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RESOURCES FOR NEW COLLECTORS
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27 posts in this topic

Look I don't remember saying I was vary taught what is or is not the correct terminology for the cent or penny. I guess it's all in where you hail from sir or ma'am ive been interested for quiet some time now. How ever the man at the coin shop didnt even look at any of it he just spit out price because he can't speak English to save his life. He's Russian or Ukrainian. But it's no wonder this is a dieing hobby with people like you acting all snooty like you were born with everything you know now... Good day

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Been a minute or two since I posted, or even logged on here. Unfortunately, the first thing I see is a newb (referring to "that lil penny guy") getting an attitude and all smart mouthed at a seasoned coin collector trying to help out.  I would urge you to lose the attitude, be much more respectful, and realize that none of the knowledgable veterans on this forum are getting paid, or receiving ANY benefits whatsoever, to help people out like yourself. We gladly donate our time to help others, but with attitudes such as yours, and so many that came before you, it really makes me wonder why we even try sometimes..... Good day.

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I read this thread and wasn't connecting the dots... why would @Thatlilpennyguy get so upset over resources?  I see that this stems from another thread regarding a worn, plated cent.  My advice is to the OP is to try to keep an open mind, and stay objective.  Focus on learning the terms and the minting process.  This will help you a LOT when you talk to other collectors and dealers, as you will have much more credibility.  

The first response you received on your "Silver 1900 Penny" thread came from @DWLange, a published numismatic author and numismatic researcher at NGC, how much more of an expert would you want?  Understand that some of the folks on these boards are highly respected experts, dealers, authors, and collectors.  Folks like David Lange are opinions (better stated "facts") you can trust.

I am a newer collector.  I try to help other new collectors.  I try not to be condescending or put down coins I don't agree are collectible.  Sometimes this place can be a little gruff, but your thread (and this one) are really not.  This current thread that @Sandon has written is actually an excellent starting point for any new collector.  There are many more resources beyond this has you grow in knowledge and skill.  Your options in this hobby can be endless.  I am no expert, and I also learn from this site (and other resources).

Again, my advice is... Do not close doors for yourself before you even start.  We all get passionate sometimes, but start over (this is your second post so come-in and get to know the "room"), show-up with an open mind, and you can fill that open space with some very interesting (and useful) information.

I wish you luck in the journey to attain numismatic knowledge.  It's an important and fun one!

Edited by The Neophyte Numismatist
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On 8/25/2022 at 1:24 PM, Sandon said:

I had hoped that responses to my original post would name additional resources that might be of use to new or even more advanced collectors.  Does anyone have any?

As a newer avid collector (previously just pocket change and roll hunting) I recently purchased a copy of the Coin World Almanac (in addition to the Red Book and ANA Grading Standards which I have), initially because it has tables with mint specifications and tolerances for US coins starting with 1793 to check out coins I am interested in or have purchased to review (weights, diameters, thickness, composition, etc.), but I am finding it a really good book about coins in general.

Also since grading coins is so important, I would add the "Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection" 2nd Edition.

And for specific coins Bowers writes an excellent series of books on various types of coins as a companion to the Red Book, and I really like his (Official Red Book) Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars since I am working on a complete set of those coins. ;)

Coin World Almanac 8th Edition 2011.jpg

Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection.jpg

328212858_MorganSilverDollarRBGuidebyBowers.jpg.33a45aa3f7a0c9a2395042a4c71556c9.jpg

Edited by EagleRJO
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Any beginner or newcomer here can simply create a thread...tell us what they have interest in....and then ask where to find information on those coins here, elsewhere, in print, etc.

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On 8/24/2022 at 2:34 AM, Thatlilpennyguy said:

Look I don't remember saying I was vary taught what is or is not the correct terminology for the cent or penny. I guess it's all in where you hail from sir or ma'am ive been interested for quiet some time now. How ever the man at the coin shop didnt even look at any of it he just spit out price because he can't speak English to save his life. He's Russian or Ukrainian. But it's no wonder this is a dieing hobby with people like you acting all snooty like you were born with everything you know now... Good day

Why the bad vibes dude he was just trying to help

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On 11/13/2022 at 12:03 PM, pigeonman333rd said:

Why the bad vibes dude he was just trying to help

There are too many threads with this attitude, and that’s what poisons MY attitude. 

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PERSONAL REFERENCE NOTES & ARTICLES:  I just wanted to say something to newcomers about the information you see here, other sites, and articles.

Preserve them !!  (thumbsu

Let me explain.  We know that most of the internet is permanent, but you NEVER KNOW when something will be lost...a website is re-booted...shut down....old articles are taken down.....or it's still on the internet but you can't find it.

In these cases, Cut-And-Paste and SAVE AS PDF are your 2 best friends.  I cut-and-past entire articles, paragraphs, and posts and save them on my PC.  That way, I always have them.  Most of the stuff I save is on Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles but I have stuff on general coin pricing trends, Heritage Auctions commentaries, Great Collection auctions, Morgan silver dollars, Price Graphs, coin bubbles, old auctions, etc.

I have lots of information from 1 or 2 sentences long.... to entire paragraphs...to entire articles....to entire threads here @ NGC Forums.  I will save it in a Word Document if short; if longer, I will save it as a PDF.  Some of the threads here -- 75 pages and counting, some shorter -- I save every 5 pages or when enough time has passed and new posts are present.

Maybe I'll never use most of this information, but I do find it interesting and I will go-back and read my old notes from time-to-time.  One of my Word Docs is on Hoards and I have been posting snippets in the shorter Wells Fargo Thread.  If anybody asks in the future about Saint hoards for a particular year, there's a good chance I have it in my notes.  :)

If you see a Coin Week or CoinWorld article....don't assume it will always be accessible.  If you think you want to read it again in the future, either save the key portions or PDF the entire article onto your PC.

Edited by GoldFinger1969
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Sandon,

Thank you so much for your article on coin grading. Needless to say, it was extremely helpful. I ordered the Red Book "Guide to U.S. Coins" today. I joined PCGS and have been exploring their website.

I have a lot of reading to do and a lot to learn, that's for sure.

Thanks again,

Seamus

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On 8/24/2022 at 10:09 AM, GBrad said:

Been a minute or two since I posted, or even logged on here. Unfortunately, the first thing I see is a newb (referring to "that lil penny guy") getting an attitude and all smart mouthed at a seasoned coin collector trying to help out.  I would urge you to lose the attitude, be much more respectful, and realize that none of the knowledgeable veterans on this forum are getting paid, or receiving ANY benefits whatsoever, to help people out like yourself. We gladly donate our time to help others, but with attitudes such as yours, and so many that came before you, it really makes me wonder why we even try sometimes..... Good day.                                           I appreciate it. 

any kind of input would be helpful. Unfortunately, even though I work everyday. At the moment, I don't have money to buy any books. if you know of any online resources that would be beneficial that would be great. : )

I've been on here for a very short period of time. I hope you don't mind me sticking my 2 cents in? You guys seem pretty down to earth to me.  I like the fact that you didn't make your memberships so expensive that I should be able to afford it. And I rather enjoyed your crypto discussion, even though it was more financial than crypto really. lol. I was going to add my crypto story, but not many believe it is true even though I have pictures to back it up. Transaction hashes and everything. Still couldn't get my money back. when you invest it can be a risky. you got to live and learn. So, I no longer invest my hard earned money. I'll mine for free, but that is it.  Let me ask a question, please?  I inherited some coins. Might be 1 or 2 of them worth some money. got quit a few 1964 Kennedy half dollars, got a few

1970 proof sets. some Morgan and Piece dollars. A few Indian head pennies, Some buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, And some foreign coins. Can you tell me what would be worth sending in to have it graded. I was thinking about auctioning some stuff on ebay. Maybe it would help me determine the actual prices of the coins. So many different prices. So many different errors. How do you know something is a valid mint error and how much is it worth. I am willing to walk the walk if showed the way to go. any guidance and I will run with it. Life without guidance is like building something without instructions. I know, because I've figured most things out myself, but with a little guidance I might be able to go that much farther. any helpful knowledge is appreciated. Thank you!  Any thoughts about these? If not maybe just a few ideas about things I can research or look into. even having knowledge of where I can look at the information with legitimate information in it. Or you can just move it into the trash. It started with good intentions. I guess giving all your secrets away. wouldn't be very lucrative. anyway, here are some of my beginner coins. lol have a good day!   Read this page from the bottom to the top. It was a good read. Thank you for the information. any other helpful info, is highly appreciated. Thank you!

1945-D.jpg

1945-D2.jpg

1945-D3.jpg

1945-D4.jpg

Ghosted penny image 1.jpg

Ghosted penny image 2.jpg

IMG_0014-pixl.jpg

IMG_0022-pixler.jpg

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On 8/16/2023 at 3:31 AM, Shygirl2020! said:

I've been on here for a very short period of time. I hope you don't mind me sticking my 2 cents in? You guys seem pretty down to earth to me.  I like the fact that you didn't make your memberships so expensive that I should be able to afford it. And I rather enjoyed your crypto discussion, even though it was more financial than crypto really. lol. I was going to add my crypto story, but not many believe it is true even though I have pictures to back it up. Transaction hashes and everything. Still couldn't get my money back. when you invest it can be a risky. you got to live and learn. So, I no longer invest my hard earned money. I'll mine for free, but that is it.  Let me ask a question, please?  I inherited some coins. Might be 1 or 2 of them worth some money. got quit a few 1964 Kennedy half dollars, got a few

1970 proof sets. some Morgan and Piece dollars. A few Indian head pennies, Some buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, And some foreign coins. Can you tell me what would be worth sending in to have it graded. I was thinking about auctioning some stuff on ebay. Maybe it would help me determine the actual prices of the coins. So many different prices. So many different errors. How do you know something is a valid mint error and how much is it worth. I am willing to walk the walk if showed the way to go. any guidance and I will run with it. Life without guidance is like building something without instructions. I know, because I've figured most things out myself, but with a little guidance I might be able to go that much farther. any helpful knowledge is appreciated. Thank you!  Any thoughts about these? If not maybe just a few ideas about things I can research or look into. even having knowledge of where I can look at the information with legitimate information in it. Or you can just move it into the trash. It started with good intentions. I guess giving all your secrets away. wouldn't be very lucrative. anyway, here are some of my beginner coins. lol have a good day!   Read this page from the bottom to the top. It was a good read. Thank you for the information. any other helpful info, is highly appreciated. Thank you!

1945-D.jpg

1945-D2.jpg

1945-D3.jpg

1945-D4.jpg

Ghosted penny image 1.jpg

Ghosted penny image 2.jpg

IMG_0014-pixl.jpg

IMG_0022-pixler.jpg

I wouldn't submit any of the coins pictured. When submitting coins only submit coins that have a raw price guide value of at least $350.00 - $400.00 which covers all of the grading fees plus you should be able to make a profit when you decide to sell your coins.

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@Shygirl2020!--Please post questions about your coins as new topics. This topic is for print and online books, publications and other resources to educate new collectors. Most forum members won't see your post here. However, if you had referred to these resources, you would know that your circulated 1945-D Lincoln cents are worth 5 cents apiece at retail. The other coin appears to have been squeezed against another coin in a vice and is not a mint error.

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I don't know how specific you want posters to be but there are three web-sites I use a great deal.

The first is the Liberty Seated Collectors Club.  If you go to their site and look under online references you will find a number of books about Seated coins.  There is also a monthly news letter with many back issues available.  All free.

If you like Bust Half Dollars there is a site called Dave's Bust Half Dollar Site.  It has pictures and written descriptions of every bust half die marriage.  Free.

Finally there is something called the Newman Numismatic Portal.  This site is also free .  I will be honest though.  This site can be harder to navigate, (At least it has been for me) but contains a SEA of coin information.  Good luck.  James

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On 8/16/2023 at 9:40 AM, samclemen3991 said:

I don't know how specific you want posters to be but there are three web-sites I use a great deal.

The first is the Liberty Seated Collectors Club.  If you go to their site and look under online references you will find a number of books about Seated coins.  There is also a monthly news letter with many back issues available.  All free.

If you like Bust Half Dollars there is a site called Dave's Bust Half Dollar Site.  It has pictures and written descriptions of every bust half die marriage.  Free.

Finally there is something called the Newman Numismatic Portal.  This site is also free .  I will be honest though.  This site can be harder to navigate, (At least it has been for me) but contains a SEA of coin information.  Good luck.  James

Thank you!

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On 8/16/2023 at 7:03 AM, Sandon said:

@Shygirl2020!--Please post questions about your coins as new topics. This topic is for print and online books, publications and other resources to educate new collectors. Most forum members won't see your post here. However, if you had referred to these resources, you would know that your circulated 1945-D Lincoln cents are worth 5 cents apiece at retail. The other coin appears to have been squeezed against another coin in a vice and is not a mint error.

Thank you!

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@Sandon, for your online sources (considering the amount of questions we get on here about errors and DDO's), new or returning collectors should familiarize themselves with error-ref.com (for errors),varietyvista.com (for verifying DDO's, DDR's and other varieties), NGC's VarietyPlus (on this page), and for print resources, the Cherrypickers' Guide Vol. 2 Sixth Edition by Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton published by Whitman Publishing (for print reference of die varieties).

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I wanted to add two books which I think are excellent references considering how many questions are posted on the board about errors and varieties.  This  includes the Cherrypickers Guide Vol 2 mentioned by PowerMad and the Official Price Guide to Mint Errors, with photos of the covers attached.

Cherry Pickers Guide Vol II 6th Ed.jpg

Official Error Coin Price Guide.jpg

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On 12/10/2023 at 12:32 PM, edhalbrook said:

What is the blue book? I thought it was foreign coins but it says US. 

   Please don't ask questions on this thread, as it is for identifying print and online resources for new collectors.

   Whitman's "Handbook of United States Coins", a.k.a. the "Bluebook", covers the same coins (U.S. and related) as the Redbook, though in somewhat less detail. It is supposed to list the coins at wholesale (dealer buy) instead of retail (dealer sell) prices, but because it is only published once a year and prices can change rapidly these days, it really isn't very good as a guide to current dealer purchase prices. I wonder why Whitman still publishes it.

 

Edited by Sandon
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I purchased another book titled US Error Coin Guide 2020 by Stan McDonald - Unsurpassed and Comprehensive. I believe this book is updated every year. As far as it being comprehensive, I don't think any error coin book can be comprehensive as to the multitude of errors in the marketplace, but it is something for newbies to get started and get beyond dryer coins.

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