Hello all. My name is Jeff, I am a deputy sheriff here in Florida. I just got interested in coin collecting and figured I would put up what I have found laying around. Like I said I am new, so I am just getting the books and reading articles about coins...so that being said, I dont know anything about coins...only that youcan buy stuff with them. I am LEARNING! The quarter is a New Hampshire Quarter. It appears to be offset just slightly, but I dont know if it is enough % to make a difference. I am not a photographer...so sorry about the pictures.
Welcome to CT, really the pictures are not that bad, better than i could do. Feel free to ask any question you may have. There is alot of great help on here young and old. Again welcome. Sandy
Welcome Jeff! Those coins aren't bad considering you just found them laying around If you have any specific questions about those coins, or coins in general, ask away. This is a good place to get educated. That quarter does look a little off center.
[HR][/HR]Thanks, Well my main question would be about the quarter. As far as normal and offset goes, Im not sure what, if any, % grace is given. I noticed it in my change I had been saving and just thought it was different. After reading I found several that were more offset then mine. Is there any value to this quarter. As far as the other coins, I know what they are, and from what I am reading, they are worth more in just silver value due to their condition. Is this an accurate guess or am I sitting on the missing 2 million dollar coin haha. I am only 26, So I am looking at a long term investment and trying to expand my knowledge, and collection of coins. As far as I can tell...there is A LOT to learn. Thanks again everyone! And by the way...when I say laying around...my grandfather gave them too me(the older coins) several years ago..i just threw them in a drawer and didnt really care. Amazingly...finding the offset quarter sparked my interest...and now I cant stop reading about coins haha.
Welcome to CT! Your coins may not be that valuable, maybe melt on the silver, but I don't have lots of experience with those. The State Quarter I would keep....not real valuable since the off center is not much, but still not easily found, so you may be able to sell for a little bit. Hope you keep collecting. It's a fun hobby.
The off-center quarter is definitely worth keeping. Welcome to CoinTalk also! If you have any questions, just ask.
Yes welcome Jeff. Trust me, we all started with small collections and now look at us! You are indeed wise seeking education, since as in all collectible fields knowledge trumps most other things, and makes you collection much more meaningful to you. I would suggest a "Guidebook of US Coins" (redbook), 2012 edition to be found at almost any bookstore. You will find volumes of great beginner information in there. If you memorize that, (as I did at 8 years old), we can suggest more! Also, (this is a very important rule here), there are absolutely no dumb questions except the ones not asked, Please feel free to come, read, and post as often as you would like. Chris
Thanks Chris. I actually just had a baby boy 2 days ago so that has kept me and my wife busy haha. This pay day i am going to get the redbook. I am also going to stop by the local coin shop and look around and be nosey! I also plan on hitting up the banks for rolls of coins.....like you said, starting small, but it's a hobby that always pays haha....can't go wrong collecting money
Congrats sir. My baby boy will be 7 weeks Saturday. I imagine you are not getting much sleep, (hence my mood being sleepy ). You really are smart learning before spending any real money on coins. Another book suggestion I would have would be Photograde, or ANA Grading standards. They have every series and examples of each in every grade. One caution is there examples is not always how a coin in that grade will look, but it will give you a good idea. With your roll searching, practice grading, putting them in piles of G, VG, F, VF, EF, AU, and BU. Later, go over each pile and see how you did. The only way I knwo how to grade is to either see a ton of correctly graded coins, or grade hundreds and hundreds of coins over and over. Most advanced collectors can grade a circulated coin in a second, it helps when searching rolls of coin shows, and is a critical skill. You will find condition to be as important as date and mintmark in coins. Too many beginners correctly look up the date and mintmark, but incorrectly grade so pay too much for a coin. Hope that helps. Chris P.S. Btw thanks for your service in law enforcement, I was in the Gulf war, and I know how good it feels for people recognizing the danger you put yourself in for others benefit.
Yeah the grades are like trying to learn a new language. I am still very confused about that. Also I am still having problems distinguishing errors. I assume that most of that info is in the redbook and the others you listed. And we actually just got home from the hospital. He is eating his mama alive right now haha. He is actually sleeping a good bit so we are able to catch naps. And you are welcome, I also served in the Marine Corps and served in Iraq!
Hey Jeff, I use a lot of on-line research to find out about mine. The guys here either know or know where to send you for info. One site I look at because I too like the errors is http://minterrornews.com/. A good glossary and descriptions, etc. Offsets are generally valued by the percentage of offset. Starting at about 5%. Of course, having the date on the coin adds value to the ones with very high percentage offsets. I don't think your quarter has a high monetary value. But YOU found it ! It's not something seen every day and makes a good conversation starter. AND it spurred your interest in the hobby/business and desire to educate yourself. Hard to put a price on that. gary
First off, Welcome to Cointalk! Also, I am very surprised and thankful of your services to your nation and community at such a young age. I don't hear of many Deputy Sheriffs or even Sheriffs at the age of 26. The quarter should most definitely be a keeper for you. I have kept the one coin that sparked my interest, sold it, and bought it back for more than I sold it because it had sentimental value. If you have any questions on coins, there are many long time collectors who would be more than happy to help you. And the great thing about starting collecting at such a long age is all the knowledge you gain and will be able to pass on. I know I am learning many new things every day through this forum. I am only 16, but have learned sooooooo much and have yet to brush off the top layer of the possible knowledge lying about. I would do what was suggested since you are doing the roll searching, but also keep an eye out for those silver coins in circulation. Hope you enjoy it here!
Welcome to the neighborhood, Jeff, and congratulations for your newborn son! The NH SQ probably has minimal value as an error, but I'd keep it if I were you as a reminder of what got you interested in errors in the first place. As for your photos, you might want to try to improve the lighting and crop and resize the photos before posting them. If you're like me, and prefer having the books to read rather than online guides, you might also try to find a copy of Alan Herbert's The Official Price Guide to Mint Errors. It goes into great detail about how errors can occur, and armed with this knowledge, it will enable you to determine if you are looking at a true error or possibly just some post Mint damage (PMD). I would imagine there are a few coin shops in your area, so I want to suggest that if you visit any you might want to wear your uniform until you get to know the owners. This may sound a bit conniving, but you would probably get a lot more help from them than the average newcomer, and trust me, most of them would be tickled pink to have a Sheriff's deputy frequenting their place of business. It's the nature of the beast! I don't know if you're aware of it, but the FUN Show (Florida United Numismatists) is scheduled for the Orange County Convention Center, January 5-8, 2012. It is one of the oldest and biggest coin shows in the country, and there are usually 800-1000 dealers in attendance. Either Friday or Saturday would be best if you could get away, but if you can make it on Saturday, I would be honored if you would be my guest at the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corp) Luncheon. In your honor, here are a couple of my error finds that I got from the US Mint. Chris (too!)
Thanks for the information everyone. I told my wife I hope she doesnt hate my new hobby, because I am addicted!! Looking forward to sharing any neat finds that i get and definetaly be ready for my questions haha!
