History off the coins :
The history of coins extends from dark ages to the present, and is related to economic history, the
history of minting technologies, the history shown by the images on coins, and the history of coin
collectors. Coins are widely used for monetary and other purposes. All western histories of coins
begin with their invention at some time slightly before or after 700 BC. in Aegina Island, or according
to others in Ephesus, Lydia, 650 BC. Since that time, coins have been the most universal embodiment
of money. These first coins were made of electrum, a naturally occurring pale yellow mixture of gold
and silver that was further alloyed with silver and copper Also.
Some of the most famous and widely collected coins of antiquity are Roman coins and Greek coins.
Byzantine Empire minted many coins, including very thin gold coins bearing the image of the
Christian cross and various emperors. A tomb of the Shang Dynasty dating back to the 11th century
BC shows what may be the first cast copper money. Coinage was in widespread use by the Warring
period and the Han Dynasty. Some of the earliest coins were beaten at the edges to imitate the
shape of a cow, in indication of their value. Most coins are circular but some were rectangular. Also a
lot of coins, especially in China had a hole through the center so they could be tied on to a string.
Some of the earliest coins to be made purely from silver and gold were the silver Dirham and gold
Dinar in the early Islamic Caliphate from the 7th century. and gold coins are the most common and
universally recognized throughout history.
The heritage of ancient coins is a subject that intrigues and delights collectors and scholars the world
over. The oldest coin available today was discovered in Efesos, an ancient Hellenic city and
prosperous trading center on the coast of Asia. The 1/6 stater, pictured below, is more than 2700
years old, making it one of the very earliest coins. Made from electrum, a natural occuring alloy of
gold and silver, the coin originated in the area of Lydia. It had a design on one side only, a result of
the primitive method of making coins. This ancient stater was hand struck. with a design lion's head
for the obverse of the coin was placed on an anvil. A blank piece of metal was placed on top of the
die, and a punch hammered (see hammerd coin below this page ) onto the reverse. The result was a
coin with an image on one side and a punch mark on the other.
The stater is a key exhibit in the Department of Coins and Medals of the British Museum, which
houses one of the world's finest numismatic collections, comprising about 1 million objects. The
earliest issues, thought to date from the reign of Alyattes (about 610 - 560 BC) or perhaps his
predecessor Sadyattes - both of the Mermnad dynasty - feature the Lydian kings' emblem of a
roaring lion, almost always with a curious knob, often called a "nose wart," on its forehead.
Equipment we need to start collect coins :
A good quality album or stock book, a coin dealer, free time, internet and your enthusiasm is all you
need !!
This hobby is excelent with metal detecting see for this hobby also on this forum
TIP
Then you have an inside and outside hobby !!
Coin Album :
A coin album is basically a binder that has holes on it's pages. That are the best ones and good
looking. It's necessary to keep your coins safe and show them easely. You also need to organize your
collection and this is a great way to do it. That way you can see what you have and what you don't
have.
For every country there is a book, the book above is for europe coins : very nice !
Magnifying Glasses :
A magnifying glass is good for looking your coins. What are you looking for? You are looking at it's
general condit. The condition helps determine it's value. And sometimes you need to read the small
print on a coin or try to find a signs what it is and out what country. This is vital and will enable you to
see fine marks, scratches and details on coins that might otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.
The one for on the table has also light what is very handy
Gloves :
A pair of soft cotton gloves. coins should never be handled with bare hands. This is because natural
oils, sweat, and dirt from your hands can easily damage a coin. Cotton gloves should be worn at all
times when handling your collection and are inexpensive, easy to wash and can be reused.
Coin Catalog :
A price guide so that you can see what your coin is worth. Some price guides are online. There is an
advantage to going online and that is that the prices will probably stay more up to date than ones in
a book. How much a coin is worth is based on how many of them are in existence, how old it is, what
kind of condition it is in, what it’s made of, and how many people want it. If lots of people want the
coin, the price goes higher.
A coin catalog will usually list the most important coins that cost a certain amount of money. This is a
good way for you to figure out how much money your coin collection is worth if you are a serious
collector. The catalog sometimes gives a photo of the coin as well, country etc. so it is helpful for coin
identification.
Online catalogs
There are more versions on the internet availeble
Deciding on what to collect :
You can start with a theme, as a guide, ask yourself "What excites me?". Are you intrigued by
historical events Romans, Vikings, dark ages etc. Fascinated by certain countries or culture, interest
in artistic designs, passionate about Gold and Silver coins etc. You can try starting with historical
coins, or modern coins of the world, or archaic designs or certain countries or kingdoms that interest
you. That will define your theme and gradually, you will gradually extend your range of collection.
collect foreign coins or your home country's currency.
collect smaller denominations or larger denominations
collect circulated coins in coin folders to try to complete a series such as your own life span.
collect uncirculated coins which have been available in the United States since the 1950s.
collect proof sets which are uncirculated coins prepared especially for collectors.
collect silver proof sets which are very beautiful (more affordable than gold) and their value will
increase (or decrease) as the value of silver increases.
Collect by Country: Collect coins from your favorite country and maybe more than one country.try to
get a coin from as many different countries as you can.
Collect by Year.
Collect by Mint Mark: Some coins are made at more than one mint in a particular year.
Collect a specific president, king, queen.
Collect Coins from a Specific Time Period :
Modern 1900 - ????
Post-Classic (c. 1200 – 1900)
Roman Iron Age (c. AD 1 – 400)
Germanic Iron Age (c. AD 400 – 800)
Viking Age (c. AD 800 – 1066)
Medieval period (1066 – c. 1500)
Post-medieval period (c. 1500 – c. 1800
Mesolithic (c. 8800 – 4900 BC)
Neolithic (c. 4900 – 2000 BC)
Bronze Age (c. 2000 – 800 BC)
Iron Age (c. 800 – 1 BC)
Roman (c. AD 1 – 400)
Early medieval period (c. AD 400 – 800)
Medieval period (800 – c. 1500)
Post-medieval period (c. 1500 – c. 1800) Lithic/Paleo-Indian (pre 8000 BC)
Archaic (c. 8000 – 1000 BC)
Post-archaic stage (c. 1000 BC – present)
Mesoamerica Mesoamerica Lithic/Paleo-Indian (pre 8000 BC)
Archaic (c. 8000 – 1000 BC)
Formative (c. 1000 BC – AD 250)
Classic (AD 250 – 900)
Post-Classic (900 – 1515)
South America South America
(Peru) Lithic/Paleo-Indian (pre c. 8200 BC)
Archaic (c. 8200 – 1000 BC)
Formative (c. 1000 BC – AD 500)
Classic (c. AD 500 – 1200)
Collect by Type or Series : specific designs, series or period.
Collect by Theme : animal, flower, car, or boat designs or maybe even Olympic coins.
Books :
Lots of books about coins who can help you with this great hobby.
Euro country coins :
American coins :
Penny
1¢
Abraham
Lincoln
16th U.S.
President
The Lincoln
Memorial
Nickel
5¢
Thomas
Jefferson
3rd U.S.
President
Monticello
Jefferson's
home
Dime
10¢
Franklin
Delano
Roosevelt
32nd U.S.
President
Olive
Branch,
Torch,
Oak
Branch.
Quarter
25¢
George
Washington American
1st U.S.
Bald Eagle
President
HalfDollar
50¢
John F.
Kennedy
35th U.S.
President
The
Presidential
Seal
Silver
Dollar
$1
Susan B.
Anthony
Apollo 11
Insignia,
Eagle
Golden
Dollar
$1
Soaring
Sacagawea Eagle and
17 Stars
Australia coins :
One Cent - 1/100 of a Dollar
Two Cents - 2/100 of a Dollar
Five Cents - 5/100 of a Dollar
Ten Cents - 10/100 of a Dollar
Twenty Cents - 20/100 of a Dollar
Fifty Cents - 50/100 of a Dollar
One Dollar - 100/100, 1 Dollar
Two Dollars - 200/100, 2 full Dollar
Russian coins :
5 kopecks
1 kopeck
2 rubles
1 ruble
50 kopecks
10 kopecks
5 rubles
25 rubles
10 rubles
10 rubles 10 rubles
China coins :
One-Half Yuan - (1/2 Yuan)
One Yuan - (1 Yuan)
Five Yuan - (5 Yuan)
Ten Yuan - (10 Yuan)
Twenty Yuan - (20 Yuan)
Fifty Yuan - (50 Yuan)
South african coins :
One Cent - 1/100 of a Rand
Two Cents - 2/100 of a Rand
Five Cents - 5/100 of a Rand
Ten Cents - 10/100 of a Rand
Twenty Cents - 20/100 of a Rand
Fifty Cents - 50/100 of a Rand(aka 1/2, or Half Rand)
One Rand - 100/100, 1 full Rand
Two Rands - 200/100, 2 full Rands
Five Rands - 500/100, 5 full Rands
Great Britain coins :
One Pence - 1/100 of a Pound
Two Pence - 2/100 of a Pound
Five Pence - 5/100 of a Pound
Ten Pence - 10/100 of a Pound
Twenty Pence - 20/100 of a Pound
Fifty Pence - 50/100 of a Pound (aka 1/2, or Half Pound)
One Pound - 100/100, 1 full Pound
Two Pounds- 200/100, 2 full Pounds
The rest of the country’s you can look for yourself by the currency below
Currency by country :
Coin Condition Ratings :
Grading coins is a skill that every collector must know. Whether you want to appraise your own
coins, buy ancient coins from a dealer, understanding coin grades is essential.
coins are rated in various conditions from mint state to poor.
(P-1) Poor - Barely identifiable; must have date and mintmark, otherwise pretty thrashed.
(FR-2) Fair - Worn almost smooth but lacking the damage Poor coins have.
(G-4) Good - Heavily worn such that inscriptions merge into the rims in places; details are mostly
gone.
(VG-8) Very Good - Very worn, but all major design elements are clear, if faint. Little if any central
detail.
(F-12) Fine - Very worn, but wear is even and overall design elements stand out boldly. Almost fullyseparated rims.
(VF-20) Very Fine - Moderately worn, with some finer details remaining. All letters of LIBERTY, (if
present,) should be readable. Full, clean rims.
(EF-40) Extremely Fine - Lightly worn; all devices are clear, major devices bold.
(AU-50) About Uncirculated - Slight traces of wear on high points; may have contact marks and little
eye appeal.
(AU-58) Very Choice About Uncirculated - - Slightest hints of wear marks, no major contact marks,
almost full luster, and positive eye appeal.
(MS-60) Mint State Basal - Strictly uncirculated but that's all; ugly coin with no luster, obvious contact
marks, etc.
(MS-63) Mint State Acceptable - Uncirculated, but with contact marks and nicks, slightly impaired
luster, overall basically appealing appearance. Strike is average to weak.
(MS-65) Mint State Choice - Uncirculated with strong luster, very few contact marks, excellent eye
appeal. Strike is above average.
(MS-68) Mint State Premium Quality - Uncirculated with perfect luster, no visible contact marks to
the naked eye, exceptional eye appeal. Strike is sharp and attractive.
(MS-69) Mint State All-But-Perfect - Uncirculated with perfect luster, sharp, attractive strike, and
very exceptional eye appeal. A perfect coin except for microscopic flaws (under 8x magnification) in
planchet, strike, or contact marks.
(MS-70) Mint State Perfect - The perfect coin. There are no microscopic flaws visible to 8x, the strike
is sharp, perfectly-centered, and on a flawless planchet. Bright, full, original luster and outstanding
eye appeal.
UNC DETAILS (Uncirculated)
A coin that shows no wear or evidence of circulation.
AU DETAILS (About Uncirculated)
Traces of light wear are evident on the high points of the coin’s design.
XF DETAILS (Extremely Fine)
Design features are well defined, although light wear is evident throughout.
VF DETAILS (Very Fine)
Major details of the coin are clear although wear is evident; the high points show moderate wear.
F DETAILS (Fine)
Moderate wear on many elements with heavy wear on high points. The major design elements
remain visible.
VG DETAILS (Very Good)
Heavy wear flattens design elements, although major features are clearly outlined.
G DETAILS (Good)
Design details are flat and visible in outline. Some portions of the design may be faint.
AG DETAILS (About Good)
Design details are flat and appear in outline. Portions of the rim are lost to wear.
FA DETAILS (Fair)
Coin is identifiable, design is flat and visible in outline, and rim is essentially indistinguishable from
coin fields.
PR DETAILS (Poor)
Heavily worn; only basal detail remains.
The world's most valuable coins :
You have a few off these in your collection ?? sent me one !!
EDWARD III : 6,80 miljoen dollar
DOUBLE EAGLE : 7,59 miljoen dollar
BRASHER DOUBLOON EB OVER WING : 2.990.000 dollar
FLOWING HAIR DOLLAR : 7.85 miljoen dollar
Cleaning your coins :
( at your own risk ! )
Wash your hands with soap.
Washing up will remove the oils and tiny grit from your fingers.
Lay down a soft towel.
Place a soft towel, folded over a couple of times, on your working surface to catch coins you might
drop, and to provide a space for them to dry.
Set up your soapy bath.
Fill a small plastic container with warm tap water. Do not use glass, china, or metal, as these hard
surfaces can scratch your coins! Disposable food storage containers are perfect for. Add a litlle
amout of dish-washing detergent to the container filled with warm water. Don't overdo it - all you
need is a really little bit.
Prepare your final rinse bath.
Fill a second plastic container with distilled water, for the final rinse. Although distilled water is by
far the best, you can also use hot running tap water.
Clean the coin.
Pick up the first coin, and immerse it in the soapy water. Gently rub both sides of the coin between
your fingers, paying attention to any stickiness or gunk. Rub gunk near the edges away from the
center of the coin, not into it. Always work in an outward pattern. Dirt and gunk near the edges
should simply be made to go over the side with your thumb, not all the way across the coin. Don't
put all of your coins in the water at once! Do them one at a time, to avoid their coming in contact
with each other and causing scratch marks on the surfaces.
Rinse the coin.
Rinse the coin under running water, gently rubbing until all soap residue is gone. Always
remember, gentleness is the key! Don't rub hard, and if you feel any grit, even light grit, don't rub
it into the coin because it will scratch the coin very easily. Instead, sort of agitate the coin by
moving it quickly in the water to dislodge the grit, touch it gently only if needed to free it up.
Every motion you make with your fingers should be focused on not causing scratches to the coin's
surface.
Do the finishing rinse.
turn the coin around in the distilled water, to remove the chlorine residue and other contaminants
that are found in tap water. Hold it by the edges and agitate gently. At this point, you should no
longer touch the coin on its faces. Touch it only by the edges when using your bare fingers.
If you must use tap water for the final rinse, then run the coin under fairly hot water.
Allow the coin to dry.
If you use a distilled water rinse, you can set the coin on the towel to air dry. The coin should dry
spot-free, because distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and other impurities.
If you had to do the final rinse in hot tap water, then gently pat the coin dry to help prevent
spotting. Never rub a coin dry! pat it dry gently with a soft cloth or tissue.
Repeat until finished.
Now wash the rest of your coins, one at a time, following Steps 5 through 8 carefully. If you run
across a coin that needs to soak for a while to get clean, put it in the tub of water off to the side,
so you don't accidentally ding it with another coin you are working on.
Store your coins.
Make sure your coins are absolutely dry before putting them away. Damp coins can suffer damage
over time. Remember to always handle coins only by the edges.
also 3 components for cleaning coins
Silver coins : Get a small pinch of baking soda between your fingers and just start rubbing the coin
over and over. Again, if it’s a non-silver coin it will help a little, but on a silver coin it will make it look
80% better.
Necessary tools to clean :
1. Brushes: a toothbrush, a plastic or fiber glass brush. A brass brush works the best.
2. Detail tools. Either a toothpick or a soft metal pick for cleaning between letters etc.
3. Cotton swabs for cleaning slightly dirty coins
4. containers for your solvents etc.
The best way that I know to clean coins is using olive oil. Simply soak the coins in the oil for about 4
days (in some instances coins must soak for much longer periods). After removing the coins from the
olive oil you put them in a cup with one tablespoon of warm water and TSP {(tri-sodium
phosphate)about 1/4 TSP 3/4 water}.TSP is available at any place that sells house paints. Shake the
cup and the let it settle for about 5-10 minutes. Rinse the coins in water to remove the TSP( always
use distlled water, tap water will leave mineral deposits, which cause black dots on coins). Use an old
toothbrush or other type as mentioned above and gently brush away the dirt. Some coins will clean
up very nicely. The ones that still have dirt caked on, should be placed back in the olive oil. Repeat
the process until you are satisfied with the results. Don't rush the cleaning process. You'll be amazed
at some of the results using this method.
Ultrasoon cleaning :
Well I can say with confidence that Ultrasonics are the way to go, you only have to be ontop of the
situation watching out how long you leave it in there, For silver coins It's the cats meow, For bronze
coins It's also great, but you have to watch out, it will take off patination. NOW the type I purchased
K&E LEROY ULTRASONIC
It's a LAB GRADE ultrasonic cleaner, has variable Automatic Frequency adjustments(It's a degassing
stage, then 1st clean cycle then 2 clean cycle and so on, the water actually gets hot from the
frequencies employed. It's right at the moment cleaning one of my silver coins with heavy hard
encrustations, after 20 min. there is discoloration of the distilled water and the crust is pitting and
falling off.
Use only distlled water for cleaning solution as ultrasonic vibrations produce heat and, therefore, the
solution being used will evaporate. If there are salts and other chemical compounds in the water, they
will not only affect the coin being cleaned but also may cause health hazards if their vapors are
inhaled.
The cleaning solution should be made up of distilled water, a dab of dish soap (use a toothpick to add
a dab into the solution to provide a better action of ultrasound) and a dab of defoamer. Using a mild
detergent solution, ultrasonic cleaners work very well on silver coins. Copper and nickel coins may
require stronger detergents or oxide removers to dislodge grime and corrosion. You may add
commercial cleaners designed for specific metals.
Prior to the ultrasonic cleaning, soak your coins in distilled water untill some encrustation and/or dirt
deposits are about to come off, use a hard nylon brush to scrub away most of them.
Suspend a plastic cup or a small container or a basket (the smaller untrasonic machines come with
plastic baskets) into the cleaner's pan. Rig the cup with a common wire hanger in such a way that the
cup is in the water but not touching the stainless steel pan which is filled with just distilled water. Pour
the solution into the cup and up to the level of water in the cleaner's pan. The cup does not reduce the
cleaning effect at all. During the process, the cup will catch the dirt falling off the coin and stop it from
falling to the bottom of the pan and affecting oscillation. Any dirt or crud being present in the main pan
will affect the cleaner's preformance and can greatly shorten the machine's lifetime. The cleaning
solution in the cup can be changed without dirtying the water in the main pan.
DON NOT put the coin on the bottom of the cleaner's pan at all! The vibrating bottom of the ultrasonic
cleaner and the dirt coming off the coin will cause numerous micro scratches and polishing marks on
the coin's surface; thus, devaluing the coin. And the banging of coins against the steel bottom will
cause flat spots on the coins.
BEFORE
AFTER
Ultrasonic cleaning
Suspend the coin attached to a paperclip on a string off a stand (made of an old coat hanger wire) into
the cup and within an inch of the solution level. The coin should be hung in a perpendicular position to
the bottom. Such coin placement will provide maximum "cavitation" - sudden formation and collapse of
low-pressure bubbles in liquids by means of mechanical force such as ultrasound waves. The more
cavitation you can create, the faster the ultrasonic cleaning process. Addition of the little dab of
dishsoap helps in increasing the cavitation.
If you do not have the old wire hanger at hand, you can use a nylon pyramid tea bags (without tea of
course) with the string for placing the coin into it and suspending it into the cup. The only drawback of
using a tea bag is that it is difficult to position the coin properly. Other means can be a piece of a
plastic window screen from which you can make a "coin bag" for the coin to remain in a perpendicular
position to the bottom.
Turn the cleaner on, and allow it to run for a few minutes. Switch it off, take out the coin, and inspect it
to see how much dirt has been removed. As you see results after the first run, you will be able to
estimate the extension of cleaning required. If the coin only had a light coating of dirt or gunk on it
originally, it should have been cleaned by now.
During next run, do NOT let your machine run for more than 50% of its duty cycle. Stop it on time and
allow the cleaner to cool off. Change the solution or just add distilled water to the cup. Brush all the
loosend dirt off the coin.
To get the crusty spots, run a few cycles of cleaning followed by brushing after each run.
Keep checking frequently as to the progress and stop when your feeling happy about the job. Do NOT
ultrasound the coin for any longer than necessary as the coin's patina would also be attacked and may
be destroyed.
The patina of a coin is the layer of surface metal that has changed as a result of interaction with
environmental agents or contaminents. On modern coins, a patina is generally considered to be
undesirable damage to the coin's surface, and is often synonymous with tarnish or toning. On ancient
bronze coins, however, which have usually been buried in the ground for 1,500 to 2,500 years, the
patina is not only desirable, but practically essential. The color of the patina on ancient bronze coins is
usually green, and can range from very light green to a deep, lustrous, dark verdigris green.
Sometimes patinas are seen in other colors, as well, such as blacks, reds, browns, and yellows.
hammered coins :
Hammered coinage is the most common form of coins produced since the invention of coins in the
first millennium BC until the early modern period of ca. the 15th–17th centuries.
The paton is hammered in the coin.
Roman coins :
The Roman economy, from its founding and establishment as a Republic, through to the fifth and
fourth centuries BC was a system of barter and community trade. All manner of trade goods, farm
products, livestock and services were used as a means of exchange. As Rome grew, and the need for
a system other than barter with it, lumps of bronze and other base metals began to be used in lieu of
the exchange of one good for another. These lumps, called Aes Rude (raw bronze), could be used not
only as coinage but also in large enough quantities, they could be melted down for the
manufacturing of various metal tools and objects.
Coin facts :
1252 Florence, Italy was the first city to mint its own gold coins in 1252. The fiorino became known as
the florence, then the florin
1940 Silver coins fell from the skies on to the town of Gorky, Russia. A tornado had lifted up an old
money chest and dropped the coins it contained as the wind carried it long
1989 The Bank of Canada issued the last $1 bill. The paper buck's departure was preceded in 1987 by
the arrival of the dollar coin, affectionately known as the loonie
cleopatra cleopatra was no older than 18 when she became the queen of Egypt. Despite her
glamorous image today, she is depicted on ancient coins with a long hooked nose and masculine
features.
How and where do i get my coins
You can get your coins at ebay, jumble sale, internet stores, local stores, banks.
Coin collectors clubs.
Surch for your self with a metal detector.
Interesting software for coin collectors :
There is a lot off software for the coin collector, internet is your best friend when it come to coins.
Under some off the goog looking
Coin collector 3.0
coinhamster
Is coin collecting an investment?
Of course coin collecting is an investment! It is an investment in your time,body, mind, less stress
(and money). However, if you are only collecting coins as an investment then you need many years of
experience in collecting and sound advice from experts. Don’t expect to make extraordinary profits
from coin collecting.
COME ON GET IN THIS GREAT HOBBY !!!!!