Coin collecting is HARD
Zulan
Posts: 224
A few days ago I posted that I was opening some boxes of coins. Completely unknown territory. I was (and still am) excited and having a great time. I promised to post some pictures (and I have a few), but it has been a slow process to say the least.
Some of the things I have learned in the past few days is that:
1) Slabs are neither pieces of marble, or large slices of cake, but plastic things that hold graded coins! And it's not cheap to put them there!
2) Toned means there are (sometimes) pretty colors on the coin
3) rating (grading) coins can sometimes be very much a matter of opinion
4) The definitions of the terms Cameo, Deep Cameo, Frosted, AU,VF ETC
5) The Krause 2005 Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1901-Present is really really big. And Scary. And expensive. And in the mail.
6) There are books on grading coins. And I now own a brand new one. And I am still an idiot.
7) Many of the sellers on E-bay must be using a different book than the new grading book I just bought when they rate their coins. They seem to like their coins a lot. At least more than my book does.
8) I need a new magnifying lens, lots of new coin holders, a new digital camera, a new safe, a new metal detector, a new room for my new collection, and about $40,000 for new coins that I already want. Oh, and younger eyes.
9) I need a wife that understands my growing coin obsession, and is willing to go into debt for it
(she really does understand).
10) there are some very nice and helpful people on these boards. Thanks to all of you who answered my questions these past few days.
To fill you in a little better, I have found a lot of "trash" coins. However the last coin put into this collection was in 1975. There are a lot of pennies and nickels that really have no value. There are, however, a lot of fun coins.
A full set of walker halfs, plus another holder of them that I have to sort through.
About 30 mint sets, the earliest from about 1956.
A massive amount of buffalo nickels, most worn.
A huge amount of wheats, (no 1909 s vdb that I can find though, darn it)
A few really pretty indian head pennies
A whole folder of foreign coins, some pretty old
20 - 30 medallions
a smattering of silver dollars
A bunch of newer silver US coins, many in unopened rolls.
100+ really pretty Franklin half dollars
A bunch of MISC coins (a 1810 Kopec, a 1825 2 real coin etc)
A really really neat set of silver roosevelt dimes, many toned. These coins are really clean (but I have to grade them)
I am having a great time with all of this!!! But I forsee many hours hunched over a magnifier. But it gets me out of laundry duty.
WHAT FUN!!!
Zulan
Some of the things I have learned in the past few days is that:
1) Slabs are neither pieces of marble, or large slices of cake, but plastic things that hold graded coins! And it's not cheap to put them there!
2) Toned means there are (sometimes) pretty colors on the coin
3) rating (grading) coins can sometimes be very much a matter of opinion
4) The definitions of the terms Cameo, Deep Cameo, Frosted, AU,VF ETC
5) The Krause 2005 Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1901-Present is really really big. And Scary. And expensive. And in the mail.
6) There are books on grading coins. And I now own a brand new one. And I am still an idiot.
7) Many of the sellers on E-bay must be using a different book than the new grading book I just bought when they rate their coins. They seem to like their coins a lot. At least more than my book does.
8) I need a new magnifying lens, lots of new coin holders, a new digital camera, a new safe, a new metal detector, a new room for my new collection, and about $40,000 for new coins that I already want. Oh, and younger eyes.
9) I need a wife that understands my growing coin obsession, and is willing to go into debt for it
(she really does understand).10) there are some very nice and helpful people on these boards. Thanks to all of you who answered my questions these past few days.
To fill you in a little better, I have found a lot of "trash" coins. However the last coin put into this collection was in 1975. There are a lot of pennies and nickels that really have no value. There are, however, a lot of fun coins.
A full set of walker halfs, plus another holder of them that I have to sort through.
About 30 mint sets, the earliest from about 1956.
A massive amount of buffalo nickels, most worn.
A huge amount of wheats, (no 1909 s vdb that I can find though, darn it)
A few really pretty indian head pennies
A whole folder of foreign coins, some pretty old
20 - 30 medallions
a smattering of silver dollars
A bunch of newer silver US coins, many in unopened rolls.
100+ really pretty Franklin half dollars
A bunch of MISC coins (a 1810 Kopec, a 1825 2 real coin etc)
A really really neat set of silver roosevelt dimes, many toned. These coins are really clean (but I have to grade them)
I am having a great time with all of this!!! But I forsee many hours hunched over a magnifier. But it gets me out of laundry duty.
WHAT FUN!!!
Zulan
0
Comments
Congratulations.
That's funny......
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Camelot
Get a loupe, make sure it's a triplet, preferably at 5x or 7x magnification -- better than a magnifying glass.
I think "slab" should be re-defined to mean large slices of cake. I could go for a chocolate slab right now.
Its a gradual process, and with patience, very rewarding. Keep at it.
09/07/2006
Following on this topic: how many forum members have educated their (young) family members about their collection for inheritence purposes?
My little one is just at the stage where coins should either be eaten or posted through air conditioning vents, thankfully she hasn't managed either yet though.
Dr J
My omnicoin collection (or how my coin photography has progressed)
<< <i>But it gets me out of laundry duty. >>
Dan
I agree with this statement. As I have mentioned before I am also a silver smith in my spare time and I already had a nice Hastings 10x triplet. It is so much better than the hobby magnifying glasses that you can get at coin shops and loupes const anywhere from $15 to $200 (a perfectly suitable one goes for around $30)
Dan
Crap... that isn't right.
Anyway, getting the world coins catalogue is a good idea, it'll turn you on to new and more affordable coinz.