{"product_id":"2940014338721","title":"Beginner's Guide to Coin Collecting","description":"Table of Contents:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction...3\u003cbr\u003eFun Facts about Coins...4\u003cbr\u003eCoin Collecting Glossary...8\u003cbr\u003eBeginning Your Collection...11\u003cbr\u003eWhat to Collect...12\u003cbr\u003eStoring Your Coins...18\u003cbr\u003eTools of the Trade...19\u003cbr\u003eAmassing Your Collection...21\u003cbr\u003eHandling Your Coins...24\u003cbr\u003eCleaning Coins...25\u003cbr\u003eGrading Your Coins...27\u003cbr\u003eDetermining Your Coin’s Value...30\u003cbr\u003ePricing Coins...33\u003cbr\u003eMost Requested Coin Values...34\u003cbr\u003eSome Very Expensive Coins...39\u003cbr\u003eKids and Coin Collecting...41\u003cbr\u003eGetting a Child into Coin Collecting...45\u003cbr\u003eConclusion...48\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eINTRODUCTION\u003cbr\u003eThe old saying goes, “Money makes the world go\u003cbr\u003e‘round.” We use it every day. We can’t acquire many\u003cbr\u003enecessary item needed in daily life without it. We almost\u003cbr\u003ealways want more of it, but for coin collectors, money is\u003cbr\u003emuch more than a piece of metal. It’s a hobby, a learning\u003cbr\u003eexperience, and can be a lifelong obsession.\u003cbr\u003eThere really are no hard statistics on the amount of\u003cbr\u003epeople who collect coins in the world. Some people suggest\u003cbr\u003ethat 1 out of every 10,000 people is an active coin collector.\u003cbr\u003eThat’s pretty staggering when you think about the\u003cbr\u003epopulation of the world.\u003cbr\u003ePeople have been collecting coins for years. At one\u003cbr\u003etime, it was called the hobby of kings, but today people from\u003cbr\u003eall walks of life and of all ages are maintaining coin\u003cbr\u003ecollections.\u003cbr\u003eTheir reasons are varied. Some like the history behind\u003cbr\u003ecoinage. Some do it to amass a collection worthy of handing\u003cbr\u003edown to future generations. Still others are simply\u003cbr\u003ebusinesspeople buying and selling coins to make a living.\u003cbr\u003eCollecting coins can be somewhat of a treasure hunt for\u003cbr\u003emany. The quest for that one coin to complete their\u003cbr\u003ecollection can be an obsession.\u003cbr\u003eWhatever the reason, coin collecting is a very popular\u003cbr\u003ehobby – one that can be pursued by all age groups. There\u003cbr\u003eare actually educational benefits to getting children started\u003cbr\u003eas coin collectors.\u003cbr\u003eThe practice of numismatics – that is, the collection and\u003cbr\u003estudy of coins, paper money, tokens and medals – offers the\u003cbr\u003ecollector many different areas to specialize in. With the\u003cbr\u003emany specializations of coins, there is a wealth of material\u003cbr\u003eout there for coin collectors to concentrate on which makes\u003cbr\u003eit such an interesting and diverse hobby.\u003cbr\u003eIn this book, we’ll explore the phenomenon of coin\u003cbr\u003ecollecting and give you ways to get started on your own\u003cbr\u003ecollection. There are many, many nuances of the hobby and\u003cbr\u003eit’s almost impossible to give you all the information you’ll\u003cbr\u003eneed to become a seasoned collector. What we have done is\u003cbr\u003egive you enough to get started in this rather enjoyable\u003cbr\u003eactivity.\u003cbr\u003eLet’s look at “A Beginner’s Guide to Coin Collecting.”\u003cbr\u003eSOME FUN FACTS ABOUT COINS\u003cbr\u003eThere are approximately $8 billion worth of coins\u003cbr\u003ecirculating in the U.S. today. In the past 30 years, the U.S.\u003cbr\u003eMint, who is responsible for designing and producing the\u003cbr\u003enation’s coins, has minted over 300 billion coins, worth\u003cbr\u003eabout $15 billion!\u003cbr\u003eSince its creation in 1792, the U.S. Mint has grown into\u003cbr\u003ea large enterprise with more than $1 billion in annual\u003cbr\u003erevenues and 2,200 employees. It is by far the world's\u003cbr\u003elargest manufacturer of coins and medals, producing coins\u003cbr\u003enot only for the U.S. but on behalf of several other countries\u003cbr\u003eas well.\u003cbr\u003eIt can be interesting to know how coins are minted. In\u003cbr\u003eorder to make coins, the U.S. Mint purchases strips of metal\u003cbr\u003e(rolled into coils) in the proper dimensions and thicknesses.\u003cbr\u003eZinc metal strips coated with copper plating are used to\u003cbr\u003emake pennies. Strips used for nickels are comprised of a\u003cbr\u003e75% copper, 25% nickel metal alloy. Dimes, quarters, halfdollars\u003cbr\u003eand dollar coins are produced of strips consisting of\u003cbr\u003ethree metallic layers fused together. The outer layers of\u003cbr\u003ethese strips are comprised of the same alloy as that used for\u003cbr\u003enickels with the third (core) layer being comprised of copper.\u003cbr\u003eThe first step in the coin making process involves the\u003cbr\u003efeeding of the metal strips through what is known as a\u003cbr\u003e\"blanking\" press. This press punches out cut round discs\u003cbr\u003e(blanks) about the same size as the finished coin. These\u003cbr\u003eblanks are then heated in a furnace to soften them.\u003cbr\u003eSubsequently, the softened blanks are placed in rotating\u003cbr\u003ebarrels of chemical solutions to clean and polish the metal.\u003cbr\u003eThe cleaned and shiny blanks are then washed and dried.\u003cbr\u003eNext, the blanks are sorted to remove any defective\u003cbr\u003eones and the rest are put through an \"upsetting\" mill which\u003cbr\u003eraises a rim around their edges. The rimmed blanks then go\u003cbr\u003eto the coining or stamping press where upper and lower dies\u003cbr\u003estamp the designs and inscriptions on both sides of the coin\u003cbr\u003esimultaneous","brand":"laiftllc.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47073996800240,"sku":"2940014338721","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014338721_p0.jpg?v=1763615978","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014338721","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}