Coin Collecting

[carmen510]

Not sure if this would Off-Topic or here.

Basically, a few questions, plus any debates after these are answered, and anymore I need to ask.

1. Anyone know where I might find coins which does not involve beaches, dealers, flea markets, or auctions?

2. Anyone recommend a free grading guide online?

3. How can you tell what the metal content in the 1982 penny is without sending it to a grading service like PCGS?

4. Any other tips you would be appreciated.

 

[Adler17]

1. Perhaps donating them by friends/parents/grand parents? I can only give you the advice to buy you a metal detector and go for a walk in certain areas. However the quality of the coins might then not be very good. Another option might be to have your eyes open if you look in your portemonnaie. You might have treasures in it without knowing it. A certain coin might be circulating although the coin is much more worth. An example: The German 50 Pf coin of 1950 made at Karlsruhe (Letter G) got the old "Bank Deutscher Länder" instead of switching to "Bundesrepublik Deutschland". Although it was ordered to melt all of them some survived and got into the circulation. I was never lucky though to find one.

2. + 3. No, I have no idea.

This is not a real historical thread, but what about changing it to publish here histories of coins?

Adler

 

[firecoder]

u mean old coins?i got my old notes from friends and relatives who pass it to me.

 

[carmen510]

Thanks Adler17, although I live in the US, with basically no relatives to ask for coins, I did get some from my grandfather. He had Francs, a deuschmark, some Canadian coins, and a Spanish Olympics commemorative coin. He also had a few Yen and Yuan.

What is the history of the mark/franc? I'm only good with Chinese and American coins, and to a lesser extend, the pound and euro.

 

[Adler17]

Before 1871 the Thaler was the main coin in Germany. It was valid in all parts. However the coin system had to be centralized once the German Reich was formed. That's why in 1871 the Mark was introduced as coin. The Thaler was still used as three Mark until 1900. Memorial coins were later made with 3 Marks to go on with the tradition of the Thaler. However in 1871 the Mark was introduced. 1 Mark was 100 Pfennige. Also it was basing upon gold. In that time also 5, 10 and 20 Mark coins were made. As the 5 Mark coin had little gold it was not very accepted and are mostly very expensive today.
In the colonies mostly the Mark was introduced, too. There are some major exceptions. One are Cent coins for Tsingtao. The others are the Deutsch Neuguinea Mark. Thes coins are very rare and so it is difficult to get them. But here be aware as many false prints or remakes are made. They are however one of the most beautiful German coins ever made. The last exception were the Rupiees in German East Africa. One of them was a 15 Rupiee Gold coin. Indeed all German gold coins had 90% gold, this one had 91,6 % gold. And it is an emergency coin made at Tabora in 1916! Now you have to pay about 1.500 € for such a coin!
After ww1 the inflation caused a reform of the Goldmark. She was at first followed by the Rentenmark before the Reichsmark came. Especially the remembering coins made in the times of the Weimar republic are much worth today. Hitler did not make many of these coins. However some victory coins were made but they are only rare test examples.
After ww2 a new currency came with the Deutsche Mark in 1948. The East Germans therefore also introduced one variant of Mark, too. The Deutsche Mark, or short DM, became one of the most favourable currencies. You could pay with it not only in Germany but nearly everywhere, especially if there were weak currencies. In the Balcan it became partly the official currency.
When the thoughts about a new currency for all of Europe were made nearly all Germans were refusing it. The DM was more a national hollow than only a currency. If there was a referendum the Euro would never had a chance. Anyway it was Theo Waigel, German finance minister, who proposed that name. It was in that day a difficult situation and many names for the new currency were proposed. Even Taler and Dollar. When no one was really acceptable by all, he said: Then we call it Euro! And the new currency had a new name.
For the German population that wad decision to get rid about the Mark. And although the Euro is an even stronger currency as the Mark and has many other advantages, still a majority of the population still thinks in Mark, if at least buying something expensive (me, too!). That was made possible as one € was nearly 2 DM (in fact 1 €= 1,95583 DM).
That is a short history of the German currency since 1871.

Adler

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Some coins may be available from your bank, or perhaps your Mint might sell them (at quite an expensive price, though -- that's why I prefer to inspect my change in hopes of finding what I'm looking for).

Anyway -- if you ever find a Canadian poppy quarter, keep it. That's a commemoration of our World War I veterans, and those coins were not easily obtainable by people who don't go to Tim Hortons shops. I've never been able to get one, and it irked me greatly when the ridiculous fuss came out in the American news about the Canadian "spy coins" -- they were the poppy coins these guys had found, and they were too stupid to just ask somebody what they were.

 

[T.A JONES]

Some coins may be available from your bank, or perhaps your Mint might sell them (at quite an expensive price, though -- that's why I prefer to inspect my change in hopes of finding what I'm looking for).

Anyway -- if you ever find a Canadian poppy quarter, keep it. That's a commemoration of our World War I veterans, and those coins were not easily obtainable by people who don't go to Tim Hortons shops. I've never been able to get one, and it irked me greatly when the ridiculous fuss came out in the American news about the Canadian "spy coins" -- they were the poppy coins these guys had found, and they were too stupid to just ask somebody what they were.

Ive seen those poppys in commem packaging somewhere but never got one yet from Timmy Ho's.

Thanks for your reaccount of the spy coin debockle. What happend again? The poppy fell out of an American tourist's quarter and he said 'whats this? some sort of tracking or audio recording device?'

 

[nc-1701]

Not sure if this would Off-Topic or here.

Basically, a few questions, plus any debates after these are answered, and anymore I need to ask.

I used to do a lot of coin collecting as a kid. I haven't really done anything with my collection in a long time, but I still have it, and figure I could make some decent cash when I go to college or something by selling it. I'll answer your questions as well as I can

1. Anyone know where I might find coins which does not involve beaches, dealers, flea markets, or auctions?

I always bought mine from dealers... You can get some stuff looking through change, but the good stuff is all pretty much gone. I'de suggest half dollars 1965-1970 (Silver-clad) as your best bet, but you might get one coin per several hundred worth of half dollars so unless you have boatloads of time I don't suggest it. There's also a lot on places like Ebay, but if you aren't looking to buy coins, there's really no way to get a decent collection. I mean you can fill out all the recent years in books, but those are all basicaly worthless.
You can get new proof sets, and the silver/gold/platinum bullion coins from the mint, but that's about it.

2. Anyone recommend a free grading guide online?

No idea, I'de invest the ten books to get a nice well-illustrated book on the subject if your serious...

3. How can you tell what the metal content in the 1982 penny is without sending it to a grading service like PCGS?

Yeah, you weigh it. My Dad had to go to a university chemistry lab iirc to get a scale tha could tell the differance though... Google it, but iirc the Copper one is heavier by a tiny amount.

4. Any other tips you would be appreciated.

Buy the coin value redbook for 15 bucks, check it when buying coins. To make sure you don't get ripped off.

 

[Emperor2]

Any other tips would be appreciated

Well, there is a lot of tell about making sure you aren't getting ripped off. I must say that if something is priced higher than a grade book or magazine says it should be, then it is not always a bad buy. There are certain coins which it is worth to pay some extra money to be able to have, for sentimental value. I really do not think that the red or blue books accuratly incluede sentimental value, or most of the prices would be higher. So if something is a little high, don't always decide not to buy it. And the price always goes up, even if it is a little slow in the uptaking. Price might be a bit high at first, but when you sell it you will most likely be selling it for more than you payed, even if you did pay a little much at first.

somewhere else I can find coins

Not really an awnser, more a story. I was ten years old when I found my first coin in the dirt near a lake, and that is what inspired me to collect coins. I was skipping rocks with my 8 year old brother and picked up a 'rock' which I thought much to smooth and circular to be a real rock. So I picked it up and wiped it a little bit, and I could make out a design and realized it was an old coin. After some more rubbing on the front and the back, I managed to make out the date and the denomination- 1828 large cent.
Well, being 10 years old this amazed me. So, that is how I started my coin collection. Just think, had I been a slightly less attentive ten year old...

 

[carmen510]

I do have the Red Book, but it deals with wholesale prices. (Dealers trading) The Blue Book is better, (Retail: AKA the prices you pay) and even better is the Greysheet.

 

[carmen510]

What were the coins before the 1700s in all European countries?

I know about the bits of 8 and doubloons, (They are by far, some of the most famous coins in the world), but what about other stuff?

 

[Adler17]

In Germany the main coins, as far as I remember, were in Medievel times at first Gulden (gold). In the 16th century a new coin appeared and took the leadership. The Thaler, a silver coin. It was at first made in the Joachimsthal in Bohemia, thus the name Thaler. It became a leading position. However in that times until 1871 there were many currencies made in German lands. At last nearly all states made their own currency.

Adler