There are various reasons to collect coins. Some people collect coins from a specific period of time, some collect coins based on perceived future value, some collect coins based on type of metal, some for historical value. Some people happily collect more common everyday coins, going through their pockets at the end of the day for them is fun, checking dates and mintmarks on their change. Some collectors can spend thousands of dollars on rare silver and gold coins from the 1800s and early 1900s. Some collect coins from different countries.

With any new hobby comes the learning. As coin collecting is a hobby involving an outlay of money for coins from the start, its best to join a group to get help from experienced collectors. You will need someone to buy the coins from, and it can be difficult to find a reputable coin dealer. Someone who has been coin collecting for years can help you choose a knowledgeable and honest coin dealer. Youll need to learn about the value of different coins. This can be done by following what coins are being sold for, and what dealers are paying for coins. You will need to be shown how to assess the true value of a coin which can be based on many factors such as age, mintmark, and condition.

The mintmark of the coin can usually be found near the date and on newer coins the mintmarks are as follows: “P” Philadelphia, “D” Denver, “S” San Francisco,”W” West Point New York. Older coins may show the following mintmarks: “C” Charlotte North Carolina, “CC” Carson City Nevada, “D” Dahlonega Georgia, “O” New Orleans. Its interesting to note that from 1793 to 1838 the only mint in operation in the US was in Philadelphia and coins from these years have no mintmark.

As you become a more experienced coin collector your “eye” will mature and youll be looking more closely at details like the lettering on a coin, making sure the letters are still clear and not worn down. Youll pay attention to the general condition of a coin, and you may stray away from coins that have a lot of obvious wear and tear. These are a part of grading a coin. Youll learn to look for minting errors which can make a coin quite collectible. For example a three legged buffalo instead of a four legged one, or perhaps an off-centered image.

As with any hobby, the more you learn about coin collecting the more you’ll be able to enjoy it.

Are Gold Bullion Coins Worth It?

Today’s world offers investors plenty of avenues for their money. Which ones are worth it and which ones just bring unnecessary risks with very low chances of profit?

Many people have turned to buying gold bullion in order to improve their financial situations. We know gold has been around ever since man first started living in a society. Gold has grown together with mankind, or vice-versa, depending on how you want to look at it. Let’s have a look at the process of investing in gold bullion coins and at some of the factors related to such a financial placement.

What Are Gold Bullion Coins?

A gold bullion coin contains one ounce of pure gold. The quality or origin of the gold may differ, however, so make sure to only acquire gold bullions from respected companies that have dozens of years of tradition and trust. Here are some of the most popular and trustworthy gold bullion coins: the American Gold Eagle, the Australian Nugget, and the South African Krugerrand.

Buy Gold Bullions! – Here Is The First Reason Why

Listed gold bullion coins are internationally renown and recognized. When compared to gold bars, coins are much more versatile. You can travel to any part of the world and find a gold dealer who will exchange your bullion coins. Bars take longer to sell, as they need to be cleared and checked for accuracy and authenticity. Also gold coins are a lot easier to carry and store in a safe place. This feature becomes especially useful if you are storing gold inside your own home.

Gold Bullion Coins Are Easily Divisible

This option may not seem important at first, but it becomes really useful in some situations. If you just want to sell a small part of your gold reserve you can always just select a few coins, as compared to gold bars, which can only be sold whole. This increases the versatility of your gold reserve, as you will never have to worry about selling it all at once. You can also benefit from market forces. If the price of gold suddenly skyrockets you can sell a quarter or half of your bullion coins and still keep a safe quantity of the precious metal.

Gold Bullions Are Safe

I have saved the best for last. There is no more persuasive factor than the security offered by an investment. You can try to go with mutual funds, real estate investments, or overseas placement, but gold bullion remains one of the safest alternatives for your cash.

If you are looking for spectacular investments and immediate profits, maybe gold bullion coins are not the answer for you. On the other hand, if you are trying to establish an investment that offers equilibrium and security, gold coins should be right on top of your list! They are probably the best method you can choose in order to protect your wealth in the unfortunate case of an international economic collapse.

International financial problems are often brutally reflected in our everyday economy. Gold coins are almost immune to such incidents, as they have been for centuries. Even if many people associate gold bullion with pirate stories or fairytales, the fact is that investing in gold coins can make the difference between a smart and a risky financial position.

Dean Brown is the Author of “A Guide To Investing in Gold”, an e-book decidated to helping people understand that gold is an essential part of any investment portfolio. To get more details and enroll in Dean’s free mini-course on Gold Investing, go to http://www.goldinvestingbook.com.

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So you can’t wait to start collecting coins. Welcome to a fantastic hobby that will last your lifetime. Something you can pass on to your children and grandchildren.

Don’t Panic. It is a very simple hobby to begin. And will be a lifelong adventure as you grow your coin collection over the years. The thrill of a great find is absolutely terrific.

First off; go and visit the library. Pick up some of the standard reference books on coins. Some examples are:

A Guide Book of United States Coins 2006: The Official Red Book by R. S. Yeoman, Kenneth Bressett

The New York Times Guide to Coin Collecting : Do’s, Don’ts, Facts, Myths, and a Wealth of History by Scott Travers (Foreword), Ed Reiter

The Official Blackbook Price Guide to U.S. Coins 2005, 43rd Edition (Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Coins) by Thomas E. Jr Hudgeons

Read them thoroughly along with as many other coin collecting books you can find. You will find a wealth of knowledge and ideas. There is no need to guess with so much information available.

Next search for and join some clubs and organizations. Stop by a local coin dealer to get the best recommendations. Become a member and buy some magazines to repay them for the help. Just talking to the people at a coin shop can really assist the beginner.

Now that you have done some homework, it is time to choose what you want to collect. You can have general collection but you will get much better results if you specialize in one area at a time.

Follow what interests you. Learn everything you can about your specialty. You can collect coins from a country or time period, or themes, like animals, airplanes or states. Silver dollars are popular as well as $100 gold coins, tokens, bi-metallic coins. You can collect coins with flowers on them or coins with a specific person. The possibilities are endless. Collect gold rush coins or commeratives like the olympics.

You can also collect coins for specific years like the birth of a child or a graduation year.

Study at your own pace and you will have more and more fun as your knowledge of coins grows. Once you learn what to look for, how to spot quality coins at bargain prices, how to speak coin, and bargaining for coins it is a great hobby for all. Getting a big “find” is one of the thrills that keep coin collecting interesting.

Get out there do a little research and have fun as you build a coin collection that others will admire.

For more info on this hobby be sure and check out our directory of great websites to assist the beginner. http://www.coinsandcollecting.com has quite a few resources for the new coin collector plus a directory of hand picked websites to find expert level tips.

Michael Johnson operates a variety of collectible websites and newsletters. Visit the website for many coin collecting tips. http://www.coinsandcollecting.com.

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The Value of Gold in a Era of Paper Assets, Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds…

The facts behind the increasing demand for gold and silver, rare coins, and historic collectibles from the U.S. Mint…

No other substance on Earth embodies the unique characteristics of gold. Its yellow lustre and beauty are unsurpassed. Since the earliest days of man, it has been admired, molded, shaped, and worn as a symbol of wealth and good taste.

The romance and lure of gold is enhanced by its historic use as a storehouse of wealth. Gold’s value is intrinsic. Its value is a measure of the true wealth and the stability of national currencies the world over. Throughout history, every paper currency has become totally worthless over time; yet gold remains.

The precious metal gold cannot be created or destroyed or altered. It forever remains one of the most liquid investments with no geographic boundaries. Gold is bought, sold, traded, and stored in most parts of the free world with complete privacy. Likewise, U.S. gold coins enjoy many of these unique advantages.

In a world where paper currencies come and go, where paper money can be depreciated 25% to 30% overnight, the price of gold cannot be manipulated by any single nation or borrower. On the contrary, gold is the foundation of today’s world monetary system.

Acquiring U.S. gold coins put you in great company through American history. Prior to 1933, all U.S. paper currency was backed dollar for dollar by gold reserves. Today, paper dollars are backed only by a government promise, nothing more.

For investors who value gold, they recognize the safety, privacy and instant liquidity of U.S. gold coins. As official legal tender, each coin has a guaranteed weight and gold content.

Numismatic coins, especially the pre-1933 U.S. gold coins are highly sought after by asture collectors and investors for more than their pure gold content. The Saint-Gaudens, the Liberty series, and the Indian Head U.S. gold coins are admired and collected worldwide for their historical significance, beauty, and rarity.

Unlike gold that is minted by the tons annually, U.S. Gold coins minted prior to 1933 have a fixed and limited supply. No more will be minted ever and the older they get, the more highly prized they become as important pieces of American history.

We hope your visit will encourage you to add more rare and valuable U.S. gold coins to your collection and to learn how to build sets that will appreciate in value and be greatly admired for many generations to come.

Steve is the ceo of cashgcards-goldlynks rare/gold coin club he was the best isp in 1997 check out his about us page at http://goldlynks.tripod.com this article is free for distribution.

goldcoinsinfo@yahoo.com

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There is no arguing that coin collecting is one of the biggest and most expensive hobbies in the world. The price tags of some old coins would turn your hair grey. In this article were going to review the 10 most rare coins in existence. Wait until you see what some of these are going for.

Starting at number 10, there are the “proof gold” coins. Today the mint strikes millions of these coins every year and sells them to collectors from all over the world. However in the 19th century the mint struck only a few thousand of these each year and only a handful of proof gold coins. These are very rare and very expensive and sell very well in good and bad market times.

At number 9 we have early US gold coins struck between 1795 and 1834. These were minted in denominations of $2.50 $5 and $10. Today these coins are very rare in any condition and super rare in mint condition.

Coming in at number 8 we have the Liberty Seated Dollars. These coins are said to be the most beautiful ever made and one of the rarest of the 19th century coins. Both circulation strikes and proofs are very rare.

Hitting the chart at number 7 we have a very odd coin that was minted between 1875 and 1878. These were twenty cent pieces. Unfortunately the coin looked too much like a quarter to catch on with the public and there was no real commercial need for the denomination. Today they are highly prized collectors items. These coins today are very rare in top condition.

Number 6 on the coin hit parade are the Barber half dollars. These were minted between 1892 and 1915. They are one of the coin markets most important issues. They are collected by both “date” and “type” collectors and are the rarest of the 20th century silver type issues. These are very rare coins and to find one in gem condition is a once in a lifetime occurrence.

Midway up the chart at number 5 is the 1917 Type One Standing Liberty Quarter. This coin was made for only 2 years. The exposed breast of Miss Liberty caused such a commotion that they had to radically change the design midway through 1917. Since the 1916 is a 5 figure rarity (in the 10s of thousands of dollars) this coin is essentially a one year issue.

At number 4 are the Mercury Dimes. Even though this dime was minted between 1916 and 1945 proofs were made only between 1936 and 1942. Mercury dimes minted between 1940 and 1945 are actually reasonably priced and sell for about $50 a piece. The proofs are a little more expensive.

Just 2 spots from the top at number 3 is the Walking Liberty half dollar. This is also one of the worlds most beautiful coins and extremely popular with coin buyers. These coins are very hard to find in mint condition. All five of the issues between 1941 and 1945 have made the all time rare coins price list.

Falling just short of number 1 at number 2 is the Texas Commemorative Half Dollar. This is actually the number 1 commemorative coin on the all time rare coins price list. Between 1934 and 1938 about 150,000 of these coins were minted. Only about 60 to 80% of those have survived to this day and only 50% of those grade MS65 or better. So this is indeed not only an extremely rare coin but actually considered scarce.

Finally coming in at number 1 is the Saint Gaudens. This $20 piece is probably the worlds most well known coin. It is one of the most beautiful coin designs in history. This is one of the few coins that didnt drop in price during the 1980-1982 bear market.

In a future article we’ll cover how coin collectors go about getting rare coins and where they can be found both on and off line.