Just Started Collecting 3 Weeks Ago

Hello all! My name is Erik, and I am a 19 year-old college student who is home on break and decided to start something new. Little did I know, coin collecting and numismatics would be my choice.

I started with pennies last week, and I have all from 1959 onward except 1968-S, 1970-S, and 1974-S. I have no idea if those are difficult to find or not. I've probably been through several thousand coins.

Also, I began collecting half dollars as well... If I would, say go out and get about $110 of Kennedys tomorrow, is there a chance that I might have one 1964-70 or Franklin in those rolls?

What should I learn?

Thanks for your time.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

This is one of the most enjoyable hobbies to be found and were glad to have you on CT. There are alot of people on here to steer you in the right direction. Pennies are a good place to start learning and who knows what you will find searching rolls of halves,but thats the fun of it. I suggest that you go slow and buy a book on the hobby and the coins you enjoy collecting. Educating yourself is of the utmost importance if you truely wish to acquire a collection that you will be proud of and enjoy in the future.

 

Eric, first of all welcome to the forum and welcome to the world of collecting. Being new to the hobby, I suggest that you pick up a copy of the "Red Book" A Guide to United States Coins by R. S. Yeoman. You might even find a copy in your local public library, however, this is a book you are going to want to refer to many many times and it's worth it to purchase a copy. Won't set you back too much "jing". :smile

Those elusive cents that you are looking for shouldn't be too difficult to find at a local dealer or maybe on e-bay. They are pretty common, but quite difficult to find in the change/rolls.

The chances of finding a silver Kennedy or Frankie in roll searching, while not impossible, are rather remote, but folks have found 'em. Who knows, you may get lucky. Lots of guys on these boards report finding them from time to time.

Enjoy collecting, and again, welcome.....:smile

 

Once you get over the initial period of feeling funny asking for coins from your bank virtually everyday, you will find that most tellers will be quite happy to let you know when they get in rolls from people who turned them in. In boxes from individuals you will find those dates you are looking for more often than if you are getting fed-rolls back from the mint. Twice I have gotten entire wheat penny collections this way. The largest being $63 worth on the same haul.

I don't do halves so much, because they are hard to get at the local banks here unless you can convince the tellers to order them in for you.

 

like green said go get the redbook.

also pick up some coin folders, usually 3.99 each at a local book store, they can order you others if they arent in, the item numbers are usually in the back of the book.
latex gloves from the super market.
magnafying glass/jewlers loupe or usb microscope camera.

never clean your coins with metal cleaners or abrasives, if anything cold soap and water and tap dry, do not rub.

boxes of pennies come in $25, nickels in $100, dimes in $250, quarters are $500 and halfs are $500


good luck and hope to see some of your finds in the roll searchers thread in the coin section.

 

Welcome to CT! Those cents you're looking for were the hardest for me to find, too! Don't give up though, I managed to find all of them in about uncirculated condition just from roll searching.

I always ask for halves when I go to the bank and I average 1 40% for every $150 in rolls, and 1 90% for every $500. I have never found silver from loose halves, presumably bc the tellers find it first!

Hope you enjoy your new hobby, I know I do!

 

I too had trouble finding the 1974-S (and 1974-D) in change. Eventually I did. I've also found a few uncirculated 1968-S. Keep looking, and welcome

 

Whereabouts in PA are you located?

 

welcome, i had never found "s" mints other then wheats in rolls, till i got some that were all "S mm's"

all it says is you are from PA, if you are around the pittsburgh area there is a coin show sunday in castle shannon!

pm for the details if you are interested.

 

Welcome to the neighborhood, Erik!

As others have said, you should get a copy of the Red Book. It contains a world of information, but I don't suggest that you use it as a price guide since it tends to be a little optimistic. Just yesterday, one of the other members in another thread included a link for the Red Book, and it was on sale for $17 and change with free shipping. Unfortunately, I don't recall which thread mentioned it since I read so many.

Eventually, you will learn to search auction archives for more accurate pricing info, but when in doubt, you can always ask someone here for help. Sometimes, auction bidding is more like a shark feeding frenzy where bidding can get a little too crazy.

One word of caution if you are thinking of buying coins on eBay. It is very risky buying raw coins (uncertified) regardless of whether it is an auction or "Buy it Now" (BIN) unless you know the seller. There are just too many unscrupulous and "numismatically uneducated" sellers who think nothing of doctoring coins and photos just to get a sale. You should ignore their "hype" and again, when in doubt, ask someone here for an opinion. If you are considering buying any certified coins, you should steer clear of "third-world" grading services and self-slabbers because the coins are invariably overgraded or problem coins. The top two grading services are NGC and PCGS and both are highly respected in the hobby. ANACS and ICG are also respected in the community, but the majority of the other sevices are highly suspect.

Some of this may sound a little scary, but as you learn more about the hobby, it will become more and more understandable. The important thing is that you have fun!

Here is a little something in your honor.

Chris

 

Welcome to CT! In addition to the Redbook, be sure to check out coppercoins.com or lincolncentresource.com. These sites have a listing of errors/varieties for Lincoln cents, of which many you can still get in your change. Good luck. TC

 

...welcome, erik, to another PA collector! and i vote for the red book as a rich

source of information. check it out, cover to cover. you'll love it! :smile

 

WELCOME TO THE FORUMMMMMMMMMMMM
My suggestion for you is to STOP collecting coins completely. The reason is the more collectors there are out there, the less coins for me. Rather than in the future you go nutty looking for a coin you just can't find or afford, I have a solution for you. Wrap up all the ones you have so far and send to me. :goofer: With such a solution, you would be able to spend more money on parties, girls, cars, booze, etc. And I'd be the one that has the coin finding problems that I helped you avoid. :rolling::smile
All just kidding of course. However, on a serious note, be carefull calling a PENNY a Penny on a coin forum. Not to often but every once in a while someone will jump all over you that you are collecting CENTS, not PENNIES.
And although millions and millions and millions say PENNIES, someone will always insist those are CENTS.:goofer:
As to finding certain dates on Pennies, if you look up quantities minted, certain ones are on the tuffer side to find. 68S = 258,270,001, 74S = 409,426,680. These sound like a lot minted but not when you consider how many of the other dates were made. The 70S is an entirely different story.
People save as many of those as possible due to the varieties. A large date, small date, double die and a proof. Throw in a proof of each large and small date, enough to drive someone nutty. Just wait until you try to see the difference in them.
I suggest you purchase a copy of the Red Book by Whitman. Also, look into the www.coppercoins.com web site. All about just PENNIES and the owner of that web site has 2 books out on just that coin.

 

Carl, don't go scaring the kid. Why would someone do a centsless thing like that? It just doesn't make any pennies.

Chris

 

welcome to coin talk and to this hobby.

since your budget sounds limited, consider the sac dollar coins

i think the design is underrated (esp before they messed around with the reverse)

and you can easily get most of them out of circulation (from bank rolls), they dont circulate so the condition is often AU to BU

It's probably my favorite easily collectible coin from circulation

 

US folks from PA must stick together
Welcome to the neighborhood Erik!

-Shrek

 

Thanks for all the advice and welcomes thusfar. Today was my first day where I actually went out with a plan and idea of what to do.

I got my first ever box of cents (never knew they existed until yesterday), and found five Wheat reverses! Is that a good ratio?

I also went through about $150 in half dollars (which was the total at all the banks in my small town), to no avail. I was unable to find anything from 64-70, nor was I able to find any Franklins. WIll I ever find them by just going through bank rolls?

Also, I was wondering if I should keep the ones dated after 2000? Only saw one thusfar.

It felt strange going out of the store with a box of cents.

Yellowstone quarter shipment coming in tomorrow!

 

OUCH, you got me there. :goofer: Although there are many songs that use pennies, (Pennies from Heaven) as an example and almost everyone in the USA says those little Copper things are Pennies, your right. Makes no PENNIES.

 

ON NO. You too? Now you'll never say PENNIES again. So your now one of the 38 people in the USA that calls them CENTS. :goofer:
As to saving coins dated after 2000, remember that in about 300 years those too will be worth a lot. :goofer: Me, I'd just put them back in change.

 

...we must not forget about the "wide AM's" now. :kewl: