually have lesser value than coins that only have a couple hundred copies.

Coin’s Condition
The condition of the gold and silver coins may also influence their values. Coins that are in excellent condition will be much more desirable to collectors than coins that are damaged. The condition of the coins can influence the price considerably. That is why collectors find that it is much harder to sell a weathered gold or silver coin than a coin in good condition.

Rarity Of The Coin
The most important factor to determine gold and silver coin values is the rarity of the coin. Coins that are only left a few copies will have the highest value. Although many of the gold or silver coins may have been minted originally, in some cases the coins have been taken out of circulation. The few coins that are left will become more and more valuable as time goes on.

About the Author
Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit old coin value to learn more about antique silver coin locket and how to find the best antique coin appraisal.

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Increasingly, rare silver and gold coins are in demand among investors because they help to balance volatile portfolios, reduce overall jeopardy, and render significant profits. Even if you own gold mining stocks and futures, many financial analysts advocate placing 10-20% of discretionary funds in precious metals like gold bullion and rare coins. (http://www.amergold.com/vault/rareinfo.shtml)

Rare coins are brilliant performing financial assets in their own right. An important recent market analysis of rare silver and rare gold coins by Coin Universe shows that $1000 invested in United States rare coins in 1970 would be worth, on average, nearly $58,000 today! (http://www.amergold.com/vault/rareinfo.shtml)

How Is A 1963 Half Dollar Coin Valued

Between 1948 and 1963 the silver half dollar was known as the Franklin Half Dollar and on one side could be seen a picture of Benjamin Franklin and on the reverse side was the Liberty Bell with a small eagle.

At the time of it first being minted this coin was required to have a small eagle to the right of the Liberty Bell by law. But what is ironic is that Benjamin Franklin actually opposed the use of the eagle as the USA’s national symbol and would have preferred that the turkey (a more noble bird) was used instead. Then in 1963 the coin was changed upon the death of John F Kennedy, the president at that time.

But what is the 1963 half dollar coin value and how is it calculated?

photo credit: Smabs SputzerThe value of this coin changed because the value of silver had risen between 1962 and 1963 and this coin contains such a high amount of silver compared to those that were minted in 1964 and onwards. In the beginning the 1963 half dollar coin was being hoarded by many people for sentimental reasons (as a reminder of a US President who was truly loved) and also because they were the only precious metal US coin that remained in circulation at the time.

At present the 1963 half dollar coin is worth around $4.8142 and this relates to its rounded silver value. In order to reach this value a coin dealer will use the following equation. First they will need to get hold of the latest metal prices which at present are $13.31 an ounce for silver and $3.13 an ounce for copper. They will then take the weight of the coin (12.5g) and convert the weight of the silver and copper within the coin in ounces. They then multiply the weight of the silver in the coin by the price of silver and then multiply this by the weight of the coin and then multiply this finally by the percentage of silver that is contained within the coin and this will give you the final rounded value of the coin.

In order to arrive at the 1963 half dollar coin value if the half dollar were melted down, they need to use the same calculations shown above for the copper contained within the coin. Once you have the value of the copper held within the coin you then add this to the value of the silver and this provides the coin dealer with the 1963 half dollar coin melt value.
About the Author
For more information on how to value coins using a coin value guide visit http://www.find-coins.com where will find useful tips, articles and resources to help you find old coins.

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Coin values are dictated primarily by four criteria: popularity, grade, rarity and quality. For investors, of course of instruction, a fifth measure of value comes into play: cost. Ideally, coin prices are a function of the other four criteria of its value, but not always. Unfortunately, many coin dealers charge prices that far surpass the value of the coins they sell. (http://www.amergold.com/library/value.shtml)

Finding Coins Worth Collecting The Low Tech Way

You might think you would like to start a coin collection. Although you would like to give it a try you may not be sure your interest is high enough to justify investing a lot of time or money into this hobby.

This article will look at some creative ways to get started with coins worth collecting without spending a lot of money.

There are just a few things you need to get started with this low-tech coin collecting method. The main thing you need is the desire to start collecting coins. Once you decide you will give coin collecting a try always be on the look out for that next great find. Once you get something to store your coins in you will be ready to go.

Be careful as this hobby can really grow on you if you are not careful. Perhaps you have a friend who collects coins or possibly you just think it may be a neat hobby. The reason you decide to start a coin collection does not matter as much as the fact you have decided to get started. Since we are going low tech you will not need any special equipment. A good eye and something to keep your coins in will get you started. You will find old coins all over the place once you start looking for them. You might even have that first collectible coin in your pocket.

photo credit: John KratzDo not worry how much your coins are worth at this point; the main thing is to be on the lookout for coins worth collecting. Some good places to get started looking for coins worth collecting could be as close as your local store. The next time you get any change take a quick look at it before you put the change away. The local flea market may have some coin dealers you can buy a few coins from. Getting to know the guy behind the counter at your local coin shop can be helpful. Often the coins you will want to get started with are ones that do not hold as much value as some of the more collectible pieces.

Your local coin dealer can help you out with lots of good advice. Find something to keep your coins in and you will be ready to start collecting.

Your storage container does not need to be anything fancy to start with. Some sort of box will get you started. The main thing is to get started.

This low-tech coin collecting method is not fancy but it will get you started finding coins worth collecting without a lot of trouble. If you find coin collecting enjoyable and decide to keep going it will be time well spent.

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The history of coin collecting dates back farther than your head can go. The wonderful thing about it is that anyone - young or old - can engage in this hobby. It is fascinating how diverse collections can be. You can either focus on collecting ancient coins belonging to one nation or collect coins belonging to different countries. Going one footstep farther, the collection can even be based on a special series, a special character eccentric set, a special dye or even a special class of coin. Collecting coins that have errors due to the dies used, uneven designs, dual strikes, and re-punched mints sometimes turn out to be worth their weight in gold. (http://www.indianchild.com/Hobby/coin-collecting.htm)

The solution?

There are programs that are especially created for computer use, commonly known as computer software. Coin collecting software packages are created by programmers to help those who are having a hard time organizing and keeping track of their collections. These systems keep organizing, cataloging and classifying coins at your fingertips while trying to find other coins that a collector might desire to add to his personal collection. Other advantages of these software packages for coin collecting are:

Organizer buddy

photo credit: www.mwbra.comIt is a coin collectors best ally. Coin collecting software packages are exclusively created to help the hobbyist manage, track and organize their coins and silver dollars fast and without difficulty. With almost three hundred billion coins that were manufactured by the United States Mint alone, who could sort through all of these coins to find the ones they would care to own?

Statistical reports provider

These coin collecting software programs allow the collector to easily phonograph recording statistical reports about coin collecting for quick references in the future.

Provides numerous ways to view,interpret and access coin collecting information.

With software packages, every coin gatherer can easily view his information in many ways. He can either choose to view the data in tabular form or in virtual form or can modify these tables and render reports with just one click.

Provides easy-to-use templates

Coin collecting software packages are perfect even for the newbies in info technology. This is because there are templates that are available at any time for the recording and arrangement of data. The collector can then just enter the data he needs to log without having to use complicated formulas.

Saves more time

With these software packages, the coin collector will be able to save time organizing his coin records, leaving ample time for other activities. This means spending less time managing and organizing coins and more time for enjoying the hobby. The tedious job of keeping a systematic record is sometimes the main reason some coin collectors give up the hobby, and why employing such tools will make coin collecting more pleasurable.

Using computer technology is the better way to make coin collecting easier.

Informal coin collecting

Most collectors, especially children, start out as informal collectors. They are laid-back collectors which do not have a specific goal in collecting coins. They might collect coins from different countries or from different periods without any intent of being serious about it.

Inquisitive coin collecting

Once the informal collector starts noticing the details of the coins, he becomes an inquisitive coin collector. This kind of coin collector won’t bother so much into spending money to get coins. He merely wants to appreciate the coins. Soon, he will start to put them in containers or albums.

Advanced coin collecting

An advanced collector will collect coins with a specific mark in mind . He may desire to accumulate coins from a certain country, or a certain time period. There are many tracks which collectors pursue when engaging in their hobby.

Here are some of the ways one can use in collecting coins:

Coin collection according to nation

photo credit: stromoMany collectors would want to collect coins from a certain nation during a certain time period. This kind of coin collection lets the collector go around the earth through the coins. People may want to collect coins from countries they had visited.

Historical coin collection

Another way of collecting coins is by taking in mind history . Many coin collectors pursue in collecting coins during a certain period in history like wars or declarations of independence .

Error coins

There are people who find collecting coins with errors exciting because these kinds of coins are rare.

There are many ways to collect coins and each way is as fun as the other. One must experience the hobby first before he decides whether to stick with it or not. Coin collecting may require certain amounts of money and the collector must be wise in engaging in such a hobby.

Today, coin & american silver dollar collecting, especially of those coins that are considered rare, is considered to be one of a few hobbys that are not just a mere pastime or leisure time activity.

Coin collecting serves many purposes considered typical of this activity. Silver coins have long been known as art because of the manufacturers careful engraving of the designs on the surface. Coins of a special state often depict a chronicle of that country with the engraving of the mint.

Few people cognize that coin collecting can also be a profitable investment. Rare coins that are hard to find are often very valuable and when found they can be a good investment. The rare silver dollar coin collection market in the U.S. has boosted their sales in the last years from around 350% to almost 1200%. According to the United States Rare Coin Market, the average price of one thousand dollars spent by an individual during the 1970s would be valued at almost $58,000 today.

photo credit: wilhei55So, what is the secret behind these rare coins that their economic value continues to increase with age?

Rare silver coins were capable of maintaining their value even when the economy was unstable. They have been able to stabilise the riches of the nation by serving as inflation fighters. Experts contend that through these rare coins, the economic wealth of a country is sheltered from possible harm by functioning as an investment almost like gold bullion. This is applicable during the times when the value of the paper money continues to depreciate.

The rareness of these coins is not constrained by being merely collectors items but they can also be considered a work of art and just like any work of art, may be invaluable. Rare silver coin collecting is not just like any other hobby. The concept of collecting such treasures is considered exceptional by itself and the monetary value can equal its distinctive character.

1921 Peace $1 silver dollar - Beautiful AU --- LOOK US $94.95 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 4:23:49 PST Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

BU 1921 MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR! UNCIRCULATED BLAST WHITE! US $24.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 6:03:50 PST Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

Choice BU 1921-D MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR! BLAST WHITE! US $39.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 6:06:16 PST Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

1921 MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR (PLAIN) US $13.50 (8 Bids) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 6:40:04 PST Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

1921 MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR (PLAIN) US $9.50 (6 Bids) Auction Ends: Friday Nov-21-2008 6:40:50 PST Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

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There are two different types of 1921 silver dollars. The 1st type is the Morgan Dollar that has the bust of liberty on the obverse and an eagle with exposed wings on the opposite. The mint label is on the reverse below the wreath. In circulated grades they are worth $11-$13. With the D or S being worth a fiddling more. The other 1921 is the peace dollar, the liberty coin has rays on the head and the eagle on the reverse has closed wings. This one is scarce and is worth $100 and up. Values are about what dealers pay. (http://answers.yahoo.com)

Silver-mining interests did miss the dollar, though, and lobbied Congress forcefully for its return. The Comstock Lode in Nevada was yielding huge quantities of silver, with ore worth $36 billion being extracted annually. After several ineffectual attempts, the silver forces in Congress led by Representative Richard (”Silver Dick”) Bland of Missouri finally succeeded in winning mandate for a new silver dollar when Congress passed the Bland-Allison Act on February 28, 1878. This Act needed the Treasury to purchase at marketplace levels between two billion and four billion troy weight ounces of silver bullion every month to be coined into dollars. This amounted to a massive subsidy, coming at a time when the dollars face value exceeded its intrinsic worth by nearly 10%. (http://www.coinsite.com)