So recently I have started collecting coins for some reason. So far I'm in love with the history and goal to collect all I can. I have been using a redbook as a guide, but there are some small characteristics redbook describes, but I do not know what to look for. This is the reason i have joined cointalk. To pick up on my mistakes before its too late. So as far as color tones, identifying cleaning marks, identifying fakes, and also identifying dipping/retoning I would appreciate any good eyes to find them and let me know. If i do have a coin that may be worth getting graded let me know I will be posting individual coins in "what its worth" As far as what you collect I guess it all depends on the person. Ive been trying to get one of every denomination. Before i get to the higher priced coins I would love to hear all input good or bad So hello to all and I look forward to learning more from everyone here
Welcome to the jungle. What's that black case the morgan is in? I haven't seen a case or card like that before
there is a international currency l.l.c. certificate of authenticity that also came with the coin along with the case Thanks to everyone!
Welcome. Just an idea, check out the thread on roll-searching. It's in here, someplace, I just can't find it. Besides learning a lot about coins that way, you're going to have a blast. Disclaimer: you need to have some time on your hands, and most banks will let you do this, so long as you don't go overboard.
My personal advice: try to avoid buying copper and/or nickel coins above $20, until you learn a bit more... These 2 metal compositions have way more potential problems than silver. I got burned on a few when I 1st started collecting. Even with a 10x loupe it's easy to miss certain problems if you don't know what to look for. I hate to say this but it looks like a couple of your IHCs may have been cleaned(might just be the photo) Hope they didn't cost much Welcome BTW, you will gain a wealth of knowledge here and most of us are always willing to help
If you are tempted early on to buy a coin of value, I would suggest a PCGS or NGC graded/slabbed coin. You can avoid cleaned and damaged coins, as well as fakes, until you get the needed skills to detect them yourself. Good luck on your new endeavor!
Yes am close to harrisburg pa. I already realize i need a better way of getting good pics. Any suggestions?
Your images aren't terrible right now; get your subjects out of their enclosures to image them and they'll be even better. Also, always orient them right-side up. It's far easier on the eyes of the observer. What are you using for camera equipment? I could offer a few specific pointers knowing that.
Scanning is fine, within what it can do. It cannot show luster or any information about the originality of the coin's surfaces, but it's pretty good at the simple technical details - wear, marks, etc. Scanners are actually better (in my opinion) at differentiating between the "frost/luster breaks" and actual contact marks which sometimes confound us with photographic imagery. If a phone is what you got, then it's what you got. Figure out via experimentation how close it can get to the coin and still achieve focus, although getting decent light onto the coin (something we will talk about later in the process) may force you to back off a little bit and compromise size for quality. Set the phone on a hard surface directly above the coin, as square to it as you can achieve, and remotely activate the shutter via the timer. My G3 snaps the shutter when I say "Cheese!" That's fun. What kind of phone? iPhones (5 and before, I don't know about 6's yet) and the Galaxy S4 - the ones I specifically know about - can shoot gradable-quality images of coins as good as any point-and-shoot. Just because you have only a phone doesn't mean you can't shoot good images, and if you do a set with the phone and a set with the scanner of each coin presented, those of us with experience evaluating them will be able to draw some pretty firm conclusions about the coin.
