A quick look at the numerous buyer’s guides reveals that shine is among the most desirable features when purchasing a coin for your collection. However, the ‘shine’ these guides talk about is often misunderstood. While many believe that it implies the actual polish on the coinage, the shine is actually mint luster and it is achieved during the striking process.

The importance of an updated written record detailing your coin collection cannot be stressed enough. Not only does cataloging your collection grant you the ability to see what you currently own, but it also simplifies your future collecting goals.

Even though for most people, value and price are synonyms, in reality they refer to two different things. To be more precise, the price – or retail price as it’s known to coin collectors – signifies the sum of cash you pay the dealer when you purchase the coin. On the other hand, the value is also dubbed wholesale price and entails the total amount a dealer would pay to purchase the coin from you.

If you decide to sell your silver coins, then you will need to organize them first. While it may sound like a lot of hassle, the process entails splitting the coins into two groups, namely coins with numismatic value and coinage you will sell for their silver value. If you’re done with organizing your collection, then you’re ready to learn more about the best places to vend your pieces.

Granted, technology and e-commerce have changed the ways people conduct business nowadays. Nevertheless, some businesses and their customers still benefit from face-to-face transactions. Although establishing a business relationship with a coin dealer is not always possible, investors and collectors who live near large metropolitan areas have a lot to gain from it. Let’s explore the advantages you too can enjoy by building a relationship with a local coin dealer.

There are two categories of people interested in collecting rare coins: numismatists, who collect coinage for pleasure and investors, who do it for the profit stemming from transactions. Irrespective of how you view yourself and your currency, take note that you will never meet your objective unless you know how to take good care of your coins. In other words, as a collector or an investor, your primary concerns should be the protection and preservation of the coinage. Following are the top 5 behaviors that can deteriorate and damage your precious rare coins.