Q&A for How to Collect Coins

Uncirculated US State Quarters can be purchased from USStateQuarters.com. They may also be available for purchase from local coin shops and auction websites.

You can get coin folders on websites like Amazon and eBay or even coin shops in your city.

Look for an official seal from the Better Business Bureau or acknowledgement by the American Numismatic Association or similar organizations. If neither of these are available, look for an online review of the site by fellow coin collectors.

I collect foreign coins because most people don't want them or don't know their value. I live in the US and find foreign coins everywhere, like tag sales, flea markets, and online sales. If you want to collect them, put out ads on Craigslist or in your local paper. Look for local coin trade shows in your area where can bring them to trade the ones you have doubles of. I find lots of foreign coins at flea markets in mixed lots because people don't know what they have. Do some research first so you don't pay too much for a common coin.

Because ancient coins were not minted but made by hand, they can be difficult to appraise and grade. This also means the authenticity is hard to prove.

You can collect whichever coins you like. You may want to collect foreign coins, older coins, rare coins or any other combinations.

Do research. Learn about the specific coins and find out their value. There is no wrong or right way to do it. Just keep the coins that are of interest to you and the ones that have the most value.

Use a scale that can measure to a tenth of a gram. Solid copper pennies made before 1982 should weigh approximately 3.11 grams, while zinc pennies made after 1982 should weigh approximately 2.5 grams.

You can collect any type of coins you'd like. People collect coins based on how old they are, how rare they are, or where they are from.

To see if a coin is available for purchase and quick delivery, try websites like Heritage Auctions or Great Collections. For more recent coins, check the website of the national mint associated with the currency. Collectible coins are not a standard good, so their availability will differ over time.

If you want to collect coins you'll need a coin dealer, so find the nearest coin dealer to you, even if it's 500 km away. If you want it passionately enough, that's what you'll have to do. Alternatively, you could become your city's coin dealer. Consider starting up a business like that?

Usually Indian head pennies are only worth about $5 in good condition.

The bank can give you rolls of coins that may prove useful. Or if you're looking for specific coins, check eBay.

Washing coins, believe it or not, is one of the WORST things you can do for your coin's value. If you need to be able to read the date or something, the only way you can really clean coins without harming them is running them under warm water for 6-8 seconds. This will release some dirt particles to make it a little nicer.

Coins can be sold to specialty coin shops, pawn shops, and using online auction websites. For expensive items, contact a local coin club to see if there is a member you can sell it to or an auction you can sell it at.

Use the methods in Find The Value Of Old Coins to help make that determination.

Organize them from date, denomination, variety or error and other categories. That will form a collection for you.

It is likely worth around $23.00.

It is probably not worth more than face value unless it is an error coin. You'd be best off spending it.

You can try your luck at finding coins from floors. However, this is not a very time-efficient strategy and is not likely to produce many coins for your collection Maybe consider doing some metal detecting if you're keen.

Austria no longer uses the shilling, so you can't spend it on anything. Its value depends on how close to mint condition it is.

It is worth around 10 cents, depending on the condition of the coin.

You can order from Amazon or eBay. It may take a while but it is worth it. You can also buy coins from other sites.