Buyers of Foreign & Domestic Coins, Coin Collections, Paper currency, placer gold and others Sierra Gold and Coins - Buyer & Seller of Precious Metals located in Nevada County, California in the Gold Country. Serving Grass Valley, Nevada City, Penn Valley, Rough & Ready, Smartsville, Downieville, Washington, Colfax, Allegheny and surrounding areas.  
     
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Coin Collecting is basically obtaining or buying, collecting, trading, or selling forms of coins which are struck or minted.

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Numismatic Articles
ANA Member - American Numismatic Association Lincoln Center Resource
NCS - Numismatic Conservation Services ANACS-American Numismatic Association Certification Services
PCGS - Professional Coin Grading Service NGC – Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
Vamworld PMG - Paper Money Guaranty
American Numismatic Association A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
   

 

Coins

New to coin collecting- click hereThere are many things to consider when investing in coins. There are volumes written on the subject but this will touch on a few items. One thing to remember is if you are interested in collecting and investing: Buy the book before you buy the coin.

Values: Coin values vary from day to day similar to buillon. Their values are determined by various attributes such as market values from dealers, collectors, auctions, coin societies, and sellers. These values will vary by type of coin, grade, availability, and rarity.

Rare: Rarity of a coin is determined mostly by how many there are out there. The older a coin is usually will show rarity if that coin is in good condition. There are those coins that have sold for millions of dollars because of said rarity.

Storage: Safety is paramount for storage. A good safe is required for the collector. Also, the individual storage of a coin is important. DO NOT SKIMP when it comes to storage. For instance: PVC or polyvinylchloride is in various holders available for coins. PVC will damage your coins. The coins stored in PVC will incur a greenish hue that actually adheres to the coin and will decrease its value. Always use archive quality holders, flips, tubes, albums, and boxes for the safe storage of your coins.

Cleaning: NEVER EVER clean your coins. Every time, amateured cleaned coins will drop the coin's value dramatically. In the event that a coin has become damage environmentally as in a fire or flood, these coins can usually be repaired and preserved by a professional cleaning service usually for a fee.

Grading: Another subject that books have been written about is grading. The current grading scale is the Sheldon Scale devised by William H. Sheldon. This scale has a numerical value of coins ranging from 1-70 with 1 being the lowest and 70 being perfect.

Below is an example of the Sheldon Scale
P1 Poor barely discernable features  
F2 Type and Date barely readable  
AG3 Type and Date readable but worn  
G4 Features evident but worn  
G6 Full rim features clearly outlines  
VG8 Most legends readable, clearly discernable devices and features  
F12 Distinct rim, all legends readable, clear devices, some detail, evenly worn  
VF20 Clearly readable, lightly worn, rims clean, devices show good detail.  
VF30 Legends clear, devices show all details with little wear, high points lightly worn  
EF40 Legends sharp, devices clear with slight wear on high points  
AU50 Sharp legends and devices wih slight trace of wear on high points  
AU55 Only a hint of wear on high points. Must have half of luster/great eye appeal  
AU58 Virtually uncirculated/minor wear marks on high points/must have all mint luster and outstanding eye appeal  
MS60 Mint State, may have bag marks, toning, and free of wear  
MS60-70/Proof Based primarily on eye appeal, quality of luster and/or toning and possible contact marks or hairlines. the less marks and greater luster gives a higher MS rating. Proofs (PF) is a type of coin which has grades as well but are a type of coin  
  Check out the Sheldon Scale on Coin Grading

Investing: Investing in coins is similar to investing in the stock market. Numismatic values of coins can change everyday depending on the availability and quantity of any given coin. This type of investing is a 'long haul' type where one buys the coin and expects it to rise in price in time. Coins that are invested in are Silver Gold, Platinum, Bronze, Copper, and various other metals. Remember, a coin with a small population will not always be worth more than a coin that is plentiful. Do your homework and educate yourself on which coins are profitable and those that are not.

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